New Person Here

[Mar]

Hello! 

My name is Mar. I'm somewhere between genderqueer and ftm... It's a point I've been working towards for what feels like my whole life, and it's kind of scary. I feel so very alone and isolated where I am, and I'm interested in finding more of a community and making more friends like myself. I've signed up for a support group in my area but I'm scared to go... I'm a shy dude and I have anxiety and it's just a lot. I've been feeling very depressed and dysphoric more and more lately, so this is my attempt to counteract the tendency to isolate. I'm hoping maybe I can find some kindred spirits here. Thanks for reading. I hope this wasn't a weird post. I sat here composing it for like 45 minutes. ?‍♂️

 

[Cyndee]

Hi Mar, and welcome to Trans Pulse forums, thanks for your intro post.

 

No need to be shy, reaching out is a great step to take.

 

Have a look around and post away as the mood strikes ya

 

Hugs

 

Cyndee -

 

[DeeDee]

Hey Mar! Pleased to meet you.  I've found the folks here to be pretty awesome and very welcoming, where I am physically I am very isolated, partly because it is so rural and partly because I do not want anyone to know who could out me as the built up areas are still small towns where everyone knows everyone else's business. I spent ages reading through the threads because there is a lot of good info, I know what it feels like to sit and stare at the screen for ages before deciding to post too so congrats on hitting that submit button.

[Charlize]

Welcome Mar.  

     Your introduction certainly seemed to make a great deal of sense to me.

Finding our path past the fear is hard for all of us in the beginning.  Each step makes it a bit easier.  I was told here some time back that i wasn't alone.  Knowing that helped a great deal.  Glad you've joined us.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

 

[Astrid]

Hi, Mar! 

 

I sympathize with your concerns with how your shyness can make it hard to attend a support group.  The attendees may have both similar and different experiences to your own, both of which can be enlightening (and, in the case of similar experiences, supportive and comforting).  The "fit" of groups can vary, and even the same group can vary over time, depending on who's attending.  

 

Just as Charlize mentioned that she learned here that she's not alone, you can get reinforcement that you're not alone from support groups, too.

 

Hugs and good luck on your journey!  

 

Astrid

[illisson]

Welcome in, Mar! 

 

Reading your intro felt pretty much like deja vu; I used to be the genderqueer-maybe-ftm person in a small town, struggling with being shy. It took me a year to finally brave up and attend my first LGBTQIA+ group meeting, and it turned out to be absolutely amazing. I made a lot of great friends, and learned so much from everyone there. I was a ball of anxiety when I first walked in the door (I almost turned around and went home, even), but I'm so glad I braved up to give it a try.

 

It especially helped me to know that a lot of the people in that group had been (and some still were) where I was, in terms of anxiety. Us shy folk kind of quietly settled into wallflower positions in the room, and the not-so-shy folk were sweet, friendly, and immediately welcoming of us. If anyone's going to understand the various overwhelming feelings that you might be feeling about coming out to (and even just hanging out with) a group of strangers for the first time, it's LGBT+ people.

 

Here's hoping that, if you do end up joining your local group, your experience is as awesome as mine was.

 

If you're also seeking other online support groups, my gender therapist just this week suggested I check out the trans and transmasculine groups on Reddit. I signed up last night and was literally up until dawn this morning, reading what's over there. I'm so glad he suggested it. Maybe you should check it out too, in case it's a good fit for you.

 

Anyway, make yourself at home!

[Timber Wolf]

Hi Mar,

Not weird at all. Welcome to Transpulse. I'm glad you're here!

 

Lots of love and a big welcome hug,

Timber Wolf ??

[Jani]

Hello Mar.  I'm glad you found us!  Take your time writing; know that no one here is mean.  We're all a friendly group.  I think you'll find those kindred spirits you're seeking.

 

Cheers, Jani

[michelle_kitten]

Welcome, Mar.