case study of Brandon Teena

Case Study of Brandon Teena
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Case Study of Brandon Teena
What diagnosis would you give Brandon Teena? Why?
The diagnosis that I may give Brandon is gender dysphoria. It entails an individual conflicting with his or her assigned gender with respect to the gender that he or she identifies with (Dhejne et.al, 2016). Brandon aligns with the diagnosis due to the need for identifying himself as male rather than female, his assigned gender.
What are the major symptoms of the disorder? What symptoms does he display?
The DSM 5 classifies gender dysphoria symptoms in terms of children and adults. Due to Brandon’s age, she falls under the adult category in which the associated symptoms include: a distinctive incongruence between an individual’s expressed gender and the secondary and primary sexual features, an immense desire to eliminate the secondary and primary sexual features, to be like the identified gender and to be perceived as the gender one identifies with, in addition to an immense assurance that one has feelings for the opposite gender (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The symptoms should be present for more than six months. Also, some individuals with gender dysphoria are perceived to encounter various mental issues. Some of them include anxiety problems, mood disorders, substance abuse and depression (Dhejne et.al, 2016). Brandon insists that everyone should emphasize that he is a man even when his cousin frequently refers to him as a girl and hence aligning with the symptom of being perceived as the gender one identifies with.

He also hates his assigned genitals such that he puts on a fake penis and also wears short hair and puts on male clothes. These indicate that he wants to be like the identified gender in addition to exhibiting a distinctive incongruence between an individual’s expressed gender and the secondary and primary sexual features. His goal of undergoing a gender reassignment procedure, and taping his breasts illustrate that he has an immense desire to eliminate his current secondary and primary sexual features.
What symptoms does he not display?
Her preference for urination is not indicated. However, she prevents others from viewing her menstruation. He does not engage in substance abuse and does not exhibit any form of mental issues which are often associated with the disorder.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Dhejne, C., Van Vlerken, R., Heylens, G., & Arcelus, J. (2016). Mental health and gender dysphoria: a review of the literature. International Review of Psychiatry, 28(1), 44-57.