Olympic decathlon gold medal winner Bruce Jenner will face some difficult issues as he undergoes gender transition, say therapists.
All transsexuals have psychological and social challenges, but Jenner’s transition is likely to be made more difficult because of his advanced age, 65, and because he is in the media spotlight, appearing in the reality TV show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”
“Anyone who is transitioning faces difficult issues, but it’s much more difficult for people to make such a change later in life because they have lived their whole lives as someone else, and everyone knows them as that person,” says gender therapist Carol Clark, president of the International Transgender Certification Association.
“I have worked people in transition who have lost their spouses, family, friends – people whose families have disowned them,” Dr. Clark tells Newsmax Health.
For those who remember Jenner as the strapping athlete who was the star of the 1976 Olympics, his appearance today is shocking. His hair has grown past his shoulders and he often wears it in a ponytail, his nails have been painted red and pink, his breasts appear to be growing, and his Adam’s apple appears to have been shaved.
Jenner himself has not confirmed his sex change, but some of those close to him have done so, although they still to refer him as “he.” Diane Sawyer has reportedly lined up a prime time interview with Jenner to coincide with a TV documentary series about his transformation.
It is not known whether Jenner is planning to undergo sex change surgery, and it’s important to realize that not all transgendered people do so, says Mary Andres, Psy.D., clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Southern California who works with the transgendered.
“There is a whole continuum, from people who do a little to those who do everything,” she tells Newsmax Health.
While Jenner appears to be taking female hormones, hormones alone rarely provide a satisfactory transition, says Dr. Clark.
“It’s hard to look feminine. Hormones do a lot, but they are not going to reverse bone growth,” she says. Jenner appears to have undergone extensive facial plastic surgery.
Transitioning late in life as Jenner is doing can be difficult, says Dr. Clark. When taking hormones, a person in sexual transition experiences what amounts to a second puberty, she explains.
“At the age of 40, 50 or older, they revert to being 13,” says Dr. Clark. “So what you have is a man who looks 60 acting like a 13-year-old girl, and starting to wear heavy makeup and short skirts. Obviously, they spent their whole lives one way and didn’t get to do it, but they obviously catch up quickly.”
Jenner’s fame also carries a burden.
“Someone like Bruce Jenner who is in the public eye is going to have a lot thrown at him,” says Dr. Clark. “Some people will support him, but even some people in the transgender community may criticize him. He needs to be prepared for this.
“Whether he likes it or not, he is going to be the face of this issue, and there will be a lot of drama around it.”
After going through the gender transition process, most, although not all, end up being happier, Dr. Clark says. “When people have done their preparation and planning, and they’ve done it mindfully and thoughtfully they are very happy.”
Indeed, in the midst of his changes, Kim Kardashian has said her stepfather is the “happiest” she has ever seen him.
There are established medical guidelines for the sexual transition process, says Dr. Clark, set out by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
To obtain a prescription for sex change hormones, a patient must provide a diagnosis of gender identity disorder (gender dysphoria) and a letter of recommendation from a therapist.
This is usually followed by a period of living and working publicly as a member of the opposite sex before sexual reassignment surgery is considered. There are an estimated 700,000 transgendered people in the U.S.
Adds Dr. Andres: “People sometimes make this decision at a time when they feel they’ve spent enough of their lives focused on others and they want to finally focus on themselves. That’s why you may see some of these later-life choices as may be the case with Bruce Jenner.”
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