I'm two months short of 3 years into my transition and I'm very happy that I'm doing this. I've wanted this since grade school and have struggle with this since 4 years old. Each day my life is becoming clearer.

Perhaps this poll would be even more useful if it polled the fully transitioned... Is life better now?... If you could would you go back to what you had before transition?

My votes?...

Is life better now?

Yes! Life is more amazing than I ever imagined it could be and I am happy at levels I never knew were available to me in life!!!

If I could go back would I?

Truthfully, I'd rather die... I busted out of prison and have seen the gorgeous world outside the walls...there is no going back....

Onward we go!!!!

Ashley

Transition has given me a wonderful life... It gave me confidence to pursue my dreams..

As a man I was shy.. as the real me, I am confident.. this confidence allowed me to leave my home with a friend to start a business in a strange place.. and make a success of it.

I am now an outgoing woman with a wonderful man in my life.. I love him to bits.. and I cant wait to be his wife

My vote, absolutely yes. Many friends said I didn't smile much, in a company of 1,000 there are co-workers that I only knew by sight only would come up to me and talk to me where many would say I was unapproachable before my surgery and now very approachable.

Several things contributed to my happiness, being able to pass and living in Oregon where people are very accepting for the most part of people in the trans community.

I don't know about happy.   I do believe it will give me peace and contentment.

Quote from: karenpayneoregon on August 23, 2016, 09:12:15 PM
Many friends said I didn't smile much.

Since I have made the decision, my usual scowl has been replaced by less of a scowl but I feel much better and look forward to each day.

Yes, I'm happy. I have no regrets. My life isn't perfect, but who's is?

Today while talking to a girlfriend (cis) whom I came out to, I said to her that I had no regrets and reflected on the misery before and it brought tears to my eyes. There isn't anything in the world that would make me want to go back to that.

-Rhonda

Transition didn't give me happiness. Transition fundamentally isn't about giving someone happiness.

With that said, it removed a LOT, and I mean a LOT, of negative persistent sources of distress in my life, and so the moments of happiness that I do have are way happier.

I see it as a medical condition with a medical solution. Does being cured from a cold or cured from a chronic pain make you happy? No, not usually. But it is one heck of a big relief to be cured from it, and makes it much easier to not constantly be bogged down with self-loathing because things hurt so much and are harder with that sickness than they are when you're healthy.

To me, it's not the difference between being sad and being happy. It's the difference between having a chronically-frustrating medical condition that negatively impacted the quality of my life, and not having that condition.

Hmm well it's kinda the last ditch for me right now. I'm very fortunate that I have a supportive parent because the amount of anguish has been pretty awful and I'm sure if I didn't have her I would have died by now. But it still hurts all the time and I'm scared of surgery as well. I feel like transgender men and women aren't really offered proper medical solutions and we're treated like children or people with psychotic disorders. It's been over a year and a half since I started HRT. I'm still pretty much looking like the same person and it's kinda hard when people look so different.

I think it's more than just happiness (although I am certainly happy more often than I used to be).  Happiness is temporary.  I'm not happy ALL the time.  I think a more accurate way to describe it would be peace of mind, a lasting sense of contentment, and for the first time ever, genuine hope for the future.

Am I happier? No, honestly, not really. It's a medical condition that I have, coping with it post-everything does not bring universal happiness.
Some things are easier, some things are harder, some are better, and some worse.
Life isn't all sweetness and light, no matter if you are trans, cis, male, female or NB.
But then, I've always been a "glass half empty" person.
YMMV

I told myself from the start that transition was no guarantee of happiness.  That said, friends that have known me pre-transition tell me my smile is much brighter, and I seem more relaxed and open. Although I will have realized a lifetime dream, the final bill has yet to be tallied. There is still the potential for great loss, be it friends, family, employment, etc.  Despite the risks I can say at this stage I will never go back to being male. One thing transition does give me, without a doubt, is hope.

~Terri

Quote from: Carrie Liz on August 23, 2016, 11:49:20 PM
Transition didn't give me happiness. Transition fundamentally isn't about giving someone happiness.

With that said, it removed a LOT, and I mean a LOT, of negative persistent sources of distress in my life, and so the moments of happiness that I do have are way happier.

I see it as a medical condition with a medical solution. Does being cured from a cold or cured from a chronic pain make you happy? No, not usually. But it is one heck of a big relief to be cured from it, and makes it much easier to not constantly be bogged down with self-loathing because things hurt so much and are harder with that sickness than they are when you're healthy.

To me, it's not the difference between being sad and being happy. It's the difference between having a chronically-frustrating medical condition that negatively impacted the quality of my life, and not having that condition.

This a thousand times over. It's not about happiness, but yes I am a lot happier. People say I smile a lot now. Dealing with it especially once SRS is over with will let me heal as much as possible considering and I am thankful for that. Hugs
Mariah


Sent from my Mariah's iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: Carrie Liz on August 23, 2016, 11:49:20 PMTo me, it's not the difference between being sad and being happy. It's the difference between having a chronically-frustrating medical condition that negatively impacted the quality of my life, and not having that condition.

Thumbs up.   You know, in a way, I think transition is allowing me to FEEL both happiness and sadness in a natural, human way for the first time.   

Rejoice in both the smiles, and the tears.   Because they are real.

Quote from: Carrie Liz on August 23, 2016, 11:49:20 PM
I see it as a medical condition with a medical solution.

+1 to this^^

I voted for 'not sure' because I see a full transition as trading one set of problems for another. On the other hand, I NEED to take meaningful steps in that direction to maintain my sanity. Whilst I really don't know how far this road will take me, taking steps to medically treat this condition has given me a better life; a life that isn't marred by incessant and crippling dysphoria. Due to social reasons, I doubt if a full transition will bring me complete happiness, but it sure beats living in that constant hell.

Will transition give me happiness?

No.  Transition will allow me to say "I am enough."  I'll be complete, myself, and authentic.  I'll be vulnerable.  I'll be able to connect with others.  And THAT will bring me joy, and peace.  Transition will give me the tools I need to achieve happiness.

I've already gotten glimpses of the future.  Coming out to my immediate family, and starting treatment has been like crawling out of a dark cave to a partly cloudy day.  There are still plenty of dim patches, and the sun doesn't alays shine.  Oh, but when it does, it is glorious.

Absolutely yes!!  I was a failed depressing human being as a man, I'm now a confident, self assured and positive woman, my family says I've just glow with happiness and confidence, I'm also married to a wonderful and supportive man, best husband in the world.

Quote from: stephaniec on August 23, 2016, 09:41:13 AM
I'm two months short of 3 years into my transition and I'm very happy that I'm doing this. I've wanted this since grade school and have struggle with this since 4 years old. Each day my life is becoming clearer.

Yes, being the true me will make me happy. So yes transitioning will bring me happiness

It´s like the story about the ugly duckling who turns out to be a beautiful swan.

Well, inner peace and calmness are definitely present but with those I am happier. Sort of like a recipe. I have a murderously stressful work environment an odd situation at home and a few things hammering me right now. I am soooo calm and at peace that it is not even imaginable. Someone at work commented a few weeks ago "wow things must be looking up, I see you smiling all the time" I laughed and said "indeed they are"
Short answer, you bet your best pair of earings transition brings happines, all parts of a recipe.

Sara

"Transition" without any transition cant be a way to get lucky. I hope to find another key for happiness in my life, but theirs no stronger desire than the wish to be a woman.