Was puberty a real life horror film?

[Nero]

Good morning guys and dolls.

Hardly anyone ever comments in the News section, so:

From an article I posted, 'The Gender Conundrum':

If a child doesn't identify with his or her biological sex, the onset of puberty, says Laura Amato, a youth-suicide counselor who runs an online transgender support group, can make that child feel like "part of a real life horror story... because the wrong parts are changing."

Do you feel your puberty was 'part of a real life horror story?'

We're talking about the physical aspects only, not social aspects or anything else. Just the body going through pubertal changes.
There are no right or wrong answers, everybody is different.

Was puberty a real life horror film?

[Pica Pica]

Yeah, a bit like the wolfman, but in slowmotion and you couldn't trust your voice to obey you and i had always been in control of my voice.

[Shana A]

Yes! It completely sucked, to put it mildly.

Z

[Kate]

We're talking about the physical aspects only, not social aspects or anything else. Just the body going through pubertal changes.
There are no right or wrong answers, everybody is different.

Was puberty a real life horror film?

Physical aspects only? No, it wasn't so bad. Not much really changed for me aside from eventually sprouting sparse facial hair. And at the time, I was terribly afraid that if I *didn't* develop, people would figure out my secret. So in a weird way, it was almost a relief to have SOMETHING masculine about me. After all, I was never going to actually BE a girl, right? God forbid anyone should figure out my terribly embarassing, deviant and "wrong" secret.

But I never got the muscles, chest hair, or any of the other manly stuff. The voice dropped, I grew a sorry excuse for facial hair... and that's about it. So it wasn't all THAT traumatic.

~Kate~

[Berliegh]

I think I got off very lighly........I didn't get the voice breaking or visable signs of an adams apple and I hardly had any body hair apart from a little bit on my legs......

But I did get spots as a teenager which were horrible....

[Dennis]

For me, aging was more horrific than puberty. That was when I started looking female. I remained androgynous/masculine looking through puberty.

Dennis

[Melissa-kitty]

Yes, a total horror story. I got hair all over which helped me pass as a boy, though it disgusted and appalled me, but I also had gynecomastia, which severely weirded me out, and made me feel even more of a freak than I already did. Bad scene.

[Kate]

Oh I forgot one thing...

The genitals waking up was NOT fun. I really didn't understand sex at all, but it was SO annoying and embarassing to have it get aroused. Not to the point of wanting to self-mutilate or anything, but it was still humiliating... dirty... ewwww...

Especially because it seemed to have a mind of it's own. I had no control over it, and there wasn't much rhyme or reason to when it happened. It wasn't "me," it was just this thing stuck there like a parasite, feeding off me for it's own agenda.

~Kate~

[Bobbie]

The worst thing for me was suddenly finding big black hairs sprouting out all over my body. I hated them and tried everything to get rid of them but they just kept growing back with a vengeance.

Another thing that upset me was my voice breaking. It meant I had to give up the hard earned position of lead soprano in the cathedral choir. I was heartbroken and never sang again.

Bobbie

[Traverse]

Yes, a total horror story. I got hair all over which helped me pass as a boy, though it disgusted and appalled me, but I also had gynecomastia, which severely weirded me out, and made me feel even more of a freak than I already did. Bad scene.

Same here.

[shanetastic]

Oh I forgot one thing...

The genitals waking up was NOT fun. I really didn't understand sex at all, but it was SO annoying and embarassing to have it get aroused. Not to the point of wanting to self-mutilate or anything, but it was still humiliating... dirty... ewwww...

Especially because it seemed to have a mind of it's own. I had no control over it, and there wasn't much rhyme or reason to when it happened. It wasn't "me," it was just this thing stuck there like a parasite, feeding off me for it's own agenda.

~Kate~

Yeah that's one of the big things that I hated with a passion as well.  I was a very late bloomer anyways and I don't think I ever finished puberty because I never got around to growing facial hair that could actually turn into something like a beard or anything.  Either way though, I didn't enjoy puberty that much.  I didn't really understand why at the time, but it just made the whole disgust level increase a little bit within myself.

[Nero]

For me, aging was more horrific than puberty. That was when I started looking female.

How? I always thought natal males continued to masculinize, and natal females were done feminizing once they reached adulthood. I thought natal females started looking less feminine as they got older.

I remained androgynous/masculine looking through puberty.

Dennis

You're lucky. I turned into a pretty girl. I didn't allow myself to be photographed from age 11 on. Still don't. I didn't even recognize this 'girl' staring me in the mirror.

[Enigma]

For me, aging was more horrific than puberty. That was when I started looking female.

How? I always thought natal males continued to masculinize, and natal females were done feminizing once they reached adulthood. I thought natal females started looking less feminine as they got older.

I've always been under the impression that there was a convergence between the genders.  Imagine two arcs if you will.  Children of either gender are relatively androgenous, as time passes and puberty hits, boys look more like men and girls look more like women.  The short answer is boys and girls look less like eachother.  This continues for a fineite time until the mid point of the arc is reached (don't ask me what age that is) and the two genders start to look more and more like eachother as they continue to age, or as least less and less dissimilar.

[Nero]

For me, aging was more horrific than puberty. That was when I started looking female.

How? I always thought natal males continued to masculinize, and natal females were done feminizing once they reached adulthood. I thought natal females started looking less feminine as they got older.

I've always been under the impression that there was a convergence between the genders.  Imagine two arcs if you will.  Children of either gender are relatively androgenous, as time passes and puberty hits, boys look more like men and girls look more like women.  The short answer is boys and girls look less like eachother.  This continues for a fineite time until the mid point of the arc is reached (don't ask me what age that is) and the two genders start to look more and more like eachother as they continue to age, or as least less and less dissimilar.

Yeah, I know males get more masculine as they get older, but I didn't know females did.

[Sheila]

No, I don't think it was that bad. I didn't like that I couldn't have breasts and when my mom took my sister out to show her the menstrural cycle things in the store, you know pads and things. I was very jealous of that fact and that I would never ever be able to have a baby. I was not hairy as an adult, I really didn't start shaving everyday until I was 35 and then it was very light. I didn't have much hair on my body so I felt ok with that. The only thing that was very upsetting to me was that I could build muscle. I was always very strong and my muscles were bigger than average. I didn't have to work at it very hard to build them. I don't like that and have always, except when I was upset with my body, hated my body. I guess that is why I would eat and eat. I have always been big.
Sheila

[Enigma]

Yeah, I know males get more masculine as they get older, but I didn't know females did.

Is it that men and women masculinize or is it that the aging process is the anthesis of youth and beauty which are often regarded as feminine traits.

[Nero]

Yeah, I know males get more masculine as they get older, but I didn't know females did.

Is it that men and women masculinize or is it that the aging process is the anthesis of youth and beauty which are often regarded as feminine traits.

Oh, I didn't word that right. I meant to say I didn't know natal females continued to feminize as they got older.

Posted on: November 09, 2007, 03:45:50 PM

No, I don't think it was that bad. I didn't like that I couldn't have breasts and when my mom took my sister out to show her the menstrural cycle things in the store, you know pads and things. I was very jealous of that fact and that I would never ever be able to have a baby. I was not hairy as an adult, I really didn't start shaving everyday until I was 35 and then it was very light. I didn't have much hair on my body so I felt ok with that. The only thing that was very upsetting to me was that I could build muscle. I was always very strong and my muscles were bigger than average. I didn't have to work at it very hard to build them. I don't like that and have always, except when I was upset with my body, hated my body. I guess that is why I would eat and eat. I have always been big.
Sheila

That's really interesting. So, girls actually regret not getting a period?

[katia]

my puberty = one of the greatest nightmares of all times.  the cruel thing was that i wasn't dreaming

[tinkerbell]

Puberty was the most repugnant and traumatizing experience that you can ever think of.  Just imagine a girl, liking boys, wishing to have breasts, soft skin, etc... suddenly growing the wrong parts, developing a deep voice, facial hair... ...it is one of those chapters of my life which I have buried deep in my subconscious mind.  I wish no one had to go through all that misery.

tink

tink

[saraswatidevi]

I thought natal females started looking less feminine as they got older.

That varies by person. I am 69 and still looking pretty feminine. I just saw John McCain and his mother, who at 95, is not yet looking too masculine.

As to the original question. I doubt you meant it for GGs but I am going answer anyway. Yes, it was a nightmare physically. I was a little tomboy as a child and I remember vividly when I was about 12 the boys muscle strength suddenly outpaced mine by a wide margin. I used to win all the races, etc. and all of a sudden I couldn't do it. And my mother started telling me I couldn't sit on fences because I was 'a little lady now' and I started bleeding. It was horrible. Especially not having the muscle strength to fight anymore. I haven't yet fit the 'little lady' title.