Transgender or trans.  People who were one gender at birth but now: 

• their gender is not the same as their birth gender, or 
• they are not comfortable with their birth gender.

Cisgender. People whose gender identity matches the gender they had at birth.  Like, a cisgender woman, who was female at birth, and still identifies as a woman. 

Gender dysphoria. This is when you experience unease or distress as you feel there is a mismatch between:  

• the sex you had at birth, and 
• your gender identity.

• It can help your mental health to talk to people who understand about trans issues, like family, friends, and allies. 
• It might also help you to talk to other trans people or get involved in trans support group. This might provide you with a sense of community and understanding. 

You can find out more about how to find support groups in our information on LGBT+ mental health.

• We all have different levels of how much stress we can cope with, depending on what is happening in our lives. 
• If you are trans, things like discrimination and hate speech can add to your levels of stress.
• You can use a tool such as Mental Health UK's stress bucket.  This can help you recognise how much stress you are under. 

You can find out more advice and information on our webpage Stress - How to cope.

• If your stress bucket  fills, it is good to try and empty it. This is where self-care comes in. 
• Find what works for you. Think about things that you enjoy and bring you happiness. 
• This might be doing something creative like cooking or writing. Or it could be spending time with loved ones, playing with a pet  or tinkering with your car. The list is endless.
• Things like physical activity  and mindfulness  can help too.

• If you experience gender dysphoria, you might want to express your feelings through art, journaling or speaking to a gender affirming therapist.  
• You can find more information on how to find a gender affirming therapist at Pink Therapy here.  But also read our information on Talking therapies. It explains how to find out whether your therapist is properly accredited. Some therapists offer free or low cost, therapy for LGBT+ people. 
• You may want to consider gender self-expression. This is how you present your gender to others. This can include things like your clothing, hairstyle, behaviour, and other characteristics. 
• You can read more about gender self-expression from AllAboutTRANS here. 
• You can talk to your GP  about support and treatment. You can read more about gender dysphoria and treatments from the NHS here.

Knowledge is power. Increasing your awareness of trans issues could help you to become more resilient and helps you to advocate for yourself. 

A good start is our information on LGBT+ mental health.

You can also read The truth about trans from Stonewall.

We all need boundaries. And when it seems that the world disapproves of who we are, we need them even more. 

It is OK to turn off the TV, not read the news or social media, or not engage with someone we find triggering or unsupportive. Recognise that you are worthy of respect and understanding. 

Here you can read more about How to cope with news anxiety.

Self-growth and healing can take time. Sometimes it can be a long and slow journey. 

Give yourself time for a relationship with yourself to develop. Remember that there will always be time in the future if you do not feel like doing anything right now.

The most important relationship we all have in our lives can be the one we have with ourselves. 

Remember that lots of people in the community feel a lot of stigma about themselves or their identity. It is not your fault, you are not to blame. 

But it can be really healing to start to identify what stigma you are holding onto. And how that is affecting your relationship with yourself.

There are many amazing books, podcasts and social media channels out there. They can help you to feel seen, validated and help you make sense. 

Explore and find what works for you.

There are a lot of great groups, meets, crafting circles, walking groups, dance groups, and networks out there. 

Finding a community of people who get what you are experiencing is really important.

For more information see our webpage on LGBT+ mental health.

• Rethink Mental Illness - LGBT+ mental health
• Mind - Trans and non-binary mental health

• There is an accessibility function on this webpage called Recite.
• On the desktop site, click on the icon in the top right-hand corner next to ‘Donate.’
• On the mobile site, scroll right and click on the ‘Turn on accessibility’ icon.
• You can watch a short video about Recite here.