We are a diverse group both physically and mentally.
I suppose you could divide us into a few categories, but I see no advantage in it.
Even the designations of FAAB and MAAB seem to follow a loose pattern.
There, the difference is what low dose HRT consists of. T or E basically. Although there is more to it.
At first I thought about the placebo effect and discussed this with my Dr and Psychologist.
They confirmed that there is of course going to be some. It's a wait and see kind of thing.
So more than a year later, I'm pretty sure that part of it has run it's course.
And there was some. It just tapered off on it's own, I hardly gave it a thought.
I also tried higher doses and found the effects to go beyond the range of my dysphoria.
It was fun while it lasted. The physical changes caught me off guard and I even quit altogether for a short time.
This gave me time to re-evaluate just what I was trying to accomplish.
This is where all of us being more or less individuals comes in.
Even at full transition levels, the effects are not going to be consistent.
At low dose, this is even more apparent. And the amounts you take are going to be different.
What you are going to be taking may be different than the next person. There are several ways to do this.
For MAAB, a T blocker and E is the usual, although even just a T blocker is pretty potent in itself.
For FAAB it's going to be T. Various ways of doing this also. I'm not that up on it, being MAAB.
The thing to keep in mind is that it is more about the ratio than the amount of T and E in your system.
There is a range and even in that range, two people with the same numbers are going to have different effects.
Although with more ongoing research being done, they are able to narrow down the results somewhat.
There is a long ways to go there. It really is a try it and wait and see kind of thing.
Yep, there is going to be a certain amount of placebo effect, But it is no different than talk therapy for most.
You're right about just taking the first steps is going to change your perspective. How could it not? Well maybe not.
Even prescription and otherwise drugs have different effects on different people.
There are some things that are predictable in a fashion.
It is very likely that it will quiet the 'noise' of dysphoria.
But the effects of dysphoria will still be there. That's where talk therapy is useful.
But for some just getting rid of the noise may be enough.
For others, no amount of HRT will stop it. It's in your head, it's from your life.
I'm sure there are studies that can pinpoint brain wiring and chemical reactions, etc.
But the bottom line there is that currently, there isn't a drug or whatever that stops it.
Wish there was. It's the hardest part of it all some days, every day for some of us.
What it really all means is that we have options that work.
It's checking each one, deciding if it is for you or not.
Almost an endless combination of sorts, but not quite that bad.
It pays to look into each and every option available to you.
Then try the ones you want, and wait and see. There isn't an overnight option.
It takes time for your body to adjust to whatever level of whatever you are taking.
Patience. You spent your life getting to this point, now spend the time to get it right.
Be upfront with your Drs and Therapist/Psychologists.
They have heard it all before and are doing what they can to help.
If it is something new, hey, you just contributed to the well being of the next person.
Which is also why we talk about this here. Sharing information and ideas. It works.
Just how low dose HRT (should start calling it LDHRT) works for each of us is going to be different.
Personally, I find that bit of information to be good.
Because if it doesn't work the way you think it should, you have lots of options.
You get to decide (it is always your decision, no matter what) how it is going to work and what you are going to get out of it.
Which is the other side of this. What we each want is different as well.
We don't have a road or well worn path to follow.
We get a lot of trails that criss-cross over each other in the forest.
Options and how they affect us. It's a process that takes time and sometimes different directions.
But stick with it. Don't give up. It works when you have the right combination.
It's not that hard to find it. You will get really good at knowing yourself out of it.
That's the best part of it all. That's what helps stop dysphoria the most.
Ativan
