#talked to another doctor specializing in trans healthcare who says that it bullshit

[yet-another-autism-blog]

Your doctor has done the right thing for you, you'll understand later. Hormones have a HUGE impact on bipolar symptoms. There's evidence to suggest that oestrogen and testosterone affect bipolar differently. For example, testosterone levels may be related to the course of bipolar disorder and suicidal behavior. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230614943_Testosterone_levels_in_suicide_attempters_with_bipolar_disorder

Also evidence that stopping HRT can bring on sudden manic or depressive episodes: "hormone replacement medication can reduce the levels of some mood stabilizer medications―and that can increase the risk of relapsing into depression or mania." https://www.dbsalliance.org/education/ask-the-doc/can-going-on-or-off-hormones-cause-mood-swings-or-a-manic-episode/

HRT is not a walk in the park and hormones affect every part of the way our bodies and minds work. It's no easy task for a doctor to prescribe HRT especially for people with severe mental illnesses. It doesn't mean you'll never get on HRT, it just means you'll need to be a lot more careful, and whether you like it or not, doctors know what they're doing and are the authority on this.

Anon, did you read the part of the post where I said this therapist spent less than 20 minutes with me?

In that time she didn't ask me a single question about my mental health/bipolar symptoms or my gender identity. Her decision was entirely based on an intake screening done by a different therapist.

Now I don't know what kind of mental health training you have but I have a bit of medical training, and I was always taught to actually talk to my patients about those kind of things. What's true for one person may not be true for another, as a medical professional you're job is to treat your patient not their condition.

And yeah, hormones can cause changes with mental health issues but funny enough, having to spend your life pretending to be someone you're not and constantly being misgendered also causes some pretty significant negative mental health issues. Every single mental health issue I have ever had has been a direct result of my gender identity not be acknowledged or respected.

My bipolar symptoms are perfectly under control, and have been forever. I have never had a single significant issue as a result of my bipolar.

Which is definitely a good thing because this therapist is also refusing to treat my bipolar because of the whole inherently violent thing, no point in treating that.

My actual doctor, the one who treats my bipolar, saw absolutely issue with me starting hrt.

And finally

In what fucking world is it acceptable for a therapist to tell a patient they their just inherently violent and there's nothing to be done. Like in what fucking world do you live in where that's okay, regardless of other circumstances?

Edit:

Final thing I don't know what gives you the confidence that "it doesn't mean you'll never get on hrt" because that's exactly what it means. I'm not working with unlimited time here. I've been trying to get on hrt for 5 years now and something always comes up, insurance, "You're to pretty to be a man", "wait a year", etc. I have until my 24th birthday and that's it. No more chances after that. I'm 23. I turn 24 in 7 months. I don't have time to keep trying.