I'm always aggressive. I don't think it's related to being Pre-op though. It's just how I am sadly

after about 2 weeks on T my mom told me i was a lot less bitchy.  it made me happy.  lol  kind of like my proof to her that this was good for me.

a while back i was off of T for about a month because of shot anxiety and i noticed (and so did kayden) that i was significantly more short tempered.  as someone else said, i think our brains definitely run better on the right juice.

Wow. This is a thread that needed posting.

In my 20s I used to be friggin dangerous. I'd crash motorcycles into things often on the slightest provocation or reasoning, do a lot of crazy stuff and get away with it, punch things, etc. I was flat out self destructive and destructive too.

It gradually mellowed out as I got older, and T has been a BIG difference. I can still get mad, but it's "functional" mad, as in, Something's screwed up with the washer, get a little mad, but mainly just gather up the wet wash and load everything on the bike and go to the laundromat. I used to get "personal" mad by which I mean, I took things personal. As an example, I just changed gyms because the owner hired in this guy who's just a real jerk and the gym's not being improved. Pre-T, I'd probably hate both of their guts. But now, I still like the gym owner a lot, and the other guy, well, I'd probably still offer help if I saw him on the side of the road with a flat tire or something. The guy's cussed at me in the past etc but well.... I just don't take it personally like I used to.

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Post Merge: September 19, 2009, 11:58:49 PM

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Um, I have to put this in ....

I wonder if the idea that T increases aggression in transmen is that it does, in another area? As in, I'm much less likely to fight with someone but, if I'm with you and I'm attracted to you, I'm GONNA put a move on you 

I tend to be a protector rather than an aggressor. I must admit....I love kicking the crap out of aggressive folks   

I also love Doc. Martin boots. They are so comfy and go great with my dresses 

Oh I can't, and could never, stand bullies. And notice I said punch things not punch people lol. OK so I hit one guy on the chin but not too hard or anything lol.

Docs are SO great!! But now you have to find the "vintage" made in England ones, they're being made in China ugh they fit awful.

But what's really nice are, find some of the later date, US made but without that awful old hard sole, Corcoran or Carolina (made in US) jump boots. Those things are NICE.

Anyway, guys, how many of us find ourselves more aggressive in terms of libido? I wonder if we won't find a lot here chiming in.

Docs made in China? OMG the world has gone to hell. No offence to anyone 

I'm more assertive on T, but much less angry.  There was a time, in high school, when I was so angry I kind of scared myself.  Let's just say that, while I would never condone such a thing, I totally understood the impulse that led to Columbine, and similar school shootings.  If you'd added a less stable home life to the equation, that could easily have been me.   

Being assertive is much better than being aggressive. It took me awhile to learn that. But with age comes wisdom. Or so we can hope.

When I was young I had some bad habits. Like pointing out the pink nail polish that had been spilt on my Docs. Then giving them a closer look.

Granted, this only happened with genetic males who became overly aggressive

Taking things personally... that sounds familiar.
I "know" it's me who's taking something personally that isn't meant to be personal.
I "know" I'm not being reasonable in my reaction.
And I seethe and burn and hurt and feel personally insulted and stepped on.

And then I slip into hiding for a bit and dig my way out of the bleeding hole it puts me in.

I saw some made in England Docs the other day, $250 ouch. Mostly they're made in China and the fit is different, just not good. The made in England ones last forever.

I think I probably meant assertive, more confident and assertive. Aggressive seems to imply a certain lack of control and we all seem to be more in control on T.

Miniar what you're talking about, is sadly the way I think most of us took things before we started T. Especially in one's 20s.

Miniar, that perfectly describes how I react to things.  Mostly, I feel stupid and weak because of my reaction, which I know is illogical, and then I can't control how damn emotional it makes me.  I'd definitely pay to make that trait go away.

Confident and assertive is great  I feel more confident and assertive also, but in the other direction 

I didn't like my evil twin's aggressive nature.

I do so miss my Doc.s though. They were the made in England variety. Some one stole my first pair. I finally got another pair and some one stole them also

I'm wearing Docs in this avatar picture.

I use to have such a short temper and would get frustrated very easily that i'd lash out at something near (not a person) although sometimes when my sister was being a real b**** i would have a go at her (before i was out).  Shes my younger sister but i'd always regret it as she was WAY more lethal than i was so she had a good'ol time threatening me.  But yea....Sometimes I wanted to beat the absolute f*uck out of something.  Thats y i wanted to take boxing lessons, a way to release my anger and be allowed to fight someone.
I must say that it hasnt rly changed that much since starting T...More frustration sometimes but I guess thats because I have other stuff going on as well. 
Definitly feel more assertive and confident as well.  Before I was quite, let people walk all over me and just accepted things as they were without having the guts to stand up or ask for an explanation and demand things to be changed.  Loving how the T has changed that!

Frustration is the root of all anger -That's a much better explanation than estrogen making you crazy. Some people are actually allergic to estrogen (such as myself  , yeah good one on the Karma there Fate) and that has all sorts of freaky side effects but acting pissy isnt one of them. That's usually a side effect of "hormonal swings" between estrogen cycles. Stabilizing your homone levels, such as long acting Testosterone injections, ect might stop some of those mood swings but your feelings of well being are probably more mentally based. Finally getting somewhere as far your body matching your soul is a huge relief.

Quote from: Kumodamoogle on September 22, 2009, 11:41:51 AM
Frustration is the root of all anger -That's a much better explanation than estrogen making you crazy. Some people are actually allergic to estrogen (such as myself  , yeah good one on the Karma there Fate) and that has all sorts of freaky side effects but acting pissy isnt one of them. That's usually a side effect of "hormonal swings" between estrogen cycles. Stabilizing your homone levels, such as long acting Testosterone injections, ect might stop some of those mood swings but your feelings of well being are probably more mentally based. Finally getting somewhere as far your body matching your soul is a huge relief.

Before I started T I might have agreed with you on this, but knowing how I feel on T and how I felt off, I can definitely tell you that the hormones make a difference.  How it works, I don't know.  And it's probably not just the hormones.  But it's as if since puberty I've been on drugs that made me hazy and irritable, and now that's just gone.  My head feels so much clearer.  I no longer cry over nothing.  I no longer find myself fantasizing about beating the crap out of some random person.  And when I went through a phase of needle phobia and wasn't able to have my shot until several days after it was due, there was a definite swing back towards that overly-emotional crazy-state.

I definitely process anger differently than I used to, as well.  I don't get angry as easily, and I don't stay angry as long.  I find when I do get angry I have to put more effort into controlling any anger impulse, but fortunately that impulse is not violent so much as really snarky.     It's my mouth that's going to get me in trouble one of these days, and there was a time when that never would have been the case.    I also find that my anger can now suddenly vanish completely, and I can go back to being cheerful in an instant.  Whereas before I had to work my way slooowly down from angry, to disgruntled, to too drained to care before I could even think about being cheerful.

It's hard to explain, but it's such a palpable difference, and it starts long, long before there are any visible changes from the T.  (Five months on T now, and I still can't pass worth *bleep*.  Grrr.  But I'm cool ...    )

I myself, and pre-t and find my anger very hard to manager at times. Certain just set me a blaze and it takes me a very long time to calm down, and sometimes its the most rediculous things that just flip that switch. Though I have come to think that due to me loosing patience, or being eger to start T and not having the means to do so. The worse my dyphoria gets, and the more envy i develope watching other ftms on t and post-op. The more angery i get with just life in general.

I'd still say there must be some confusion because the only increased "aggression" I can vouch for is sexual. I really want a GF again or really, a good F buddy would be great to have right now