I believe that I am in Michelle's camp on this. For me, transitioning is providing the canvas to paint a life on. As Michelle said "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." We all paint our lives on one canvas or another. For me, any other canvas that Anne would lack authenticity and would be difficult to find fulfillment in. I do know that I sure wouldn't want to try to find happiness any other way.

Anne

Oh how I love your questions. And dealing with semantics.

To me, "Transition", is simply to change. Over the past 7 years I've undergone tremendous changes. I've grown immensely as a person.

I still live and present as a tall bald old guy.

Did I find the happiness I sought seven years ago? Absolutely NOT.

Did I find happiness? YES, Yes and Yeppers.

Did I get what I wanted? Well, I am a tall bald old guy finally at peace being me. It took over 50 year to there. My life today is not what could have imagined it may become 8 years ago.

Did I transition? By the common definition I did not. By Websters or the OED, and most importantly me, I did. I Changed. I am happier for it.

At the end of the day, I was forced into it. "Changing" as in MAJOR Change was a last ditch effort to preserve my life, such as it was.

It DID get better

To lose that constant nagging feeling that something is wrong, to stop the cycles of constantly fighting with myself, to gain being perceived as the woman I am, oh yes I am happy. I am still new in my transition, so I could be naive, but I don't think so.
Moni

Well, I still experience a crapload of gender dysphoria, but at least I can actually *do* something about it now. Transitioning is a giant hassle, a process of many years in my case. It was *really* hard for a good year or two. But it has been way easier in the long run than the nearly constant panic of not transitioning that preceded it, and I'm far more successful in life in pretty much every way as a result.

I'm going in the fifth year now and its still hard. Last year postop was the hardest ever in my life. Next year will be hopefully a bit better. But my pain is still there. Hairloss is still there. And my tears in the soul. Life is war. Not fun.

Quote from: galaxy on August 26, 2016, 05:47:10 PM
I'm going in the fifth year now and its still hard. Last year postop was the hardest ever in my life. Next year will be hopefully a bit better. But my pain is still there. Hairloss is still there. And my tears in the soul. Life is war. Not fun.

Yep, I feel your pain, my life could be described by your words quite well.

A deep feeling that it will bring me inner peace and happiness...perhaps more

I'm 3 years in and at times I feel so phenomenal being me in the proper gender. There are the normal life problems , but the more the proper gender shines through the better I am.

Happiness must come from within.  It is a grim prospect ahead for anyone who stakes his or her happiness on a given individual, physical feature, job, relationship, etc. 

For me the issue is relief from the incongruity of gender and physical sex.  As others have pointed out, removing the gender question would result in relief of distress not happiness per se.


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Removal of distress enables happiness.  It does not directly cause it.  But with continuous distress happiness seems like a fleeting dream.

I voted for not sure because I usually question even the most obvious things. I have memories of wanting to be a girl from elementary school and I think transition will enable me to live my life fully. Hopefully that will bring happiness along the way.

I have felt the wrong of my bodies current configuration since my earliest memories.  I have had the intention of doing that which is possible to correct it since I knew such was possible.  I do not feel itso much as 'happiness' as I do that there will finally be some contentment.

So far I'm definitely happier on HRT. I guess it's 8 months now, amazing how fast time goes by. Having just had a 3 week stint off of estrogen, I was surprised at how much worse I felt and some things I hadn't even realized had changed were suddenly back with full effect.

The prospect of GRS is daunting. While I'd give a lot to be an attractive woman, even ffs, hair transplants and thousands of dollars I'd have to spend on electrolysis wouldn't meet that bar. On the other hand my sexuality so far doesn't work so well on estrogen and so transitioning without GRS seems like a non-starter, time will tell.

I answered 'better of two evils'

yes, GRS is very daunting and I've thought about it so long and hard, but the longer I'm on HRT the more I realize I need  it

I don't think happiness is what it's for in my case. I'm doing it as a last ditch attempt to see if I can feel involved in my own life, if I can stop feeling like the body is the enemy, to see if it can fix something before the rest completely falls apart. It really does feel like something I have to complete before it's too late - not too late because there is no time but too late because I'll have lost every scrap of desire left to live otherwise.

I might be wrong. There might be no saving this heap. But I'd like to know I tried everything. I guess I feel like my spirits are dying and unless something can revitalize them I am really screwed. I can feel it now, after many years just how much will or strength is left (or not). Happiness doesn't even come into it, it's just a desire to not die or to not mentally waste away to the point I'm too broke to keep going. 

I guess the term happiness might be too strong. Transition is giving me a reason to live

I will say that transition changed my life for the better so much, that I am a lot happier because of it.

I have never been happier than I have since transitioning. 
It has been far more than I ever realized it would be though.  The process has left me a very different person from whom I was before.  I had no idea that "I" would be somebody new beyond the flesh.  So many things were repressed from my continuous struggle that when I stopped fighting that I became who I really was. 

So yes I am very happy but I am also no longer the same person so is fair to ask if it would give me happiness?

Posted by: Deborah
« on: August 27, 2016, 04:20:01 pm »

QuoteRemoval of distress enables happiness.  It does not directly cause it.  But with continuous distress happiness seems like a fleeting dream.

OMG...couldn't have said it any better. It's a platform for me to seek happiness. In my present state, ther's none to be had under any circumstance. It will be the vehicle to drive me where I want. But I still need to drive myself to that destination.

Let's just say the smile has not gone from my face in 19 days so far. For once I am at peace with myself and everyone around me.