There are some experiences that are unique to being a pediatrician. Here is one of them. A lifelong patient, now a teenager, sits down in your office. As their concerned parent looks on, the patient describes feelings of depression and anxiety. Lifestyle changes, counseling and medication have not helped. After a long discussion, you realize this patient is expressing clear signs of gender dysphoria. You gently inquire — and the floodgates open as a weight is seemingly lifted off their shoulders.
