I located a gender therapist in my town. No appointment yet. Still stalling. I guess I'm really nervous. It's one thing to talk about these issues here with others going through the same things, or even with close friends, but sitting down with someone I've never met and talking about something so personal...
I was forced into therapy since age 14 and had bad experiences with the whole shrink thing.
What happens during the first appointment?
And nobody jump on me, please. I know I have to do it, I just really hate shrinks.

Usually it's an introduction about yourself and why you are seeing the therapist.  You can state what you want out of the therapy.  This gives the therapist (who knows nothing about you) a good basis to work off of for guiding your therapy sessions.  If you get a really good therapist, they will let you guide the sessions yourself.

Melissa

Hi Nero:
First of all I have to tell you that my therapist is also the person who prescribes my hormones;   I know this isn't the case for most people.

On your first day, your therapist usually takes your history, you know, things about your childhood, the number of siblings you have, family illnesses,  where you grew up, whether you have medical issues, what medicines you are on, yada, yada, yada.  As far as the gender dysphoria is concerned, he/she will ask you how long you have had these feelings of gender incongruity, whether you have done something on a side about it (like self medicating, seeing another doctor, etc), he/she may also try to find out the degree of your gender dysphoria by asking you very personal questions...just remember that everything they ask is for your own good, and the more honest you are with your answers, the better they will be able to help you.

Keep us posted, sir.  I enjoy reading your posts every time.

tinkerbell

Hey Nero! ^^

Relax, for one, noone is going to jump on you, we are all quite loveble here.

I can't speak for everyone but what I gather is that, as tinkerbell said, they will ask personal questions. This is to see what you are seeking, are you doing it for curiosity, for thrills, or because you honestly need it? As my therapist told me, you can usually smell out someone who isn't for real about the whole thing. They arn't there to be roadblocks, but as the first in a long chain of procedures designed to protect you. Afterall, despite the health risks for starting it, its even worse to just stop, and alot of the effects I assume you know are irreversible.

As for your distaste for shrinks, I can feel for you.

Quote from: Luana on June 29, 2006, 06:51:13 PM
As my therapist told me, you can usually smell out someone who isn't for real about the whole thing.

Yes, we've had a few of those on here lately.  They're quite easy to spot.

Melissa

Its easy to tell who is not real.

Put your face up close to your monitor and inhale through your nose.  You can smell the testosterone.

Except for the guys who admit they are dudes and they are forgiven.

Leigh

Quote from: Leigh on June 29, 2006, 10:59:04 PM
Its easy to tell who is not real.

Put your face up close to your monitor and inhale through your nose.  You can smell the testosterone.

Huh? Anyone with T isn't "real?"

Quote from: Kate on June 29, 2006, 11:12:20 PM
Huh? Anyone with T isn't "real?"

She meant that the people who aren't real leave such a mark that you can smell testosterone reeking from their posts.

Melissa

I'm forgiven by Leigh, my life is complete!

Dennis

Quote from: Melissa on June 30, 2006, 12:17:29 AM
She meant that the people who aren't real leave such a mark that you can smell testosterone reeking from their posts.

Hmmm, curiously though, it's almost the other way around sometimes. TSism is a weird thing... I always like to say it "exists despite of our explanations for it," as it seems it can affect/be *anyone*, regardless of how they act, talk, swim, or fly. I know it's tempting to justify it by pointing at feminine mannerisms and behaviours, but the TSism just doesn't seem to care. The most macho, masculine marine drill seargent might be perfectly content firing his machine guns, dripping testosterone from every pore... yet be absolutely miserable inside that he's not a girl.

On the other hand, it's often the most polished, hyper-feminine, high-heeled, sexily-dressed ones who are perfectly satisfied with their underlying malehood.

It's by far the most bizarre, inconsistent, and frustrating to categorize and research "condition" I've ever seen.

Quote from: Kate on June 30, 2006, 09:44:57 AMIt's by far the most bizarre, inconsistent, and frustrating to categorize and research "condition" I've ever seen.

People are surprisingly good at decieving not only other people, but themselves.