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Four-year remission of transsexualism after comorbid obsessive–compulsive disorder improved with self-exposure therapy

Case report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Isaac M. Marks*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
David Mataix-Cols
Affiliation:
Departamento de Psiquiatría i Psicobiología Clínica, Universitat de Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
*
Professor Isaac Marks, Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF. e-mail: I.Marks@iop.bpmf.ac.uk

Abstract

Background

There has been no report of comorbid transsexualism and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) or of their differential course over follow-up.

Method

Such comorbidity and follow-up are documented in a case report.

Results

A man who had been transsexual and homosexual since early adolescence developed severe OCD at age 40 as he became depressed when his mother, to whom he was very close, died. Two years later he was referred for his OCD. He refused treatment for his transsexualism. As his OCD and mood improved with self-exposure therapy, his transsexualism and homosexuality remitted also. Four years later depression and transsexualism recurred and remained to six-year follow-up despite full remission in OCD continuing throughout.

Conclusions

The sequence is like that in other cases in whom unusual sexual behaviour remitted for years after comorbid disorders improved with various treatments, or after circumstances changed.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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References

Cryan, E. M. J., Butcher, G. J. & Webb, M. G. T. (1992) Obsessive–compulsive disorder and paraphilia in a monozygotic twin pair. British Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 694698.Google Scholar
Goldwyn, D. H. & Sevlie, C. P. (1993) Adventitious change in homosexual behavior during treatment in social phobia with phenelzine (letter). Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 54, 3940.Google Scholar
Shore, E. R. (1984) The former transsexual: a case study. Archives of Sexual Rehavior, 13, 277285.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warneke, L. (1994) Phenelzine and sexuality (letter). Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 55, 217.Google Scholar
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