Hey I'm new to Susans and was looking around for some support. I'm kinda scared to tell many people about wanting to be a female (kind of because I'm younger and in high school the worst place to be on the planet...)  but I have always had thoughts about it even before I knew what a transsexual was... I feel as if I should tell someone but I have always had hide who I was from everyone, including my parents. But I was going to tell my Mom soon since I've been along this road a long time... Kinda just wanted to know if there were any others that felt this same way. And I already call myself Amy cause I have always wished my name was Amanda haha

Hi Amy, and welcome to Susan's! We're a diverse and friendly bunch here (the head count is over 7800) - get into things as slowly or as quickly as you feel comfortable, I'm sure you'll find plenty of support here, and plenty of younger folk in a similar position to you.

And be sure to check out these links for the bobby on the house rules:

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Thanks for the warm welcome Padma 

Welcome!

Be sure to check the "coming out" section for advice when it's time for telling your parents.
And of course I'm sure you will find many of us are in a very similar situation, so don't be afraid to ask any questions.

Hi Amy

I know how you feel. It's really intimidating, especially when you're in high school, but you're lucky because if you do decide to transition and live as a woman (which is incredibly doable) at your age you have an excellent opportunity to live life as a normal woman. Hormone replacement therapy (commonly referred to as HRT) is quite effective for those of any age but is especially effective for those under 25 and even more so for those in their teens.

My one piece of advice is that if your Mum or Dad offer to take you to a doctor or a medical professional to discuss this, take them up on it. I didn't because I was scared but what I realize now is that had I of seen a doctor then 1) I would have had about 9 years less of worrying and wondering what to do about it and 2) I would have had a much better outcome from HRT than I will have now.

So rest assured there are medical interventions such as HRT, surgery and hair removal techniques that can lead to you living as and being accepted as a normal woman, even speech therapy to teach you how to speak and sound like a woman and it's incredibly effective - contrary to the popular stereotype. Help is at hand, just don't let fear or prejudice stand in your way. If you need any support there are plenty of lovely ladies and kind gentlemen here that can help and provide support. Don't hesitate to join in and have your say.

Quote from: AmyxRobin on August 02, 2011, 03:02:49 AM
Hey I'm new to Susans and was looking around for some support. I'm kinda scared to tell many people about wanting to be a female (kind of because I'm younger and in high school the worst place to be on the planet...)  but I have always had thoughts about it even before I knew what a transsexual was... I feel as if I should tell someone but I have always had hide who I was from everyone, including my parents. But I was going to tell my Mom soon since I've been along this road a long time... Kinda just wanted to know if there were any others that felt this same way. And I already call myself Amy cause I have always wished my name was Amanda haha

Hey amy !!

Names Zoey  i am in High school to but near its end lol if you ever need to talk or have a high school or anything issue just pm me once you have 15 posts you can  I will always be happy to help

Love Zo( hehe my nick name XD )

Hi amy   is very nice to meet you.

Hi Amy. What year are you in high school? Just curious about how far away college is for you, if you're planning on going. If you are, college can be a great place to transition. When you're looking at universities, and if you have the option of going to one out of state, you'll want to check out their LGBT community, see what resources they have, and see if you can ascertain how trans friendly the university is. In some cases, as is the case with my university, you can do the counseling that is required to receive HRT (hormones) for free. Many, if not most, universities have health centers on campus with pharmacies where you can fill your prescriptions. They can sometimes even be cheaper. I was able to go through the counseling for free at my university as all counseling services here are free, and the medication at the campus pharmacy is subsidized, so it's much cheaper than if I were to fill it at a regular pharmacy. My university has a HUGE queer community and the staff and faculty are really supportive. That's just something to think about if you plan to go to college and are thinking about how/when to transition. Of course, if your parents end up being accepting and allow you to transition while still in high school, the earlier the better!

Oh and dont forget to read the rules lol i broke a few like dont tell age if under 18 and stuff  learn the rules and never lose your posts  just thought i would tell you because i felt so embarrassed when i broke the same 3 times in 2 days lol

Thanks everyone for the good advice and warm welcomes  and I'm just getting into junior year

I have been thinking of ways to tell my mom since we always talk about things that have been going on, its always great to talk to her. But what I am afraid of is her reaction to loosing another male in the family cause my father passed away only a couple of months ago... so I kinda wanted to take it easy with the bad news stuff, but lying awake at night thinking about the steps I could take to change this mistake isn't really helping me either :\ so any suggestions as to what I should do? I am at a loss... ^^; and I really hate to be a bummer but I also really have to talk to someone about this heh...

AmyxRobin, if you're young and still have a girl-like voice like you said in another thread, please keep using it, because like you I kept singing my favourite songs in a high range all through puberty, and I was able to keep most of my range (I was the only 11th-grade guy who was still singing the alto part in the school choir), and it really helps with my voice now over a decade later!

That's what I have been thinking  and I tend to use my girl voice while I am absent minded or just by myself lol so I will have no problem with keeping it thanks Apple oh and I tried it a few seconds after I posted on the other thread I can hum 

Keep using the highest pitches of your voice too, and not just the talking pitch so keep singing as well as talking!! Keep up with singing high-pitch songs regularly (up to G5 or so) if you can.

You 2 are sooo lucky i had a silent voice break so i never went super deep but i am literally just on the boy side and my range diminished over night!!  Amy never let that voice go!!

I wont  and I'll be sure to practice every volume haha

Thats what I do to I really like songs from the 50s and 60s.

lol I sing whatever I have on my cd 

Quote from: AmyxRobin on August 03, 2011, 11:08:03 PM
lol I sing whatever I have on my cd 

And dont stop trust me the omg my voice is so annoying thought is not the best

As for parental support, assess what the risk is in coming out to your parents.  Worst case scenario is they throw you out and disown you.  If that's the case, and yes it sucks, you need to suck it up and finish out high school though make a plan for transitioning in/after college.  There are enough uneducated young MtFs out there that you don't need to be one more.

If you think its safe to open up to your parents, take it in steps.  As good as it might feel to tell the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth, you might as well threaten to hold your breath until you get your way.  They might be the 1 in 1 million parents that immediately take you for a completely new wardrobe and start calling you "Amy" on the spot, but they're probably not.  As parents you need to give them time to warm up to the idea.

So what can you do? You said you're close with your mom, open a dialogue.  Talk about the abstract issues that go along with being transgendered, the anxiety, the depression, the low self esteem, etc.  These are all perfectly acceptable reasons to see a therapist and they're not nearly as shocking as "I'm a girl!".  Advocate for yourself, I wish I'd done a better job of it when I was your age.

If you're lucky enough to get in with an understanding therapist and sympathetic parents and doctors, go for it!  But don't worry if you don't.  Everyone transitions when they're ready.  Don't let it become a race, take your time and do things the right way.  As for the under 25 thing.  The only link I've been able to find is human growth hormone (which you naturally stop secreting at 25) and if that's the case its a carrier for T not E, so it would seem to be exactly the opposite for MtFs (and good news for FtMs).  Again transition when you're ready and you'll pass.  I can show you 16 y/o's that don't pass and 60 y/o's that do.