Being transsexual is great, but it can be tricky. Learning as much as you can about the difficulties other transgender people face can help you better understand what's happening to you.
Steps
Step 1. Accept
Experience teaches that many are aware of their sexual identity from an early age: female, male and, at times, one does not fully identify with either of the two genders. You know what your sexual identity is better than anyone else. Don't let anyone convince you that you're not transsexual, or that it's just a phase.
Step 2. Know that you are not alone
No matter where you live, you can find other trans people like you. Call an LGBT organization, a support group or an association for the defense of human rights. If you can't find one, and take no chances in doing so, ask around. There are many associations that can help you in various ways to get the support you need.
Step 3. Read
Get some books from the library. Jamison Green, Kate Bornstein, Leslie Feinberg, Mattilda and Louis Sullivan have written some outstanding books that are full of information. Learn all you can.
Step 4. Talk to someone if you are sure you are not putting your own safety at risk
Don't hide it; it would be a huge burden to carry on your shoulders and it hurts. Come out to someone you would trust with your life. Write a speech or notes to remind yourself of what you have to say, as long as you don't have a very good memory. You can cry if you need it.
Step 5. Be yourself
Don't be ashamed of who you are. If you want to make the transition, do it.
Step 6. Search for resources
If there is a transgender support center where you live, try attending it; many have anonymous numbers that you can call if you have any questions and you wouldn't feel comfortable going there in person. Confronting someone who has already questioned their gender and is further ahead than you in the transition process could be enormously helpful. If you don't have a center nearby, there are online support groups ready to help, advise and listen to you.
Step 7. Write
Imprint your emotions in a diary, write a song, poems and, in general, scream using your hands and ink.
Step 8. Go to the doctor
Talk to a doctor who has experience in this area. If your doctor doesn't believe you or doesn't want to take you seriously, see someone else. Don't let an ignorant doctor question your identity.
Step 9. Learn the basics of hormones and other aspects of transitioning from one sex to another
You have to be sure that this is really what you want to do.
Advice
- Don't let this look of you decide what kind of person you need to be. Act as you feel, when you feel, but always use your head. If you hide under a shell, you will make things even more difficult.
- Sexual orientation and sexual identity are two different things. Feeling that you belong to the other sex does not mean that you have to have the same feelings that a "straight" person of that sex would have. However, many lesbian / gay / bisexual associations provide resources to support transgender people and should be visited.
- Everyone is different. Not all transgender people undergo an operation to change their sex. Hormones and surgery are not required. Some people are happy simply by dressing in more masculine / feminine clothes; others feel comfortable in their bodies until they have surgery. Only you can know what's right for you, but a good therapist or doctor can help clear your head.
- There is much more than just the transition to being transsexual and there is more than just the physical aspect to the transition. Never forget who you are just because others advise you to go to a doctor.
- You are not alone. There are many other people like you who have experienced many of the things you do now (although everyone's experience is different). There is nothing wrong with you.
- Save money. The transition is very expensive.
Warnings
- If you can, it's important that you talk to someone (a therapist or experienced transsexual counselor) and find out if you need to transition to the opposite sex before coming out of puberty that would turn your body into an adult male or female. By starting to take hormones and hormone blockers as soon as possible you can complete the pubertal phase of the opposite sex and go 100% to a person of that sex and manage to live a completely normal life. This does not mean that you will not be able to complete the process once puberty is over. Some make the transition at an older age and with excellent results, but the sooner you start the better.
- Beware of the people you hang out with. There are hateful people who could hurt you. Try to surround yourself with friends who always support you.
- Do not take hormones without a prescription (unless absolutely necessary). There are many benefits to getting hormones from a doctor, and many doctors have new standards that make hormones more accessible.
