The Guide To Being Transgender

Dealing With Anxiety and Depression

As trans people, we have a lot going against us. Not only are some people against us, but we're also against ourselves at times. A lot of trans people struggle with depression and/or anxiety. Here are some tips you can use to help you deal with that stuff.

When you feel an anxiety attack coming on, close your eyes and think of a happy memory that you have, or generally something that makes you happy, and focus on breathing. In for a count of four through your nose, out for a count of four through your mouth.

In cases induced by interactions with strangers, it can also be helpful to remind yourself that you don't know them and they don't know you. You may never even see them again. They don't matter as much as it may seem in the moment.

You should also work on identifying the anxiety. When you start to feel it, take the required measures to calm yourself at the root of the problem. That can help you prevent anxiety attacks from ever happening in the first place. If you feel like you have anxiety and it gets to the point where it interrupts your daily quality of life, though, you need to talk to a trusted adult about it. Explain the situation and ask them for help.

As far as depression goes, there's not a whole lot that you can do. Depression is highly based on a legitimate chemical imbalance in the brain, but you can still try to make the situation better. Try to stay positive. When you feel yourself getting down, try to get yourself up before it takes hold.

Any time you feel unmotivated and you don't really want to do anything, get up and force yourself to do something. Try to do things that will make you happy as well, and work hard. For example, try to keep your grades up and focus on things other than the hate and discrimination you may receive as a transgender individual. Spend time with people who support you and try to be a good person. Those are some of the things that've helped me, anyway.

If you have any other tips, leave them in the comments, please. Have a good day, everyone!