How long did it take YOU to get on HRT

[Sam(my)I am]

Well, since the search function is down I can't check properly if this has been discussed, but from what I know the amount of time can vary from person to person and also dependent on who the therapist is. At any rate I thought it might be interesting if those who are HRT would give the amount of time from starting therapy to the point where they were given HRT, so those of us who haven't started can have some actual numbers to look at.

So how long did it take you from the first therapy appointment to get Hormone prescription?

[Annah]

I start my therapy in the month of January of 09. In April of 09, I received my first prescription. So four sessions.

[JungianZoe]

First therapist appointment was the end of August '10.  She wrote my letter after my second appointment, six days after my first.  Thanks to a lucky cancellation, I got a doctor appointment on September 20 and took my first pills on September 21.

So roughly a month.

[Arch]

Depending on what you are trying to find out, it might be more fruitful to break this question down, phrase it differently. Do you want to know how long people took to be ready for HRT, or do you want to find out how much therapy was required by mental health practitioners before they were willing to write a recommendation letter? Both? Neither? Something else?

[eli77]

My first appointment with a gender therapist was the last week of November 2010. I got my referral for HRT a couple of weeks later (after 3 sessions). My first appointment with an endocrinologist was the second week of January 2011. I started HRT on January 17th. So about 7 weeks total.

[Sam(my)I am]

Depending on what you are trying to find out, it might be more fruitful to break this question down, phrase it differently. Do you want to know how long people took to be ready for HRT, or do you want to find out how much therapy was required by mental health practitioners before they were willing to write a recommendation letter? Both? Neither? Something else?

My bad What I will revise my question is how long of therapy did you have to receive HRT

[LilKittyCatZoey]

hmmm lets see started therapy in august because of my mom only start hrt Feb and e in June... wish i started November last year before my final growth spurt grew about 15 centimeters and my shoulders got broader

[Ann Onymous]

Fortunately I never had to wait on a letter from a shrink...I love doctors who will work on informed consent, even though it took going through some unusual channels to find that doctor. 

[Sam(my)I am]

Thank you all for the replies thus far, I hope others will give info as well every little bit helps!

[AmySmiles]

For me it took about 3-4 months, but one of those was spent finding a doctor that was familiar with treating trans people.  My first therapy appointment was in Nov '09 and I started hormones in March '10.  I had about 10 hours of therapy before I was given the letter.

[Joelene9]

  32 years from the first shrink to the script!  Too long to wait.
  Joelene

[Venus-Castina]

I got myself registered at the gender clinic early this year. The waiting list is currently more than a year. After that there will be a minimum of 6 psychological sessions with at least 1 month in between. If there is doubt within the genderteam this can be as much as 12. So leaving room for vacations I estimate it will take at least 2 years from the day of registration to the first hormone prescription.

Far too long.

[SandraJane]

Still waiting, have had 2 therapy sessions so far, first in July, second this month. Have to wait on my Endocrinologist to clear me on my Thyroid in October, guesstimating November, therapist gave me indications by the end of the first session the letter would happen.

I'm the cautious type, especially if you have any concurrent medical issue it is better to wait. Annah mentions in her Blog, that she knew of 3 people having Strokes and 2 dying due to self medicating. I take care of Stroke patients also, it is not pretty!

So...estimating 4 months.

[Joelene9]

I got myself registered at the gender clinic early this year. The waiting list is currently more than a year. After that there will be a minimum of 6 psychological sessions with at least 1 month in between. If there is doubt within the genderteam this can be as much as 12. So leaving room for vacations I estimate it will take at least 2 years from the day of registration to the first hormone prescription.

Far too long.

Yes, mine was the politics and policy of those days.  Now it is a doctor shortage.  A lot of factors to blame for this.  It took my brother-in-law 30 years to get prescribed interferon for his Hep C that he got from a coworker in a restaurant that he worked in.  There was a heath department advisory after he and a few customers got it.  At the time it was and still is gamma globulin BEFORE the hepatic symptoms occur.   His fairly newer city job's health plan is finally paying for this.  Me and my other siblings didn't know about this until several months ago.  He and my sister kept this from their kids as well. 
  Joelene

[A_Dresden_Doll]

It took my 5 sessions to get my letter. I just asked during the fourth, and my Doc said "no problem, toots". I start HRT on August 19th. And injections to boot!

[Elijah3291]

I had therapy for 3 months, then I had my T letter.  Then it took me about 3 months to find an endo who would actually see me, but she said no, about one more month till I found my endo who gave me my first shot when I saw him.

7 months

[bojangles]

2 months

[RhinoP]

I really do wish there could be a good old list of professionals who do not follow the year-long RLE session. My personal thing at the moment is I want to be put on antiandrogens to halt my rapid balding, to halt my thickening facial hair, to halt my acne and oil production, and to halt certain build-ups of fat around the stomach and under the chin. I'm right at the age all these second-male-puberty things are happening to me, and men do get put on antiandrogens for all these things; however, it's more common among older men. I personally do want a letter for this because not all medical doctors prescribe antiandrogens for these issues, and I want a letter that basically forces them to; however, tough part is finding a therapist to write a letter that says "hey doctor, do this, my patient needs it", because while antiandrogens aren't specifically part of transitioning per se (in terms of technicalities), I can only make up so many excuses of why a man would want to halt these changes, other than my very young age and acting career.

I mean, a therapist knowing that I'm Trans may make the negative difference between "Sonny, at your age, I don't blame you, I wouldn't want to look decades older than I am either, here's the pills!" and "Sorry miss, Trans have to do the year-long RLE before any hormonal changes can take place." In a year, I'll be completely bald, that's how rapid my hair loss currently is!!!

[FairyGirl]

At my first appointment my therapist promised a referral letter on my next appointment, one week later.  As soon as I got home I made the doctor's appointment for the day after on the following week, so it took me 8 days total from first therapist visit to filling my first prescriptions.

[mechakitty]

Well, I don't exactly recommend the way that I did it to everyone, but I spent about three months in a support group before I was referred to an endocrinologist who used informed consent instead of a letter of recommendation. So, essentially, I did not have to have a letter.

I'd been seeing my own therapist for a while (but not often--she didn't know much about trans-issues), but by the time I was ready to see an endo, I was so sure about transitioning; I'd felt this way my whole life, and I needed to get started now, this year, before my depression got worse. HRT has basically changed my life. I made a 180 degree turn in mood. I was always sure that this was the path I had to take in my life, but being on hormones definitely galvanized that belief.

I'm starting to see an actual gender therapist in a couple weeks, finally. I really do believe that therapy is absolutely necessary during transitioning, and I probably should have started seeing a gender-specific therapist earlier. Everyone should start seeing one as soon as possible. I've gotten nothing but crap from my parents because of this. I've had to sit through tons of lectures about why this doctor is just prescribing hormones left and right and blah blah. And you know what, their concerns are basically legitimate. Everyone should see a therapist first, before anything else (except perhaps a support group). That said, I was always sure about this, personally, but if anyone has any doubt, I mean any at all, then please see a therapist first.

*steps off soap box*