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While defining transsexualism is actually a very easy thing to do, helping someone understand the transitional process, especially someone that will never go through it, is not quite as simple. For starters transsexualism is more accurately described as GID (Gender Identity Disorder) which is determined based on two specified criteria being met. The first is that the person must have strong persistent cross-gender identification which demonstrates the desire to be or actual belief that the person is the opposite gender of that which they physically present. The second criteria is that the person must not be desiring a diagnosis of GID and/or GRS (Gender Reassignment Surgery) for any real or perceived cultural benefits, and there must be evidence that one has a strong aversion to their birth assigned sex or a sense of their inappropriateness in their gender role.

What that all means in lay terms is that a person must in general feel general revulsion with their birth sex and feel that life as such is unimaginable in that physical shell. They cannot be seeking GRS or a GID diagnosis for any other purpose such as feeling that will cure other issues they are dealing with which are unrelated. Although it may seem unbelievable, many people present for treatment under less than legitimate grounds assuming it will be a panacea.Patients that suffer from GID generally trace their knowledge of something not being "right" back to as early as around five years old. Though they may not have understood fully what they were feeling, they understood on some level that their body and brain did not match.

The transitional process itself varies not only by country, but by individuals. Transition is the period of time in which a person is actively undergoing the process of changing genders. During this time a person will live 24/7 in their chosen gender role. They will not deviate from this for work, socializing, vacation, or any such thing which may pop up. This is done so the person knows for sure exactly what they can expect life to be like in their chosen gender, and so that their psychiatrist can be sure the person is serious and evaluate how well they are mentally coping with the change.

There are certain standards set in place called the Benjamin Standards of Care (BSOC) which outline the path a person must take from the medical standpoint to successfully complete the transitional process. A person must undergo psychological evaluation of no less than ten visits, and then have

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