Some Changes and That Time Again (Period)

[Sol]

So I've officially changed my gender from questioning to transmasculine, and I'll explain why very briefly. Transmasculine encompasses what I'm going for and how I feel very strongly, so it's nice to have accepted that and figured that out. Still dealing with impostor syndrome, but I'm hopefully starting to move away from it and be more comfortable with myself. I've got friends that are very accepting and a dad that has an attitude of "it is what it is," which is very refreshing. Mom is struggling to wrap her head around it all, and it'll be some time before I think she accepts it. She has her own qualms and doubts about everything that I won't go into, but it's frustrating for both of us. I'll bring it up in therapy to see how to work around this.

That being said, I mostly came here for some advice.

I don't get dysphoria a lot, and it's usually centered around my face and chest. My groin has never bothered me and I like having it, but there's one problem; periods. I have pretty bad period dysphoria that makes me feel anxious, uncomfortable, sad and angry, and disgusting. I've always felt this way about my period since I got it several years ago, and the feeling has gotten worse as I've gotten older. I've done what I could, which is wearing comfortable clothes, distracting myself, wearing tampons or heavy flow pads as much as possible to avoid leakage and having to look at or change them super often, but I want to try other things.

What are some things I can try to help reduce my dysphoria, or at least temporarily manage the feelings I get when on it? I'm already looking into seeing a gyno so that I can get birth control or an IUD to prepare for sterilization later in life. Yes, that is a big decision, but it's one that I've spent several years thinking about and researching and I'm very confident in my decision and that I understand the risks involved. But that's still a ways off, so if you can offer any tips on dealing with the dysphoria, please let me know!

[DonkeySocks]

So... this might not qualify as advice per se, but sometimes to "deal with" something does not mean to make it go away, because to make it go away is impossible. You're already dealing with it--you're aware of it, you're making plans. So let yourself have credit for doing the best you can. Sometimes you have to feel feelings. If you find ways to not feel the crummy feelings, that is awesome. Sometimes it is valid to just say, I know that I feel bad, I know why I feel this way, and that is a win by itself, being aware.

 

My dad is the same way and it is, indeed, very refreshing.

[BC]

Ask your doctor about the progesterone only pill. It's safe and if you take it every day, it stops that happening. Totally (was going to say period lol). My doctor prescribed it because mine didn't stop right away when I started T but you can take it without T. Probably best if you go to a doctor who understands gender dysphoria and then you can be honest with him about why you want it.