Today we had a conversation with LBQT people who shared their stories about Body Dysmorphia.
One of the people shared, “When my boobs came out I wasn’t happy at all, I used to put a certain insect on my boobs just to calm the pain that came with the growth of a pair.”
Nze munnange I used to look at myself in the mirror every day after I got boobs, I though what is this? I was pissed and just didn’t understand why I have to have breasts. Yeah I love looking at boobs on other women, I love touching them but I don’t love them on me. Says Tracy a Human Rights Defender.
“As a transgender man I feel like it is important for us to be able to have services where we can get rid of certain parts of our bodies that we don’t associate with. Having to bind is really hurtful and affects my health, at times it is very hard to breathe because even the binders we wear are not up to par. We Hope to have children in the future, and how do we go about it while transitioning and having to let go of certain body parts? When on hormonal therapy the genitalia grow to become more manly so when we are peeing we use a cone in the men’s bathroom, we don’t want to go to the women’s so we don’t scare them because of our appearance. Usually we get fake peeing cones and that affects our health. We need original ones for our dignity and health.” Says Simbwa Dante
“I have never liked my boobs, ever since they grew when I was in P3 I immediately became disoriented, my own mother was embarrassed about it and made sure I wore a tiny body hugging sweater to hide my breasts. This was also to protect me from men sexually abusing me. I was ashamed to have boobs and I still am, I have never been comfortable with them. The fact that my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer scares me even more. Hopefully one day I can get rid of them.” Phyl a Journalist.
Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health condition in which you can’t stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance a flaw that appears minor or can’t be seen by others. But you may feel so embarrassed, ashamed and anxious that you may avoid many social situations. This however does not mean that LBQT people have mental health illness because of their sexuality.
