how to deal with waiting pre-transition?

Hey there I'm a guy that wants to be a woman, at the same stage you are at and age except I haven't told my parents yet. As for what I do about this I am currently doing some "experimentation" to see if I like a feminine appearance. Now about the hormones I'm currently not on any but am considering going on DIY HRT though it is a bit complicated in my opinion since there are so many sources that say different things

 

I waited one year to get any progress done and I've been trying to cope with it too. What I would suggest is trying to dress, talk and act the way you like. If you can't do it in front of your parents, do it elsewhere (at school, work, while going out ect.). You can also try to get informed about where you should apply for hormone therapy and the likes. Even if your family doesn't want to let you get hormones, you could still see a gender therapist before you turn 18. This is a step you need to do anyway, so you'd have that done. Also, if you pass well, you could try to go out and find new friends that won't know you're trans. That's what I wanted to do, but I'm in a small city and didn't find any place to go :\

 

Wait you can see a gender therapist before being eighteen without parental consent?

 

Look into your local LGBT resource center if you have one. You can meet people there and they might be able to refer you to a therapist. It just depends on your center and the people that are affiliated with it.

I knew, years ago, that I wanted to transition, but I made the choice to run on my college's XC/Track teams to pay for college, as well as get the one-time experience of being a college athlete. This means I cannot medically transition. I can definitely relate on the pain of waiting. So far I have almost two years down and two to go. Part of me feels so much pain knowing I have so long to wait. Part of me wants it to slow down anyway because these have been the best years of my life.

Things I have done to further my transition:

Asked friends/professors to use male pronouns: This doesn't always work, and there've been a lot of tripping about pronouns, but for me, it is a good step outside my comfort zone.

Started wearing guys clothes: I went to the store, and tried on a heck-ton of jeans to learn my size in guys. I also went thrift store shopping a lot.

Worked on my physical fitness: I know that in order for hormones/surgery to have the best chance at giving me fulfillment, I need to be in top physical form. For me this means lifting weights and continuing training in running. It makes me more muscular and eases dysphoria.

I got involved in more LGBT organizations: I'm affiliated with my local PFLAG, LGBT youth group, trans group, etc. This makes me feel connected to the community. I get to meet other people that are going through similar things. I've also started sharing my story and educating people on trans* issues, even talking to a state legislator, something I never would've dreamed of 9 months ago.

Start working towards financial independence: I can't say I'm financially independent, but am fortunate enough to have my college paid for and I work during the summer for living expenses. You're going to need money for a therapist/HRT. Even though I get a lot of help from my parents, I still want to make that burden on them less if I can.

The best advice I can give is to stop thinking. Live in the moment and find something to appreciate every day. I went through a really rough time last semester, and my coach pulled me out of it. He told me that I'm making a lot of sacrifices to run, but I made that decision, and I need to make the most of the finite amount of time I have left as a college runner. It's not going to be forever. What helped me most was to stop thinking so much about the future, and start thinking more about what I can do now to make the future better.

 

Yes, you just need to find a way to get there. (Depending on where you live, that might be difficult) They don't have the right to tell your parents about it without your consent after you're over 14 also.