Gah. I can't believe I'm doing this. Here goes.
First of all, Dennis, you're SO lucky not to have had to go through any of it until you were older. I started breast development at 8. Yes, 8. I really don't remember the emotional effects the hormones had on me, though, because throughout that entire time I was with every fibre of my being fighting the changes that were forced upon me. When I was 10, my mom tried her best to get me to wear a bra. Ugh. Didn't work. Then the whole menstruation bit hit at about 10 1/2... agony.
I do remember being a little more afraid of things. But that may just have been societal pressure. I was always the kid who would run through the woods and climb trees and play with snakes, etc... and around 11 I remember forsaking a bit of that. It was about that time, too, though, that my mom started really enforcing the "you're a GIRL!" bit. I remember my desire for girls increasing around that time, and also my agression. I'm thinking that's a little weird... but who knows. I got into a lot of fights around 11 and 12 (physical fights). Around 13, I settled down a bit... kind of reconciled myself to having to live as a girl, because as I saw it, there was no way around it. I started dating guys, though I had absolutely no physical attraction to them. My attraction to girls grew to the point that I started wondering if I was gay, though I knew there was no way I was a lesbian. I desperately wanted to join sports teams--- I loved hockey and soccer--- but those were girls-only. Blech. I joined the cross-country and track teams instead, and spent most of my time watching the other girls run.
Around 16, I started rebelling. Started wearing guys' clothing. Started telling my best friends I thought I was bi, even though I wasn't even sure of that. It took that long to get back to the point where I was prior to puberty. At 18, I was certain I was supposed to be a guy, and I learned about transsexualism, though I was too caught up in my own difficulties at the time to do anything about it. Now I'm 24. I have never been more certain that that horrible experience, going through puberty and trying to conform to society's norms of what I "should" be, was a big cosmic joke. But I'm doing something about it now.
Hope this helps, Brina. And anyone else who might read this post.
Rafe