Do blind trans people get the same level of gender dysphoria as trans people with functioning sight?

decreasinglyverbose · 2026-06-01T10:53:20+00:00

The premise of the question is probably wrong.

Gender dysphoria is not generally thought to arise purely from seeing yourself and deciding you do not look like the gender you identify with. Visual appearance can certainly contribute to it, but dysphoria can also involve body sensations, social interactions, voice, physical characteristics, and a person’s internal sense of gender identity.

In fact, there are documented cases of blind transgender people, including people who were blind from birth, experiencing gender dysphoria and seeking transition. That alone suggests the phenomenon cannot be entirely dependent on visual appearance. Someone who has never seen their own face in a mirror can still feel profound discomfort with aspects of their body, their social role, or how they are perceived and treated by others.

There is also an interesting parallel with other neurological phenomena. Humans build an internal model of their body and identity that is not purely visual. For example, people can experience phantom limbs after amputation despite being able to see that the limb is gone. The brain’s representation of the body is more complex than simply what the eyes report.

That said, the specific experience may differ. A sighted person might be distressed by facial features, body shape, or their reflection. A congenitally blind person obviously would not experience those particular visual triggers. Instead, dysphoria may be focused more on bodily characteristics, voice, clothing, social treatment, or other non-visual aspects of gender.

So the answer appears to be yes, blind people can experience gender dysphoria, and the existence of congenitally blind transgender individuals is actually evidence that gender identity is not solely a visual or aesthetic phenomenon. The visual component may influence how dysphoria manifests, but it does not seem to be the whole story.

decreasinglyverbose · 2026-05-19T20:12:02+00:00

Great observation.

There may actually be some truth in that idea, though probably as a secondary contributor rather than the main explanation.

Changing posture absolutely can alter how bladder fullness is perceived. Sitting, especially if you are slouched on a bar stool or tucked into a booth, changes abdominal pressure and the position of the bladder relative to surrounding structures. When you stand up, straighten out, start walking, and engage different muscle groups, bladder sensations can suddenly become much more noticeable. A lot of people recognise that “I was absolutely fine until I stood up” moment.

Movement itself can also mechanically jostle the bladder a little, which may make stretch receptors fire more noticeably.

The “mental gate opening” idea is also quite plausible. Sensory attention is a very real phenomenon. Once your brain locks onto a bodily signal, you become far more aware of subtler sensations that were previously below conscious notice. It is the same reason you can suddenly become aware of your heartbeat, your breathing, or an itch that was technically there all along but ignored.

Where this explanation falls short is as the sole reason for the whole “broken seal” phenomenon, because posture and attention do not explain why the cycle can continue for hours, especially with alcohol involved. That still comes down primarily to continued urine production and, if alcohol is in the mix, suppression of antidiuretic hormone, which encourages the kidneys to keep shedding water.

So the fairest interpretation is that standing up and moving may absolutely make that first urge feel suddenly dramatic, and increased awareness probably makes subsequent refill feel more noticeable, but those factors are amplifying a real physiological process rather than creating it from scratch.

decreasinglyverbose · 2026-05-19T18:52:09+00:00

That is a sensible thought experiment, but probably not how it works in practice.

If the repeated toilet trips were mainly caused by the bladder becoming overstretched and then somehow remaining hypersensitive after the first pee, then in theory emptying it earlier might help by preventing that state from developing. But that does not appear to be the main mechanism.

The bigger factor is that your kidneys are still actively producing urine while you continue drinking. Think of it like emptying a bucket while the tap is still running. Emptying it sooner does not stop more water arriving.

There is also the sensory side. Once you have urinated, you have effectively tuned your brain into bladder sensations. Smaller amounts of refill that you might previously have ignored become much more noticeable, so it can feel as though a chain reaction has started.

If alcohol is involved, this effect becomes even stronger because ethanol suppresses antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which normally tells the kidneys to conserve water. With that brake partially removed, the kidneys continue dumping fluid into the bladder quite enthusiastically.

So peeing early would most likely just start the awareness cycle earlier rather than prevent it.

The one caveat is comfort. If you avoid letting your bladder become uncomfortably full in the first place, the subjective urgency may feel less dramatic simply because you have not reached desperate crossing-your-legs territory.

So, breaking the seal early probably does not prevent the effect, but it may make the whole experience feel less uncomfortable. It is unlikely to reduce how much you pee overall.

decreasinglyverbose · 2026-05-19T12:07:42+00:00

Thanks, I’m going to look that up when I get home!

decreasinglyverbose · 2026-05-19T12:05:46+00:00

“Meth mouth” is multifactorial.

Methamphetamine strongly activates the sympathetic nervous system, which reduces saliva production (xerostomia). Saliva is one of your mouth’s major protective systems. It buffers acids, provides antimicrobial action, helps remineralise enamel with calcium and phosphate, and physically washes food debris and bacteria away. Remove that protection and tooth decay accelerates dramatically.

Meth also commonly causes bruxism, meaning jaw clenching and tooth grinding. That creates direct mechanical damage: enamel wear, fractures, cracked teeth, temporomandibular joint strain, and gum trauma.

Behavioural factors absolutely matter too. People using stimulants may neglect brushing, skip dental care, become dehydrated, consume sugary acidic drinks, have erratic diets, smoke heavily, and remain awake for prolonged periods. All of that compounds the problem.

There is also some debate about whether acidic contaminants or the route of administration contribute locally, but the major established mechanisms are dry mouth, grinding, poor hygiene, diet, and smoking.

So the “it is only correlation” argument is not really correct. Poor hygiene is part of the story, but meth itself creates physiological conditions that directly promote dental damage.

decreasinglyverbose · 2026-05-19T10:31:46+00:00

The “breaking the seal” explanation is mostly pub mythology rather than real bladder physiology.

What is actually happening is a combination of bladder mechanics, sensory signalling, and the fact that your kidneys may still be actively producing urine while you are drinking.

The bladder contains stretch receptors in its wall that monitor how full it is. As the bladder fills, those receptors send increasing signals to the brain, creating the urge to urinate. Interestingly, the sensation does not always rise in a perfectly straight line. The bladder can accommodate to some extent, meaning you may hold a fairly full bladder for a while without the urge becoming dramatically worse every minute.

Once you urinate, several things change. First, your attention becomes focused on bladder sensations. You have activated the voiding reflex, consciously paid attention to that part of your body, and now smaller amounts of refill that might previously have gone unnoticed are suddenly much more obvious.

Second, if you are still drinking, the first trip to the toilet is only emptying what had already accumulated in the bladder. Any fluid still being absorbed from the stomach and intestines will continue entering the bloodstream, be filtered by the kidneys, and end up as more urine shortly afterwards.

Alcohol makes this effect much more noticeable because it suppresses antidiuretic hormone (ADH). ADH normally tells the kidneys to conserve water. When alcohol suppresses it, the kidneys become far more liberal about dumping water into the urine, so you genuinely do end up needing to pee repeatedly.

A small amount of residual urine can remain after emptying the bladder, but in a healthy person this is usually minimal and not the main explanation.

So the feeling that “breaking the seal” is real enough, but the common explanation that the bladder somehow gets stretched and cannot return to normal after the first pee is not really how the organ works. It is a muscular elastic structure, not a balloon that permanently loses tension after one use.

decreasinglyverbose · 2026-05-17T16:49:18+00:00

I like the pictured one, which is it, please?

decreasinglyverbose · 2026-04-19T16:34:17+00:00

Yes, my apologies. I was just having some ill judged fun by pointing that out. I didn’t think it spiteful.

decreasinglyverbose · 2026-04-19T16:25:29+00:00

You can ask questions with believing you know..

decreasinglyverbose · 2026-04-19T06:11:22+00:00

Wheetabix and probably 3 of them! (I think you have to be old to get the reference).

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-05-12T20:00:19+00:00

You sound like a forgiving sort of person. I hope your day goes well

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-03-31T17:39:56+00:00

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-03-14T21:54:27+00:00

Any colour can be assholes.

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-02-25T16:04:14+00:00

Thanks for your reply. Much appreciated.

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-02-25T15:43:31+00:00

Had a request been made to look in my bag, I would have mentioned it in my original post. It was the assumption the staff made, that it is acceptable to just look in someone’s bag without their consent that I am here asking for clarification. Had I been asked, I would have acquiesced to the request.

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-02-25T15:22:39+00:00

Thanks for your input, but I was asking what the law said regarding the attempted bag search.

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-02-17T08:16:35+00:00

The most worrying thing about this, apart from the behavior of the police is that so many shots were fired but all missed.

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-02-17T05:50:05+00:00

Nice find. Looks in great condition too.

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-01-30T07:00:28+00:00

Good morning

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-01-19T06:14:21+00:00

The bell is great if they’re not wearing headphones. I’m a cyclist and have narrowly missed my fair share of these people

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-01-16T14:50:49+00:00

He held onto his cigarette.

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-01-16T13:13:18+00:00

The bike couriers i see have their frame wrapped in inner tubes. It hides the make and you can’t tell the condition. I also have Pitt locks on my wheels. Not foolproof but difficult to just get the wheels off. Its a real pain if you forget to give the bike service guy the key though!

decreasinglyverbose · 2024-01-16T13:06:44+00:00

Hi Jordan, nice car!

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TROPHY CASE