Increased chest dysphoria after binding?

I didn't have too much chest dysphoria until I realised I was trans (that is, I had it but I didn't usually recognise it as such and I just tried to push through without making real changes). Then it all came into focus and got a fair bit worse. I had already been wearing sports bras exclusively for a year because they are comfy and flatten my chest a bit, but getting a binder provided a lot more relief right away.

I bind almost every day while at school/university because I'm out and about a lot, although that started causing mild aching in my chest so I now make sure to give myself days off or half-days more often. These days do not cause any increase in dysphoria because I know it's only for a brief time and it's for my general well-being, although I get very anxious about taking off my jumper/hoodie (especially because in the evening I might just free-boob it instead of wearing a sports bra, if I don't have one to hand). While at home in the holidays, at first I hardly bound or cut my hair for several weeks, but my general discomfort/angst ramped up until I was almost jumping out of my own skin. Finally I realised this was dysphoria, and things vastly improved after binding more often (for a few hours a day) and getting a haircut.

So I guess my experience is that having a binder helps my dysphoria and as long as I use it often (several times a week/not going more than a week without using it) then not binding is okay too. It's a good solution for me. I coped alright just wearing a sports bra for a year, but once my dysphoria came into focus it wasn't enough any more, and because I like binding I use that more often although a sports bra is fine for a few hours or days. The binder didn't cause my dysphoria to increase, it only causes it to decrease.

Will your experience be the same? I don't know. Nobody can know, although you can probably take a pretty good guess. If you want an opinion, I think that if you are already wearing a sports bra and still considering binding then you have already gotten all the information you can from a sports bra, and the best way forward is to try something new. You can make it work.

 

I use a binder infrequently. Generally, when my dysphoria kicks in and I just can't be comfortable in my skin. That said, the binder takes away the dysphoria for the time being. However, when I am in that mental state, taking off the binder does make me feel worse temporarily.

You have to give your body a break though, and the binder overall helps a lot. I don't know what I would do without it!

Sebby45