Losing hope of ever being able to transition :(

[Confetti]

Hi everyone, i'm MTF looking for advice and venting just a little bit - sorry!
I live in the UK and the NHS option of transition makes me feel so hopeless, I don't want to have to be forced into a long and winded RLE for years/months with no hormones!
The wait times to see a GIC and the times in between appointments are ridiculously long

I finally got to the point of accepting myself and being ready to go see my doctor, but now I feel like there is no point because I'm just going to be a boy in womens clothes to everyone for so long! 
I don't know what to do, I would go private but i'm only 19 and a uni student so money is tight as it is 

Does anyone have any advice or experience?
Thanks

[RaptorChops]

You're still young my friend and yeah the wait time seems pretty ridiculous for a lot of folks. Just stay positive and know that you're soon going to be who you were meant to be. Transitioning takes patience so just keep yourself occupied with the things you enjoy. There are people here who didn't start transitioning until they were a lot older. I didn't start my transition until I was 28 but prior to that I was your typical "butch lesbian". I was never happy and went through a lot of depression and suicidal thoughts. But now I'm 30, been on my Testosterone for 2 years and I am a lot happier than I was. Just stay positive it will happen a lot sooner than you know

[Confetti]

You're still young my friend and yeah the wait time seems pretty ridiculous for a lot of folks. Just stay positive and know that you're soon going to be who you were meant to be. Transitioning takes patience so just keep yourself occupied with the things you enjoy. There are people here who didn't start transitioning until they were a lot older. I didn't start my transition until I was 28 but prior to that I was your typical "butch lesbian". I was never happy and went through a lot of depression and suicidal thoughts. But now I'm 30, been on my Testosterone for 2 years and I am a lot happier than I was. Just stay positive it will happen a lot sooner than you know

I'm glad you're in a happier place!

I know I should be patient but I don't want to waste my younger years, I too want to be happier and I just feel like it's out of reach now 
Thanks for your advice, I will try surround myself with this I love to try and keep myself happy for the time being 

[Yenneffer]

I got around this

[Confetti]

I got around this

How?

[Yenneffer]

How?

I cant

[RaptorChops]

I'm glad you're in a happier place!

I know I should be patient but I don't want to waste my younger years, I too want to be happier and I just feel like it's out of reach now 
Thanks for your advice, I will try surround myself with this I love to try and keep myself happy for the time being 

You've got A LOT of younger years especially since you are only 19. You can be young FOREVER!!!! haha

Maybe look around the interwebz read more about HRT and the effects of it, inform yourself more about the surgeries like cost, how it works, and all that good stuff. Even look into doctors and gather some knowledge on each ones work, where they are located. Get yourself mentally prepared for it.

I know before I started seeing my therapist I looked around the internet and checked out other FTMs, saw what surgeries they had, watched videos of some of the surgeries, it was really cool to see.

[kelly_aus]

Hi everyone, i'm MTF looking for advice and venting just a little bit - sorry!
I live in the UK and the NHS option of transition makes me feel so hopeless, I don't want to have to be forced into a long and winded RLE for years/months with no hormones!
The wait times to see a GIC and the times in between appointments are ridiculously long

I finally got to the point of accepting myself and being ready to go see my doctor, but now I feel like there is no point because I'm just going to be a boy in womens clothes to everyone for so long! 
I don't know what to do, I would go private but i'm only 19 and a uni student so money is tight as it is 

Does anyone have any advice or experience?
Thanks

The official NHS protocols no longer require RLE for hormones - at least according to the NHS page I was just reading. Yes, RLE is still required for SRS, but that's about the same as anywhere else.

[Laura_7]

You could have a look here:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,181192.msg1603888.html#msg1603888

And you might contact the mermaids, its a group specifically for transgender youth:
mermaidsuk.org.uk
"We offer information, support, friendship and shared experiences."

They can be contacted via mail or phone...
you could ask there for more information and support.

And you might ask a counselor to support you... at uni there should be resources...
and there might be lgbt groups, with other transgender people...

And if you feel like it call or chat on one of the helplines...
they are given at the top of the category...


hugs

[HoneyStrums]

I came out at 25, you got 6 years on me. Im 28 this month, next month is my first apointment descusing the most APROPRATE form of hrt for me.

3 years seems like a long time, but in that time you will most likely find that, while it seems long, other things may come up that somtimes make it feel as thoug things are movig too fast.

Also the longer these things take at each step, you have a bigger argument when the time comes.
you will have all that extra time thinking about it, and not changing your mind, still being sure.

and the sooner you start a recognised real life exsperience, the sooner you can get the opp if your going for that.


the thoughs of being seen as a man in drag got to me, but what got to me even more was thinking about how long it would take and beeing by the time i get the opp iLL BE 30. if im lucky. Truth is things can go faster then you think.

[CrysC]

Be hopeful.  You figured it out now and thus can make a life as a woman.  Many of us waited far longer like into our 40's, 50's, 60's.  We'd all love to hop into your shoes.  I know things seem dark in many ways but they really aren't with the right perspective.  Not sure if that helps or not. 
I hope that things work out well.