Depression over Circumcision
Hi, I am an 18 year old male. I was circumcised at birth for religious reasons. It has been making me very depressed, especially feeling like my body was mutilated without my consent and there are not many who care. Besides physical ailments that is has caused, there is also that mental feeling of knowing that you have been harmed physically, unnecessarily by a procedure that is defended because it is ok to do it to boys. It causes me daily feelings of unhappiness with my body, the world around me, and just life in general. I feel a sense of outrage that is unable to be quelled, no way to seek justice. As a result, it turns into depression. It's not as simple as "accepting yourself" or changing my mind. It has to do with coming to terms that something wrong was done to me, something that society views as acceptable solely because of my gender. Something that people feel is okay to trivialize, without thinking about how I feel, or how their belittlement impacts others.
@adaptablePlace9467
Hi there a.p.,
Your feelings are valid, and in my own personal opinion (although us Listeners are meant to steer clear of sharing them), I share your thoughts on the procedure. Just as female circumcision is a surgical form of sexual oppression against women, male circumcision is just as horrific of an occurence.
Finally now the world is starting to understand that male circumcision is not a necessary procedure for any reason, aside from being a religious and cultural practice.
If you are interested, there are surgical and non-surgical options if someone is seeking to restore their foreskin. This is a very serious decision to undertake though, and I do not mean to say this just because of your current age.
https://www.healthline.com/health/mens-health/foreskin-restoration
What was done to your body, without your consent, is unacceptable and unexcusable. Your parents more than likely felt like it was something positive to do for you, since it has been an ingrained practice in society for such an incredibly long amount of time.
However, you are still 100% perfect as you are in this moment, because you are a gift to this world. Modifying your body so that it returns back to a state as close as possible as it was during your birth is a right that you have. But, in this moment, you are not incomplete because of this procedure. Your physical appearance may have been altered, but you are whole in every aspect of the word.
<3
