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Been questioning for over 3 years. I have to get to the bottom of this.

Discussion in 'Gender Identity and Expression' started by soycoffee, May 26, 2017.

  1. soycoffee

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    I am 17 and AFAB, and I have been questioning my gender for over 3 years. And I'm fucking sick of it. I can not take this any more and it is exhausting me day after day.
    I just want to be happy with myself. I just don't know how to get there.
    I don't have the money to pursue ongoing counselling with a gender therapist.
    I'm obsessing over who I want to be seen as, if I need to change my body, or if I need to change how I VIEW my body instead.
    Do I want a male body or was I raised to be uncomfortable with having a female body?
    These are all questions just swirling around in my head.

    I think I just desperately need to find out if I need to physically transition or not, because that's what's making this so difficult. I keep thinking, "I don't strongly yearn for a male body, and I can't be sure that I'd even be happy with having a male body, but what if it actually is the solution to this and I just don't know it?". The idea of having a penis is somewhat appealing but there's also the very real possibility that it would not feel right on me. I don't feel very comfortable with my female genitals, but I don't know how I would feel with male genitals. I might like it, I might not.
    I don't like my breasts and do wish I had a flatter chest, but I am not seriously considering surgery because I think it's very possible that in a few years, I might come to like them. Hell, I DID used to like my breasts and looked forward to having them when I was younger.
    I wish I had a more androgynous figure. I'm jealous of how "men's" clothing fits on my older brother.
    I don't know what gender I want to be seen as, if any.
    I don't know if I would take testosterone or not.
    Occasionally I want to be seen as a guy, especially if I'm WITH other guys, but then other times, it feels a bit uncomfortable if a stranger thinks I am a guy (I look fairly masculine and have a deep voice). I can't tell if that's because I'm afraid of them realizing I'm female, or if it's truly not who I am.
    I should make it clear that I never questioned being a girl and never felt uncomfortable being called a girl. I have always connected with female characters in tv shows/movies etc. (especially tomboyish females) I always looked forward to puberty and was excited when I got to wear my first bra because it made my boobs look bigger.
    When I was 13 and a half, around the time I first got my period, I started to feel bitter about being a woman and all the things that women have to deal with. Shortly after, the whole gender questioning came up, I was wondering whether I wanted to be a guy, and I thought, maybe. My brother asked if I wanted to transition, and once again, I was unsure. "I don't know, maybe."
    What's peculiar is that the issue eventually left my mind and I was comfortable with being a girl again. I didn't force the thoughts out, neither did anyone else - they just left.
    I did see a gender therapist for an assessment recently and her conclusion was that I am not a trans guy, which was a relief to hear, but then I became concerned that I had missed out some information in the session and was worried that that could've skewed the results.
    I have spoken multiple times to my previous psychologist, my GP, and my FtM friend, and none of them think that I am a trans guy. But despite them telling me this, I CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY MIND. I don't WANT to be transgender. A small part of me does because of the possibility that it could make me happy with myself. Part of me wants to be a guy, but part of me doesn't. Holy fuck I just need to get this sorted out.
    Two things: I don't necessarily agree with the phrase "cis people don't question their gender for this long" because although that might be true in a lot of cases, someone could be questioning their gender due to unrelated issues, and saying that to them could be detrimental. Secondly, I know I sound like someone who is non-binary, and maybe that's true, but that doesn't offer any solutions. All it tells me is that I'm doomed to always be uncomfortable with myself because, unlike a binary trans person who can undergo physical transition to have the body of their desired sex, what the fuck is a non-binary trans person supposed to do? Barbie themselves?

    I also just want to clarify that although you can tell I'm very frustrated, I really don't mean to cause offense to anyone and I apologize if I have.

    How can I tell if I would benefit from having a male body? Or how can I tell if it's just self image/upbringing/societal influences making me feel this way about my body? I really appreciate any input.
     
  2. Secrets5

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    If you have breasts larger than A then you could buy a binder to see how your chest would look flat. If you have A size breasts and not already doing so, you could try a sports bra which compresses it. [You can use a binder for A size breasts, but a sports bra gives the same effect for this size and is cheaper].

    It would sort of give you an idea of how you would look with a completely flat chest. Of course, there are some cis women who feel uncomfortable with their breasts and would want them removed or decreased in size.

    So what you need to think about is, do you hate your breasts, or do you think they shouldn't be there?
     
  3. soycoffee

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    It's honestly hard to tell. I don't like them, but I'm not sure if I feel that they shouldn't be there. I'm sorry that I can't answer your question any better - I'm really not sure.