I've been on testosterone for over a year now, but just recently it seems it has really affected my anxiety. I have battled my anxiety and agoraphobia for years so that's just something I can't have. I think I need to stop the testosterone. I'm very upset about this. But, what are some things I should expect from quitting?

Quote from: Preston on December 26, 2015, 01:51:45 AM
I've been on testosterone for over a year now, but just recently it seems it has really affected my anxiety. I have battled my anxiety and agoraphobia for years so that's just something I can't have. I think I need to stop the testosterone. I'm very upset about this. But, what are some things I should expect from quitting?

Hi Preston,

Have you tried working through your issues with your therapist? It may be a better idea than going off T.

Or how about talking to your doctor about reducing your dosage?

Yes, stopping the T might not solve the issues you've mentioned. Transition itself is very stressful so if you can find some way to address your anxiety then you might be able to proceed with transition in a better frame of mind.

Agree with everything that has already been said. I have never heard of someone's social anxiety increasing on HRT. Only the opposite.

I'd strongly suggest working with a therapist to figure out what's causing the issue, and if it can't be solved that way, looking into a reduction in your dose.

I suffer from social anxiety disorder and was on a few medications before I started taking T. My anxiety has gone down a lot since and I quit taking my medications about a year ago (quitting the meds made my anxiety a lot worse but I got through it). I still get anxiety but it's not as horrible. I still do panic and hate going to places I've never been. All you can do is try and work through it and breath. My issues started to kind of subside after about a year and a half.

My friend also has anxiety and agoraphobia. He's been on T for a few months longer than I and he is actually going to a holistic therapist tomorrow (it's the only therapist that was transgender related that insurance would cover) to try and see if it will help him with his issues. I'll let you know how it goes for him and if it works out maybe look into it. Doesn't hurt to try