Transitioning.

I started transitioning the past year
Transition at the speed you feel comfortable transitioning, to the point where you want to, you have your entire life. If you want to try and get on hormones as quick as possible, go ahead, if you want to wait years to make sure you're 300% sure that's fine too, it depends on the person and how comfortable they are

 

i'd say transition when you are comfortable, when your situation allows it, and at a pace you are comfortable with. just do what is going to make you happiest, and the most comfortable.

 

- I've been in transition since 2010, so when I was 16 (almost 17).

- I'm apart of the "go when you're ready" circle, but I'm also understanding of doing it when you can--mostly in the department of HRT. But in general I'm of the opinion that you should take your time; as transition isn't a race.

 

i just finished high school, and i'm starting to transition now. it seems like a good time, as you are weeding out the people who you're keeping in your life anyways, and there is already so much change going on. i know a guy who started transitioning about halfway through the school year, which got people gossiping a lot, but he seems to be doing well

i totally get what you mean about disappointing your parents. i feel the same. i want to correct my parents on pronouns, but i feel so bad because it's already hard for them! :/ but i think it is best to, while being respectful and giving them time, be clear about what you want.

 

I'm currently in the process of transitioning. I'm going to try to do it with my fashion first and then see where/when will be a safer time for me to move onto something else. I really want to work on my voice, because it is one of the biggest things that is keeping me from being able to pass properly. :/

I think you should only start to transition when you feel comfortable and are in an safe enough situation.

 

I'm starting hormones later this year (hopefully) and I hope to eventually have top surgery.

It's important to go at your own pace. Make sure you're ready for what transitioning physically might entail. That most likely includes losing a few friends and becoming visibly trans (which can be dangerous), in addition to changes you might not want. It's important to weigh the pros and cons.

Don't rush into it, no matter how many times you hear how important it is to start early. Ideally, you'd want to start sooner rather than later, but a year's difference either way won't hurt.

 

No, it's not necessary to pack. It doesn't make your transition any less valid if you don't. Packing is just to help with bottom dysphoria and if you don't feel like you need to pack, then you don't have to.

Dysphoria is different for everyone, I don't have a lot of bottom dysphoria, some people don't have any, and others have extreme bottom dysphoria. If you don't need to pack or don't want to or can't because of financial stuff or parents or whatever, that's totally legit.

 

Nothing's necessary. I don't pack. I don't have much bottom dysphoria.

The best thing about transitioning is that you only have to do what makes you more comfortable.

 

I'm with everyone else on the "transition when you're comfortable and able to do so" advice. I can't give much more advice than that though because I haven't started transitioning yet >_>

And no, it's not necessary to pack. Or anything else, for that matter. You don't have to wear a binder and packer all the time until you get surgeries, you don't even have to get any or all of the surgeries. You don't even have to take hormones. Just do whatever makes you feel more comfortable in your skin. Some peoplr say that when you transition, you have to get on hormones, you have to have both top and bottom surgeries, you have to do everythin in a particular order. But that's not true. There are people who only have top surgery and do nothing else, medically. There are people who get on hormones, but don't have any surgeries. There are people who have top surgery, then get on hormones; there are people who get on hormones and then have top surgery. There are people who don't get hormones or surgeries at all and just socially transition. Etc etc. Just do what feels right and comfortable for you, at the speed and the order you are comfortable with.

Also on the packing note, I don't pack. I wear a binder sometimes, and I even have a packer. But I rarely use it. I thought it would make me more comfortable, but I actually find it kinda weird feeling, wearing it. But I think it's because it's not actually attacted to me. If I actually had a real one, I'd be comfortable with it there. But having something foreign in my pants that's not actually, physically part of me feels a little weird. Even though I do have really bad bottom dysphoria sometimes. So yeah, you don't NEED to pack.

 

I started transitioning the second I first learned about it.

 

I agree with the other people in this thread, transition is something that you should take your time on.

Personally, I came out last July, and started the process of transitioning in August. When I went back to college, I went back as male. I got my letter for hormones in February. I also got my sex on my drivers license changed in February. In May, I had my legal name change. I started hormones in April.

I only pack sometimes. It's not something that I feel like I need to do all the time. I bind all of the time (except when I am sleeping), but I have more top dysphoria.