Do you feel your social life has improved or deteriorated after transitioning?

[John Smith]

[...]

As the topic says, how was it for you ? Was your life the same as before, it went worse, or better? I feel that I can't do this on my own, I need people I can rely on. Being a lone wolf is not for me.

I would have to say that my social life, or lack thereof, is pretty much the same. I have never been able to maintain friendships over time. I'll get to know someone through school/work, but as soon as the daily interaction through those areas come to an end, the friendship itself will dissolve. It doesn't bother me though. I'm an introvert, and can't handle too much social interaction, so I get my dose at work.

What has changed, however, is how I feel about being in various social settings. I've never been fond of them, but at least now I am much more comfortable.

[Phoeniks]

When I transitioned I got my family and friends back. I had alienated them years before due to gender angst and internal rage issues. When I came out and transitioned it started to all make sense to my loved ones, they finaly had something to point to that explained my behaivior. Over a period of about 6 months they started to slowly drift back into my life after the rumours started to fly I was 'doing the sex change thing'.

Wow, this just rang a huge bell in me. I may have been doing something similar to this. I get a lot of negative critique from my relatives about "not acting like a girl" or "every woman should understand these kinds of things". I'm always jumpy around them and keep thinking that they will notice how different I am. And notice I'm a fake. I tell them almost nothing of how I think or feel, since the response is never one I would want it to be.

Other than that, after understanding some of my gender dysphoria I've come out to only a few people; with at least one I'm much closer with than before. And I'm a lot more sociable, too. I feel much more comfortable around people. Things are maybe a bit easier for me than for many other people - I'm a pre-everything androgyne and it's possible I'll never need any hormones or surgeries...

The only area with a drastic change has been romance and/or affairs. I'm much more cautious than before. I used to be very reckless and ignorant, and felt numb with every person I was with. Sort of just closed my mind and feelings and melted my personality away when I was with them. I'm hoping never to feel that kind of numbness again, and that at some point I'll find someone who wants me just the way I am. Until then, I'm quite fine with not being in romantic relationships.