Howdy (Australian-British)

[BlueberryHeart]

Howdy, everyone, my preferred name I suppose would be Crystal (I'm still trying to decide on my new name...); I currently reside in Australia hailing from England in the U.K since 2008, I came to these Forums in order to get my mind off of things, I've been questioning my gender identity an awful lot as of recent, I suppose that I'm not the first one to say this, but I'm not really satisfied with being Male at this time...

I'm not sure if I should really go into detail about my experience here with Gender Dysphoria in the Introductions Forum, as I'm fairly new and unsure of where things go; But to set the tone, I first started getting the feeling of wanting to be a Male to Female Transexual when I was about the age of 8 to 9, and by then, I wasn't even aware of what the terms 'Transgender' or 'Dysphoria' for example, even meant
And the suddenly, the feeling hit me again recently, and I've not let it out of my mind since...

Either way, I am really confused as to what to do, and I thought coming here might provide some answers...

[Dev]

Welcome, Crystal!

 

The beginning stages of exploration are a great time to look for a gender therapist - one trained in working with the trans community.  Such a professional can help you explore your feelings and decide where on the gender spectrum you fall.  So can asking questions here - we'll do our best to answer as completely as we can.  There's much to be learned from the experiences of others.

 

Feel free to ask away!  Don't worry overmuch about posting to the wrong forum - do your best when choosing a forum to post to, and if it's better suited elsewhere one of us mods will move it.  

[BlueberryHeart]

3 minutes ago, Dev said:

Welcome, Crystal!

 

The beginning stages of exploration are a great time to look for a gender therapist - one trained in working with the trans community.  Such a professional can help you explore your feelings and decide where on the gender spectrum you fall.  So can asking questions here - we'll do our best to answer as completely as we can.  There's much to be learned from the experiences of others.

 

Feel free to ask away!  Don't worry overmuch about posting to the wrong forum - do your best when choosing a forum to post to, and if it's better suited elsewhere one of us mods will move it.  

Ah, I see, thank you so much for the warm welcome, Dev; I wish I could go see a Gender Therapist, although I would rather not dive right into that scene as I'm still with my family, and I don't really want to jump to that boat yet
Perhaps I could get into contact with my Counsellor about this?

[Jani]

Greetings Crystal and welcome.  Coming to terms with our gender identity can be confusing but that's what places like this are for, to assist you in sorting out things and providing a safe place to communicate with others on the gender journey.  A Dev noted, please don't worry about posting in the wrong forum.  Its sort of like coloring outside the lines, there is no penalty.  

 

From your comment I take that you live at home and maybe are in school?  That's fine as there is no rush when it comes to discovering who we are.  In the end we all travel at our own pace.  If the counsellor you speak of is at your school then certainly they may have information, but be aware that word may eventually get to your family if you are under the age of majority.  You might inquire as to confidentiality related to conversations with them.  

 

Please ask any questions you have and check out older posts to see others experiences.  BTW: I love coffee too!

 

Cheers,

Jani

[MaryEllen]

Hello Crystal,

 

Welcome to TransPulse.   

 

MaryEllen

[BlueberryHeart]

12 minutes ago, Jani423 said:

Greetings Crystal and welcome.  Coming to terms with our gender identity can be confusing but that's what places like this are for, to assist you in sorting out things and providing a safe place to communicate with others on the gender journey.  A Dev noted, please don't worry about posting in the wrong forum.  Its sort of like coloring outside the lines, there is no penalty.  

 

From your comment I take that you live at home and maybe are in school?  That's fine as there is no rush when it comes to discovering who we are.  In the end we all travel at our own pace.  If the counsellor you speak of is at your school then certainly they may have information, but be aware that word may eventually get to your family if you are under the age of majority.  You might inquire as to confidentiality related to conversations with them.  

 

Please ask any questions you have and check out older posts to see others experiences.  BTW: I love coffee too!

 

Cheers,

Jani

Thank you, Jani, and yes indeed, I'm currently at School and Home; Although currently on Summer Break, you make a good point, I am able to see them in their office if scheduled for appointment, but I would be unable to go there myself without parental supervision sadly... (Which understandable, but still...)
I will give this place a look around though to find some more answers, again, I deeply appreciate the kind words ♥

 

3 minutes ago, MaryEllen said:

Hello Crystal,

 

Welcome to TransPulse.   

 

MaryEllen

Thank you, Mary =)

[Jani]

Thats interesting that you could not talk to your counselor without supervision.  Well, actually it seems odd but I'm sure there are reasons.  As I suggested, pick a sub-forum and page through the posts to see what is/was going on in peoples minds.  I think you'll learn quite a bit and it will help you understand your own situation.  Just from the little bit you wrote it appears your narrative is similar to many here and elsewhere.  You are definitely not alone, and from my understanding Australia has a good sized transgender population so there are resources available. 

 

At some point you will most likely feel you need to broach the subject of how you feel with your parents.   Be mindful they may be shocked and dismayed as certainly as they may be accepting.  You will need to prepare emotionally for both responses.  There is time for that later.  Just don't get ahead of your comfort level.  

 

Jani

[Charlize]

Welcome Crystal.

 I found simply discussing things with others here helped me a great deal when i was first finding my feet before i took a step on any path.  Any place where we can be honest and open about ourselves helps.  I would definitely mention your issues with your counselor or your doctor.  My Doctor was one of the first people i talked to and while i was afraid i knew she would lend me an ear at the least.

You are not alone.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[tracy_j]

Hi Crystal

 

Welcome

 

Tracy

 

[Timber Wolf]

Hi Crystal,

Welcome to TransPulse. I'm glad you"re here! 

 

One of the greatest benefits I've found in these forums is no longer having to be alone. I've become part of this community and found a home here! It's amazing how much confidence we can gain together as opposed to being on our own. You've got understanding and caring friends here!

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

[Gwen]

Welcome, Crystal. You'll find that TransPulse is not only a great resource, but it's a friendly and safe place to ask questions and interact with others while you figure things out. It's nice to hear from someone living on the other side of the planet

 

Gwen

[BlueberryHeart]

Aww, thank you very much for all the meaningful replies, everyone! The information that I've already been given from this thread alone is outstanding enough in its own right, and I'm glad you all have positive outlooks for me ^^
As for the supervision part, it would be as in my parent(s) taking me to the office of the Counsellor and monitoring what I say until I prefer to say things to her by myself, my parents just like to know I guess; I don't know really, it's weird...

It's really hard to say how they will react anyway, I wasn't going to plan on telling them until I was older, but at this rate, it may come out sooner than I thought...