Transition duration in America?

[Sophah]

Hello dear Forum Readers. At first, i am new here.

At second, i apologize for my bad english (if i should make any mistakes in spelling) but i am from Germany. Anyways, as i read some Posts, i saw, that Transition in America can vary between a few weeks and months (So the time until the start of the Hormone therapy)

 

So, i wanted to ask, how Long does it actually take you? I am curious since in Germany it takes two years. And, how does it actually work there? And how is the acceptance there, if i may ask, in Germany its probably not that bad, but well.... not really good either, i would say, dependant on the Place.

[MaryEllen]

There is no set time to actually transition fully.  Generally, it takes several years factoring in HRT and GRS if that's what you're aiming for.  Set your own pace. You can go as slowly or as quickly as you feel comfortable with.  Acceptance is getting better but you still need to be careful. As you say, it's dependant on the place.

MaryEllen

[Charlize]

Welcome Sophah.

 I can only speak from my own experience.  It took me about a year to get HRT after i'd made the decision to transition. Surgery took more time but that was due in part to the medical i have.  I see some go fasted and many slower.  There are unfortunately also many who self medicate on a whim and can cause themselves great damage.

I'm in NJ and it is fairly safe here for the most part.  I am also close to a very liberal area (New Hope Lambertville) where acceptance is part of the culture.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

 

[MarcieMarie12]

Your mileage may vary. Some take years to get where they want to go, others like myself  take 18 months to get where I think I need to be. But the thing to keep in mind is that even after HRT, GCS,  and  every step I felt I needed to do; I will be in some state of transition. Do I need FFS or breat augmentation? Not at this moment, but I might change my mind later.   I think of my transition as a life long process not something with an end goal.

One thing I hear from older transwomen is It is not a race, you should do things at your own pace. 

 

[Timber Wolf]

Hi Sophah,

I can't speak on transition (medical) time, but like there, acceptance is dependent on where you live. While others here have mentioned living in more accepting area's, I live in Michigan USA, which tends to fall on the other end of the spectrum and doesn't show as much acceptance. But even here in this social backwater I have observed significant progress over recent years. The town of Saugatuck is a notable exception, being well known for its openess toward the LGBT community.

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

[Alicia]

First you'll need a Gender Therapist that can help you begin HRT. You'll need "The Letter" recommending you to an Endocrinologist of your choice, and therapists generally require different amount of sessions or time before offering HRT to ensure you're truly making the right decision. For me, mine helped me get on HRT after just a couple months (early for my therapist) but that was largely how important she felt it would be for me start HRT. Mentally. She knew I was ready, and I knew it too.

I' was 'out' to my best friend but that was it, until after I started HRT, I started coming out more often. You don't need to be 'out' to have HRT, it's just important that we all push ourselves to reach our goals. My therapist saw, without a doubt, I was ready for HRT and knew I understood what HRT could do. It had a large impact on my life, all in positive ways.

There is no real 'time frame' from Coming Out, to Starting HRT and then Living Full-time, although there are similarities in most stories.

To answer in short, it truly depends on the therapist you visit and you're readiness to transition and begin HRT. They have to know you're ready and willing to transition if given HRT medications. 

I began HRT in mid-September 2016 and currently live Full-Time almost a year later, and just legally changed my name a week ago. And for the record, you do not need HRT to live full-time, it just helps a lot from my experience.