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Living a life with spiritual meaning is a protective factor in mental health. A diagnosis of gender dysphoria could be the beginning of an individual’s limiting life script. But for the individual, it may be a spiritual awakening. It is important to understand the psychological needs that the disease meets for the individual. A medical doctor, Bernie Seigel (1986), described the resilience that can be obtained through prayer, meditation, yoga, or martial arts. He says sickness can be a manipulation. Sickness gives people “permission” to do things that would otherwise inhibit them. It can make it easier to say no to unwelcome burdens, duties, jobs, or other demands of other people. It can serve as permission to do what one has always wanted but has always been “too busy” to start. It can allow a person to take time off, meditate, and chart a new course. It can serve as an excuse for failure. It can make it easier to request and accept love, speak your feelings, or be more honest. Even a cold has a meaning. Often, its message is “You’ve been working too hard. Go home and nurture yourself.”[79] Knowing how the disease serves the individual is key to understanding where improvement in well-being is needed.