Name: Rachel Stratton's review of Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier
Item: Irreversible Damage
Rating: 5
Author: Rachel Stratton

Abigail Shrier

Irreversible Damage is an exploration of a mystery: Why, in the last decade, has the diagnosis "gender dysphoria," transformed from a vanishingly rare affliction, applying almost exclusively to boys and men, to an epidemic among teenage girls? Author Abigail Shrier presents shocking statistics and stories from real families to show that America and the West have become fertile ground for a "transgender craze" that has nothing to do with real gender dysphoria and everything to do with our cultural frailty. Teenage girls are taking courses of testosterone and disfiguring their bodies. Parents are undermined; experts are over-relied upon; dissenters in science and medicine are intimidated; free speech truckles under renewed attack; socialized medicine bears hidden consequences; and an intersectional era has arisen in which the desire to escape a dominant identity encourages individuals to take cover in victim groups. Every person who has ever had a skeptical thought about the sudden rush toward a non-binary future but been afraid to express it—this book is for you.

The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters

Irreversible Damage

FULLNAME

“rejected or kissed or fondled- crying and celebrating and laughing about it with your best friend, her voice and expression, not just her words, promising you weren't alone.”

Chris Metcalf

A very well researched and compassionate investigation of a widespread problem among distressed  young women 

Rachel Stratton

D D D 

Abigail Shrier misses the mark. 

Was really disappointed by this book, which is maybe a mistake on my part for having any high expectations for it at all. I am chronically skeptical. It's important to me to always consider nuance. I maintain my position that the topics covered in this book - modern gender theory, the reinforcement of gender roles through it, the access and risks of medical transition for adolescents, the hierarchy of marginalized identities, and detransition - are SO important to involve in the greater conversation about gender. However, Abigail Shrier writes with such obvious disdain for her subjects that it almost completely negates her thesis. 

There were parts that were really compelling. Abigail does great, thorough and cited research and includes powerful first-hand accounts that raise questions about "affirmation only" approaches to psychological care with trans-identifying youth. In my own work in adolescent psych, I've seen kids come onto the unit cisgender, decide that their psychological distress + discomfort in their bodies means that they must be in the "wrong" body, go on hormones while still inpatient (and within a month of first identifying themselves as trans), and go on to readmit to the hospital for years for chronic suicidality and then, eventually, detransition. All of this before the age of 18. This cannot be the best way to help these children resolve their pain and discover who they are. 

However, this book takes a really cold and insensitive stance on the current state of gender medicine. She blatantly mocks individuals that she interviews, the traumatized young women and transmen that she claims to be worrying so deeply about. Her rhetoric has a very distinct "These Gen Z kids are special snowflakes!" flavor to it - entirely off-putting, offensive and boring to me. This is not going to help anyone to think differently- i can't see it doing anything other than emboldening transphobes. Abigail Shrier also makes horribly anti-feminist and sexist remarks throughout the book, like "women act like XYZ and this trans man is acting like XYZ so therefore he is a woman." Like, um, isn't that the same logic you are criticizing in "the other side," Abby???? 

It's become more and more clear through research that many trans-identifying youth are victims of childhood sexual abuse - especially natal females. Bodily harm/discontentment has long been a symptom of this. I wish this book would have focused more on this REAL potential for development in the field instead of making fun of young people who are struggling because they have blue hair or whatever. Completely frustrating.

Ivy X

This book is not about transgender individuals as much as it is about individuals who may have transitioned without full knowledge or a fully formed identity. It is interesting to understand the psychology of adolescent girls who may have experienced loneliness and a feeling of "wanting to belong" during puberty and turned to a community/idea that pushed them to question their gender/identity much earlier (and at a cost to their health, relationships with people close to them, and social reputation). This is not to say that gender dysphoria or transgender experiences in youth are wrong and should be doubted, but rather this book points out the potential dangers that come with a self-diagnosis this early on.

Shrier's book asks the question of why social media, depression, changing school policies, etc are contributing to a lot of young girls transitioning at much higher rates than previously seen and then eventually coming to regret it/de-transition. 

I do agree with the critques that there were many sections that could be worded better and could rely less on anecdotes that come purely from parental experience. I also agree that this form of speculative writing can be very damaging to the transgender population by creating doubt on legitimate concerns BUT I also argue that this form of writing requires a level of critical thinking in figuring out what is a relevant question, what is good social commentary, and what can be considered a "correlation is causation" situation. There are many points where I did pause and say "ehhh...but correlation does not equal causation though" (because we cannot jump to any conclusions when we lack data. In addition, the population this book focuses on does not highlight individuals who were forced to detransition due to financial issues/social pressure from family/etc and we are not clear if these are potential reasons for those who were interviewed). So I do recognize there are holes in this writing and that the author could have structured the narrative to support a main thesis/theme. 

Thus, my suggestion: don't take everything in this book for its word --- question it, think it through, recognize when other gender studies/readings may be more applicable, recognize which population the author is actually focusing on, and recognize if there are areas in health/society that can be improved upon to help more individuals. This can be a great book to question whether or not transgender health is up-to-par with data/accurate diagnoses/etc and whether the community has its pros/cons that can be addressed from a general perspective typically shunned.

Likewise, is there anything that can be done to limit confused, angsty teens from entering this space and altering their bodies early on only to regret it? (Which also takes away from transgender health causes as we have seen on media). And can we do more to provide better support systems to transgender youth or individuals struggling with gender identity so that health-altering procedures and surgeries can be done at a later point (where it can also be more beneficial to youths' health and be more thought-out for what they want/need)? 

Could've done with less anecdotes and the constant attempts to make conclusions from insufficient data or from personal stories. However, interesting book to make me think.

Autumn

I would like to preface this review by saying that, at one point, I was one of these teenage girls. When I was 16-17 years old, I was incredibly anxious, depressed, and socially isolated. The only way I found solace was through the internet, specifically through sites like Tumblr and Amino. These are where I feel gender identity really blossomed, as both apps were filled to the brim with insecure teenage girls who felt like they didn’t belong in the real world. Now as an almost 23 year old woman, I have gone through therapy and have made lifestyle changes to better my mental health; I no longer feel what I thought was dysphoria, nor do I feel like I need to label myself in search of belonging to a group. Some of this review might be influenced by my own experience, but for the most part it will be my thoughts on the book.

I would also like to add that I am pro-trans. I am not, however, a supporter of people who advocate for children and young adults to transition without first seeking behavioral health services. I think everyone should be critical of what they hear and read regardless of what ‘side’ it comes from.

This being said, I found this book FANTASTIC. Shrier, like many others, acknowledges that this increase in internet-obsessed girls who believe they’re boys are participating in self harm. They’ve been able to manipulate the health care system in their favor to the point where it seems as if health care professionals are patient-driven (not that patient-driven is necessarily a bad thing, but when it comes to children making permanent changes to their body it's sketchy). Knowing that girls can just go to a doctor and be quickly evaluated for gender dysphoria is sickening; meanwhile, I can’t seek an autism diagnosis for myself without involving my close friends and family because they know me best. Shrier interviewed parents who didn’t even know their children were mutilating themselves, because that information is confidential in some states.

I’d like to mention that there was one major problem I found with the report. Shrier spoke with parents and heard their sides of the story, but we as readers do not know the full picture of their home lives. I kept that in mind as I read, but because of my own experiences I leaned more into believing these parents, especially when they spoke about their daughters’ lives before transitioning. 

And it’s true; these girls haven’t had any developmental experience as girls (13). They feel they don’t fit into what a “girl” is, so that must mean they’re a boy, right? Wrong. Shrier isn’t afraid of calling out the predatory/exploitative medical system, saying that for adolescents, “there must be a pill for that” (19). Doctors aren’t allowed to say ‘no’ to these girls in fear of retaliation. Instead of looking for the root cause behind these girls’ dislike of their bodies, doctors medicate them through hormone treatments. It’s an easy money maker.

Shrier also doesn’t hide the fact that this movement is internet-driven. She uses multiple girls as examples, and most of them were influenced by strangers online. If they weren’t first inspired by ‘trans influencers’ then they were looking to fit in with their ‘trans’ friends who utilized the internet. As Sasha Ayad says, “[about the internet] That’s not necessarily the most helpful way to try and understand your own experiences of things” (22). I even took part in the competition between other girls to see who was ‘trans’ enough. Dr. Lisa Littman, who performed research on these girls and who then had her reputation tarnished by activists, found two crucial results; one, more than half of these girls were immersed in social media culture, and two, there wasn’t a history of childhood gender dysphoria in almost all of the girls (26). She theorized that teen girls who believe they have gender dysphoria are using it as a maladaptive coping mechanism for a larger issue, whether it be stress or mental illness (39); as someone who went through this exact thing, I can’t help but agree. All the adults I know who identify as trans or nonbinary are incredibly mentally ill, on top of believing they’re trans. Their doctors just go along with it instead of stopping to suggest that the reason they want to kill themselves is because they lack a stable identity.

Then there’s the gaslighting performed by trans influencers. Trust me, I watched them too when I was younger. Because the internet has aided in raising millions of children, parents have no idea what their children are experiencing. Influencers will glorify transitioning for these girls, and they don’t give the girls room to realize that hormones and body mutilation cause physical, and sometimes irreversible, damage. It’s been shown that teenagers don’t even have the ability to think in the long-term. These influencers will say things like, “If your family doesn’t accept you then they’re toxic”, and, “You are the only one who knows who you are”. It’s very culty, especially once it hits you that these relationships are parasocial. 

For teen and young-adult girls out there who believe they are trans boys or nonbinary: give it a few years. I grew out of it. My friends grew out of it. You’ll grow out of it. Your body is going through changes, and it is natural to fear it at first. Take some time away from the internet and live your life. Don’t worry about labeling yourself as anything. Do your math homework. I’m 23 and I don’t even have myself sorted out; matter of fact, no adult knows who they are 100% of the time. If portraying yourself as a boy makes you more upset, then you’re not trans. Also your parents/guardians/English teacher idk are there to support you so talk to them about it. 

For parents who picked this book up in a panic: You are rightfully concerned. Unfortunately teenagers believe they know everything, so it’s hard to get ideas through to them. You’ve known your child for all these years, and you’d know if your little girl loathed wearing dresses in favor of a suit and buzzcut. Monitor your child’s screen time. Talk to your child, and encourage them to be open with you. Work with them, not against them.

For people outraged that this book exists: What are you so afraid of? Why are you trying to silence a different opinion from your own (and does that not go against free speech)? Why do you want children to make these declarations about their bodies before they’re even old enough to drink, and why do you want children to label themselves before they even know how to divide and multiply? Shrier interviewed countless parents, and she has a list of all her outside references. You should be questioning why young people are transitioning, instead of believing that it’s normal for teenagers to suddenly believe they’re not their assigned sex. If you really read this book and you still stand firm in your beliefs that every trans child is who they say they are, I suggest you look at yourself in the mirror and ask the reflection if you’d tell anorexic girls that they’re fat, or that girls who participate in self harm are doing good for themselves. Perhaps you’re living in denial. Perhaps you should step away from the internet, too.

Anastaciya

Shocking, but I'm not surprised. Lots to think about

Bad Girl Bex

So good I had to read it twice. Seriously. I read it, then when I finished it I had to go back and not only read it again, but read it aloud to the man of the house. I will have to come back and write a proper review of this book in the near future, but right now I'm too wasted and the stories, facts and astonishing stats that Shrier weaves together so deftly, are still running wild through my mind and I really need to wait until they all coalesce properly before I can give a more rational, reasoned review. But just know this: this book is NOT transphobic; it is not aimed at trying to upset or deny the realities of transgender individuals. It is not disrespectful to transgender people. It is simply an investigation into a recent phenomenon of young girls declaring themselves to be trans, often in concert with other peers, during a period in time where there is an intense presence of all things LGBT+ in schools, social media and even huge corporations. 

This book is eye opening, written from the perspective of a woman who has herself had to navigate the confusing path from girlhood to womanhood, and who is now raising her own young children in this hyper-aware culture of gender politics. Her writing is imbued with concern for the young women she meets, anger at a "healthcare" system that seems to be derelict in its duty to 'first do no harm', and shock at just how little attention seems to be paid to the mental health of the patients she encounters. 

Please do not assume that this book is an attack on the transgender community, because it really isn't. There may be people leaving negative reviews as knee-jerk reactions to what they see as something running counter to the current activist narratives...but that's all they are: flip, angry, volatile outbursts of anger towards a book that they either haven't read (but simply heard to be "transphobic") or read without actually stopping to grasp the underlying message of care and concern for those involved. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about this recent phenomenon among young women, who has a child who has come home suddenly declaring themselves to be a part of the LGBT+ community without having presented with any prior indication that they felt this way...but especially for young women, caught up in the gender-politics that are so prevalent today, and who have found themselves veering towards making decisions about their gender and how they present, yet don't necessarily know how it all might play out. It is an informative, essential book that I really hope more people read for themselves, without simply coming to it from a point of already having decided that it is somehow bad or evil. 

Abilgail Shrier is an engaging writer, who whilst admitting to not having been an investigative journalist prior to this book, has actually done a wonderful job of pulling together the various fragments of influence that all play into this cultural phenomenon. Her mixture of factual seriousness is seamlessly interwoven with sympathy, empathy, pathos and even humour that adds that extra element of humanity to this work. Just read it. Seriously.

Matt Messner

NAMED A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE ECONOMIST AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2021 BY THE TIMES AND THE SUNDAY TIMES "Irreversible Damage . . . has caused a storm. Abigail Shrier, a Wall Street Journal writer, does something simple yet devastating: she rigorously lays out the facts." —Janice Turner, The Times of London Until just a few years ago, gender dysphoria—severe discomfort in one’s biological sex—was vanishingly rare. It was typically found in less than .01 percent of the population, emerged in early childhood, and afflicted males almost exclusively. But today whole groups of female friends in colleges, high schools, and even middle schools across the country are coming out as “transgender.” These are girls who had never experienced any discomfort in their biological sex until they heard a coming-out story from a speaker at a school assembly or discovered the internet community of trans “influencers.” Unsuspecting parents are awakening to find their daughters in thrall to hip trans YouTube stars and “gender-affirming” educators and therapists who push life-changing interventions on young girls—including medically unnecessary double mastectomies and puberty blockers that can cause permanent infertility. Abigail Shrier, a writer for the Wall Street Journal, has dug deep into the trans epidemic, talking to the girls, their agonized parents, and the counselors and doctors who enable gender transitions, as well as to “detransitioners”—young women who bitterly regret what they have done to themselves. Coming out as transgender immediately boosts these girls’ social status, Shrier finds, but once they take the first steps of transition, it is not easy to walk back. She offers urgently needed advice about how parents can protect their daughters. A generation of girls is at risk. Abigail Shrier’s essential book will help you understand what the trans craze is and how you can inoculate your child against it—or how to retrieve her from this dangerous path.

Serah

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2021 BY THE TIMES AND THE SUNDAY TIMES Until just a few years ago, gender dysphoria—severe discomfort in one’s biological sex—was vanishingly rare. It was typically found in less than .01 percent of the population, emerged in early childhood, and afflicted males almost exclusively. But today whole groups of female friends in colleges, high schools, and even middle schools across the country are coming out as “transgender.” These are girls who had never experienced any discomfort in their biological sex until they heard a coming-out story from a speaker at a school assembly or discovered the internet community of trans “influencers.” Unsuspecting parents are awakening to find their daughters in thrall to hip trans YouTube stars and “gender-affirming” educators and therapists who push life-changing interventions on young girls—including medically unnecessary double mastectomies and puberty blockers that can cause permanent infertility. Abigail Shrier, a writer for the Wall Street Journal, has dug deep into the trans epidemic, talking to the girls, their agonized parents, and the counselors and doctors who enable gender transitions, as well as to “detransitioners”—young women who bitterly regret what they have done to themselves. Coming out as transgender immediately boosts these girls’ social status, Shrier finds, but once they take the first steps of transition, it is not easy to walk back. She offers urgently needed advice about how parents can protect their daughters. A generation of girls is at risk. Abigail Shrier’s essential book will help you understand what the trans craze is and how you can inoculate your child against it—or how to retrieve her from this dangerous path.

Chris Metcalf &
Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier

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