I'm new to the forum.  I am TS, had SRS in the mid 80s when in my early twenties.  I have lived stealth and dissociated from the TG community for years.  I am now in my early 50s and I have recently changed my position, since being in denial of my history has led to some self destructive behavior.  i.e., opiate addiction.  I am now clean and reassessing whether being stealth is healthy; at least for myself.  I am encouraged by the boldness of many younger TG people. The world has changed in 30 years for the better regarding gender issues.  Still far from perfect or even maybe good, but nevertheless better. I can learn from the young people, and maybe I can share some of my experiences and caveats. So hello to everyone, I'm rockin a new attitude.
Laura

Hi Laura 
Welcome to Susan's     Glad to have you here

Please be sure to review

   
• Site Terms of Service and rules to live by

   
• Standard Terms and Definitions

   
• Post Ranks ( including when you can upload an avatar/post links and photos)

   
• Age and the Forum

   
• Reputation rules

Hugs

V M

Hi Laura,


Welcome to our little family. Over 7762  strong. That would be one heck of a family reunion.


Feel free to post your successes/failures, Hopes/dreams.  Ask questions and seek answers. Give and receive advice.


But remember we are family here, your family now. And it is always nice to have another sister.





Janet 

Hi Laura, and welcome aboard.

It is good to hear you have escaped the slavery to the chemicals.  We need all the sisters we can get , and alive. 

You could try being stealth to the general community while you find your way into the local Support Groups and TG community, then work out how far to go being "out".  I started that way, and was pleased to see how easy it was to live as Karen.

I am now totally out as a Lesbian, and a little selective who I reveal my TS status to. It depends on the person and the circumstances.  My Gender Studies classmates at Uni know, but not a lot of other students at this stage.  Most of them probably think of me as an old dyke on a motorbike. 

Karen.

Hi Laura ,

A big Aussie welcome to Susan's family. It's good of you to drop in and say "Hi". Hope you like it here, and you stay for a while.

There is a mountain of information, resources and friendship waiting for you here, you just need to jump in and start talking.

Congratulations on your move to the other side of the rainbow, all those years ago. And a mighty big welcome back to let us how you are. I'm sure a lot of us waiting on the queue could do with a bit of insider knowledge. 

Looking forward to hearing more of your story in time to come, but in the meantime, be safe, well and happy.

Lotsa huggs
Catherine

First of all, thank you everyone, for your kind reception. Catherine, I don't know that there's much more to tell, other than by not having any TG friends, I isolated myself and wasted many good years being numb.  When I transitioned there wasn't a lot of support and certainly no internet.  I think most of us older TSs just assumed our trans identity, and that was supposed to be that.  My *close* friends (5 in total) to whom I did reveal my history can't really relate and all the others were never told.  Now that I've cleaned the opioids from my body, honesty has become an issue for me. I was both lucky and unlucky in that I never used intravenously, and because I had free access to meds, I was never caught or arrested; I was quietly addicted for over 15 years.  With the help of Wellbutrin, I was able to taper down, a few mg at a time and over a couple of months I was free.  Funny thing is, I have absolutely no desire to go back to that existence, while in previous attempts, the craving was intractable. Yay Wellbutrin, I guess.
I am trying to find a balance of honesty and self protection so I am cautiously reaching out to others in the TG community and people that I know and haven't told, since with secrecy there is always a wall in which friendship cannot pass. 
I have been in a lesbian relationship for 22 years and we are both out as lesbians. Although I am bisexual, I bond emotionally with women and not men it seems. I'm a musician and played at the Yosemite music festival and many pride events as well as many dives.  I quit playing music while I was addicted; my biggest regret.
I have recently begun playing and writing again, and hope to do these events again.
Well for now, that's all there is from Lake Wobegon.
Laura

Wwelcome to Susan's, Laura. I read your story with great interest. It's wonderful that you have come out of the shadows and reveal the gift that you have. Many folks can be touched by your experiences. Congrats to you on breaking your addictions.

Hi Laura, it's nice to meet you! I am from Boston, more or less. Glad you found us, hugs, Devlyn