what ever the future holds for me one thing I'll be forever grateful for is a place called Susan's. It's the internet, but the people that I've come to talk with are really people that are good to know. I don't know how long I'll be here, but its a great place to sit back and get info and figure things out. It's pretty amazing that someone thought to help others with a situation a lot of people don't understand. honestly if  I hadn't found Susan's when I got hold of the golden fleece ,I'd be one lost little camper. just a minor unexpected rant.

Susan's place has also helped me in many ways without this place I would be lost, I have met so many wonderful people here, including one wonderful woman who has been there for me when everybody else in my life has left me stranded 

The friendship, information and support I've found here has been priceless. Realising that I wasn't going through this alone was strangely very comforting.

Quote from: Ms Grace on November 06, 2014, 08:27:28 PM
The friendship, information and support I've found here has been priceless. Realising that I wasn't going through this alone was strangely very comforting.

ditto

Early on it was nice to get things off my chest and it's nice to know others face eerily similar situations and problems, but it hasn't been life alteringly helpful. I've still found doctors, therapists, friends, family, and other trans people locally to be far more helpful. This place is nice, but it's the internet and you still keep yourself cooped up and hidden, which is the problem most trans people face early and before acceptance. This place is nice, but I haven't relied on it too much.

Its great to know that I'm not the only one dealing with these sorts of issues :p Susans has made me feel normal(-ish) again after 18 yrs of feeling like a freak. So thanks everyone this site has made a massive difference to my mental well-being and has enabled to look to the future.
So thank you

when I stumbled onto this site it was a revelation to see what the community was really like.

I'm new to this place but it has been overwhelming to hear similar stories and get sympathy for stuff I've only ever hated myself for.

I know I haven't posted much over the 2 and half years since I signed up
but in those years I have lurked quite a bit. This has helped me so much
more than I can ever say. Just seeing that other people are going through
the same struggles that I have gone through has shown me that those struggles
are real and not something that I made up in my mind.

There are many members here more than I write that have the confidence to
show and tell others how they overcame their trouble spots. This may not
seem to big of a deal to those that did it but to me it is. It is not easy to
admit our struggles so the ones that do I applaud them. I wish I could hug them
but with the distance between us that would be hard.

Without Susan's here I hate to thank were I would be right now.

I would have caved in without Susan's and my therapist. Really.

This is the place I can go to to talk about anything. Especially trans related stuff because my cis friends often have a limit on what they want to hear and my trans friends have busy schedules.

I'm firmly convinced that if it were not for Susan's I would still be living unhappily as a man.

Quote from: suzifrommd on November 07, 2014, 06:46:22 AM
I'm firmly convinced that if it were not for Susan's I would still be living unhappily as a man.

the only transgenders I know are from Susan's except one I worked with.

It is occasionally useful. I used to use it a lot to get information on stuff, before I even registered. There are a few really great people on here though who have been around for years and willing to help anyone in what little they can, which is nice, like a certain aristocratic feline. A lot of the time though unless you are in the club it aint all that supportive, but hey, it is like that in most communities. I will say though that this place was the first place I came out at though and so was ultimately invaluable to me.

Honestly, if you're trans, probably not. It's hard to imagine that I've benefited as much as those the site was designed to support. However, I would say that I've benefited surprisingly well for a cis person, a visitor from the peanut gallery, so to speak. If that were not true, I doubt I'd still be visiting so regularly years later. I frequently reference this forum as an example of how to do a forum right when I'm on other forums. The folks here are awesome and fun and I've learned so much that would be hard to learn without personally knowing a whole lot of trans people.

Being able to verbalize what I've been feeling for so long and have kept hidden for so long as been absolutely liberating. The amazing amount of support and information to be found at Susan's can be breathtaking at times. I would be so lost if I did not find this place. There are so many wonderful people here that I have met and I so enjoy waking up in the morning with the knowledge that I have so many friends here. I never thought there were so many fantastic people that identified with me.

Hugs,

Melissa Ann

Definetly knowing I wasn't alone has helped so much. And I've met some great people, and one who is already a valued and trusted friend of mine, what would I do without you girlfriend!

Quote from: stephaniec on November 06, 2014, 09:26:41 PM
when I stumbled onto this site it was a revelation to see what the community was really like.

This really sums it up for me.

However, it has been a combination of Susan's, YouTube and other places that really opened my eyes.

And Susan's played a huge part in me coming out and taking real steps towards being the real me, to the point where I actually have real dates and goals, and not just a desire and a dream.

And yes my therapist has been helpful but honestly not all that much. Maybe the new one will be better, so I heard about her. But like it was when I was in college, a lot of it is learning by yourself and learning from your peers.

I have regrettably not been very fortunate when it comes to friends, so when I first began to have questions about who I really was there wasn't anyone to talk to.

In that sense, this site and the internet as a whole has been a fantastic treasure to me. When I don't have close girl friends to ask about clothing, or shaving, or anything really, I find myself going around here and not only do I get the information but see great stories and great people all over.
It's made the process so much simpler and comfortable since I feel I always know what to expect, and whenever I feel down and wonder if I'll ever be who I want to be, it helps me coming here and seeing that it is indeed possible as I am not alone in this path.

Also, my doctors keep trying to get me to attend local trans support groups but they're always so far or during work hours. So instead I find myself coming here more and relying on you fine ladies ^^

Susan's has been extremely helpful for me! 

I read much more than I post -- posting primarily when I feel I have something to add to a discussion that has not yet been made, or (like this topic) where a count or vote of responses helps to answer a question.

I've not found another source of trans information that is as active, relevant, or helpful.  I also really appreciate that many topics contain posts with a wide variety of insights and opinions. My personal "trans-journey" of (1) working to understand myself and (2) start down the transition path would have been *much* more difficult if not for Susan's and the people that make up this community.

Kim 

Susan's has allowed me a chance to express myself and bounce thoughts off of other people.  It has helped me learn to be myself, though I know I'm just starting to really learn.  It has provided thought provoking questions and a myriad of perspectives to try and answer those questions.  It has helped me find a few other resources and I have met quite a few interesting characters from around the world.  I don't think I would be as far along, mentally, in my transition, without the community here at Susan's as I am.  I would probably still be floundering lost, with only a vague idea of what is going on inside me.  (In case you haven't figured it out, I haven't started therapy yet. though I will be setting up an appointment within the next month)

Just my perspective on Susan's.