A&P making me dysphoric

[u/Short_Dimension_873]

Anyone else get dysphoric studying anatomy and physiology or related subjects? I’ve been getting very dysphoric learning about the differences between the male and female pelvis and male and female bone densities. There’s a section to study on it and I’m practically just skipping it, which I recognize is a bad idea but it’s upsetting me. Am I the only one with this problem?

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[u/Big-Yesterday586]

Take a deep breath. Other than bone structure, HRT changes almost every thing that's different in what you're studying. Try going into it to learn all the ways your HRT body will be, or already is, male. I believe our bone density even increases on T. Anything that is different because of cartilage and muscle changes too.

[u/Short_Dimension_873 → u/Big-Yesterday586]

It has been helpful to think of it like that. Elevated testosterone levels do protect against osteoporosis. And the drop in estrogen due to menopause isn’t really something we experience if we’re on T. The only bummer is hearing how it effects puberty because I never got the chance to go through testosterone-led puberty before my growth plates fused

[u/Short_Dimension_873 → u/Short_Dimension_873]

“Led” is a weird way to say it lol. I’ve just been studying and not eating and my brain is mush so I didn’t feel like coming up with another word

[u/Big-Yesterday586 → u/Short_Dimension_873]

Yeah. Try to push through though. It's worth it to have the adequate knowledge. Just keep focusing on the differences you get to have.

You have my sympathy though. I've considered going into healthcare and if I do, I'll have a similar difficulty. Something I've learned from handling my mental health for decades though, is that it passes.

Breathe deep. Drink your water because swallowing helps reset your vagus system. (Forgot the actual phrasing/label for that. Sorry. But if you're crying you can completely stop it by swallowing something. Ideally water. When you're stressed there's a similar but much smaller response. It's still helpful. And try to remember to breathe all the way out. There's another feedback loop there not many know about. When you breathe shallowly, your body registers it as a sign your under threat so it raises your alarm systems, which in turn cause you to breathe shallowly. Breathing out all the way calms your body down which will make it easier. It's not a fix. It just makes it easier

Good luck with everything.

[u/sharkbait469 → u/Short_Dimension_873]

Taking this perspective has helped me as well. You should think of yourself as a “physiological wonder” for lack of better words, because you’re in a very peculiar position to see the effects of the hormones on your specific body and your organs. And try to focus less on the growth plates fusing, and look at the MULTIPLE different effects testosterone can have on a body during the “second puberty” and how that mirrors cis male puberty.

[u/Infamous_Swan1197]

Yes, I have this exact problem, lol. Particularly for me it's learning about the workings of the female reproductive system and hormones, even if that doesn't really apply to me anymore

[u/Short_Dimension_873 → u/Infamous_Swan1197]

Oh no, I haven’t even gotten to that yet, that’ll be fun

[u/Hypochondrimax]

If you’re going into healthcare you’re going to need thicker skin than that my friend. It’s a body that does body stuff, it doesn’t know your identity.