Being young is hard enough but for trans people, not living in harmony with their gender identity adds an extra layer of difficulty even in the best of scenarios.
Not living as their true self can lead to a feeling of isolation and lack of self-esteem which affect their mental health.
Fear of violence, discrimination, and the difficulty of accessing life-changing care prevents many transgender individuals from living in harmony with their gender identity. As a result, research suggests that trans people are almost four times as likely as cisgender people to experience a mental health issue.
We talked to Kamíl, Sylvia, Robin, and Axel about their mental health journey.
“You aren’t alone”
For every trans person living in harmony with their gender identity, others are struggling.
Not coming out led to issues of self-esteem and self-acceptance for Kamíl."I never came out as trans. I feel annoyed, disgruntled, and disappointed in my body. I'm nowhere close to harmony or peace with my gender identity."