I'm having a nightmarish time getting a letter for T. Been going to therapy for about a year with a psychiatrist who is familiar with gender issues, yet they are not willing to give me a letter unless I have family support. My family is very transphobic and are in denial about all of this. They are the "see it to believe it" kind of people too, and I doubt I will get any support from them unless I just prove how hormones benefit my mental well-being.
The problem with being in this limbo stage is that I am constantly stressed 24/7 about not just regular life problems, but this whole transition thing, not passing, not being able to satisfy my libido due to dysphoria, etc. The psych cites that as one of the reasons why he won't give the letter, but I'm stressed because I am not passing satisfactorily, and at my age everyone is hooking up and full of sexual energy....and it hurts to be left out and resembling someone I'm not - a butch dyke.
I'm so happy when I get accepted into male spaces, though rare, but in the times that I don't pass, I crave the attention I had when i was presenting as female amongst men (i'm gay) even though my mental state was a mess. But I can't go back to that.
I'm in Australia...do you think that if I just go to a regular GP, explain the issue they could write me a letter? Not sure what to do at this stage. Cheers.
Family support or just support? I would think they couldn't hold it against you that your family didn't approve, but as long as you had other people supporting you they should let you start T.
You haven't said what State you are in, whether you are over 18, perhaps it's time for a new therapist. There are Gender Centres in both Melbourne and Sydney who might be a better bet.
My psychiatrist in Melbourne said he had only ever refused to refer for HRT twice. Both were psychiatric patients with major problems. The stress you are getting should be treated as an additional reason to refer, I reckon. It seems obvious that the longer he puts you off, the worse it is going to get.
Karen.