Beyond and through the body: Subjective experiences of gender dysphoria across bodily and social dimensions

Background Traditional definitions of gender dysphoria (GD) reflect a binary, body-centered understanding of distress, often neglecting the influence of social and cultural contexts and failing to capture the lived experiences of transgender and nonbinary (TNB) individuals—especially nonbinary peopl Aim The present study aimed at exploring TNB young adults’ subjective experiences of GD across bodily and social dimensions, while also attending to the interaction between these experiences and their fluctuations over time and context, moving beyond binary and transnormative assumptions. Methods Four focus group discussions were conducted with 13 participants (aged 18–27 years), exploring their lived experiences of GD. A thematic analysis was applied to the verbatim transcripts, guided by the central question: “How do TNB individuals experience gender dysphoria?” Results Three overarching themes and 11 subthemes were identified: (1) inhabiting the body, detailing visceral somatic sensations, the avoidance of mirrors and touch, alienation from specific body parts, and discomfort shaped by sociocultural meanings; (2) inhabiting the world, capturing distress arising from conflicts with binary gender norms and transnormativity, experiences of misgendering and invalidation, and persistent gender-related rumination; (3) changes in the subjective experience of GD, highlighting the variability of GD across social contexts, life stages, and gender-affirming interventions. Discussion The findings conceptualize GD as a multidimensional and dynamic experience, encompassing bodily discomfort and distress, social recognition, interpersonal dynamics, and minority stress. The results challenge body-centric, binary clinical models and advocate for more nuanced, experience-near frameworks for care and assessment that are better attuned to the clinical realities and therapeutic needs of TNB individuals.