Art of Transliness

Zak: I don’t know if its necessarily normal (what is?) but it certainly does happen. I think one thing that happens is that people go into HRT and surgery with pretty high expectations, and feel let down, and sometimes even worse than they did before, when their expectations are not met. Not only that, but changes slow down a lot after the first year, and so some people become frustrated that they no longer feel like there is as much to look forward to in terms of their transition. A lot of people have dysphoria early on in their transition, but have hope for a “cure” in the future that they can hang on to, be it testosterone or top surgery. The dysphoria “post transition” can feel much worse just because there doesn’t seem to be an antidote. 

This is one reason I think it is important for there to be resources and support for people who are post-transition, because I think another problem is that a lot of individuals in this type of situation feel really alone. Most of the people who stay active blogging and talking about things are the types who are very happy with their transitions and their bodies. For many people, though, dysphoria is a life-long issue. I don’t really know what to recommend in this situation other than therapy and trying to find ways to accept your body (if at all possible).