I live in sydney, australia. I desperately need to transition.
I cannot find a psychiatrist specializing or even experienced in gender. My GP cannot find one. The gender center seems uh- underfunded is the polite way of putting it- so info is hard to get. The WPATH services lists one person in Sydney- and its a speech therapist. Everyone from my therapist to GP is scratching their head as to how to move forward. Everyone agrees I am mentally fit , text book trans and definately would benefit from HRT.
I feel like my life has stopped.
I know transition is a long, gruelling, expensive process... but I would have hope that each step is a step towards becoming me. There is hope.
Right now its frikkin hopeless. Its like they forgot to put the first ten rungs on the ladder.
So I am feeling stuck and frustrated.
I guess I kinda know what that feels like, to have transition just out of reach. I'm in the us military and I have to wait over 3 years in order to start doing anything, besides therapy which i'm currently being seen, I feel like i'm at a stand still.
Oh gosh- three years! That must feel a lifetime away... how long have you known your trans?
We have members transitioning in Sydney! Let me shake a few branches.
Emmaline there are several therapists in Sydney and they are good and helpful.
Try www.anzpath.org (http://www.anzpath.org)
It is the Australian and New Zealand branch of Wpath, there is a list of treating specialists on the site, just call one in Sydney. I'm in Adelaide and I can put you in contact with some Sydney woman if you so wish, but they will probably catch up with you soon anyway
Cindy
Thanks all- PMs are great too. Your all fantastic. :laugh:
Still waiting to get an appointment.
Depression is crushing me. I am stuck in a loop.
Cannot work- too depressed, cannot exercise- foot and knee injured, ahedonia means I cannot distract myself and my wife is getting upset because all I can focus on is trans stuff. I cannot sleep, so less energy and more depression. My depression medication makes me hungry, but I am allergic to most foods, making dieting near as damned impossible. I can eat is cereal and chicken at the moment. No work = no money, so no laser, no self respect and no saving for specialists like psychologists and endocrinologists... its a death spiral. My wife wants to start a new round of IVF in sydney, so I cannot move to where the work is- which is anywhere but sydney.
I was back at work and happy again knowing I would transition.
I am relying on hrt to give me hope and a sense of purpose, a sense of travelling towards a life worth living. But I am stuck, waiting to get on a list to see someone who my doctor telld me isnt qualified to write me a letter to get hrt or srs. But everyone I speak to points to her. I have no time frame, and no faith this path will work. Our gender center seems focused on prisoners, which ->-bleeped-<-s me when I feel like I am in a ->-bleeped-<-ing prison and have not done anything to deserve this.
I dont think I can survive this.
Quote from: Emmaline on August 25, 2013, 04:52:21 AM
Still waiting to get an appointment.
Depression is crushing me. I am stuck in a loop.
Cannot work- too depressed, cannot exercise- foot and knee injured, ahedonia means I cannot distract myself and my wife is getting upset because all I can focus on is trans stuff. I cannot sleep, so less energy and more depression. My depression medication makes me hungry, but I am allergic to most foods, making dieting near as damned impossible. I can eat is cereal and chicken at the moment. No work = no money, so no laser, no self respect and no saving for specialists like psychologists and endocrinologists... its a death spiral. My wife wants to start a new round of IVF in sydney, so I cannot move to where the work is- which is anywhere but sydney.
I was back at work and happy again knowing I would transition.
I am relying on hrt to give me hope and a sense of purpose, a sense of travelling towards a life worth living. But I am stuck, waiting to get on a list to see someone who my doctor telld me isnt qualified to write me a letter to get hrt or srs. But everyone I speak to points to her. I have no time frame, and no faith this path will work. Our gender center seems focused on prisoners, which ->-bleeped-<-s me when I feel like I am in a ->-bleeped-<-ing prison and have not done anything to deserve this.
I dont think I can survive this.
DR PATRICK TOOHEY. MB.BS, FRANZCP.
GENERAL ADULT PSYCHIATRIST.
3104/184 FORBES ST
DARLINGHURST. NSW 2010
PH (02) 9223-0099
Try him, he is very good, and last time I heard he had a short waiting list.
I have an appointment with dr. Toohey for next week.
I can survive this... its not a dead end.
Thank you Cindy.
:-*
My dna test came back today. .. 'normal' XY... so no concerns with IVF. Two good bits of news on one day.
Okay. Breathe.
Yep, breathing can feel pretty good!
Congratulations on taking big steps. :-*
Gosh I got caught in a negative spiral then.... catastrophising and black/white thinking. It's nice to have somewhere to vent. I realise just how much of my happiness is riding on the hope of transitioning.
Made sure to chat to friends today to brighten me up. Arranged to meet some next week the day after my first session in case it rattles me like previous psych.