arousal phase?

[Leslie Mary S]

I guess I am the exception to the rule.
I never, to my blotchy memory, went through the arousal phase. I first wanted to just see what it felt like to wear female clothes. I liked it. then I was sneaking an occasional wearing of while my sister's clothes while she was still at school. I did not have a real female figure in my life because mom and dad had divorced and I and my sister lived with dad (when he was home, he was a SAC refueler pilot).

[Tiffany6791]

I usually have the arousal phase when I haven't dressed in a long time. Not sure why but it happens but usually goes away the more I dress.

[JOJO44]

I guess I am the exception to the rule.
I never, to my blotchy memory, went through the arousal phase. I first wanted to just see what it felt like to wear female clothes. I liked it. then I was sneaking an occasional wearing of while my sister's clothes while she was still at school. I did not have a real female figure in my life because mom and dad had divorced and I and my sister lived with dad (when he was home, he was a SAC refueler pilot).

Move over Leslie.
I do not ever recall being aroused by the thought or the act of dressing. When I dress, I feel relaxed, comfortable, just natural. I enjoy being dressed, it makes me feel . . . natural. When I am out enfemme (I don't mix with people because of my size) I will go for a ride an stop along side the highway to look at road markers or parks or whatever. Some times cars honk and I enjoy the thought that someone saw a beautiful person (maybe they were aroused). For me, the act of dressing does not cause arousal but a relaxed and natural feeling of being a female.
Love,
Jo

[KimberlyJo]

The dressing actually helps to curb my normally overactive libido. For the first time in my life, I feel like I have control of it instead of the other way around.

[Gabrielle Hermosa]

...The first phase was one in which the desire to dress was sexual excitement/arousal which was followed by one in which the desire was to feel "more comfortable" with oneself... Do you think the length is related to the frequency in which one dresses?

For me, the first phase was actually just a strong desire to dress like a girl and be pretty. The sexual arousal aspect set in probably in my pre-teens or so. Of course, for a period of time, there was no bigger turn-on than wearing female clothes.

I do think the duration of time the "arousal period" lasts is directly related to how often one dresses. If the dressing is always centered around masturbation, and the clothes removed right after, it is likely the sexual-only nature of dressing will continue for a longer duration. If one remains dressed after taking care of business, and becomes accustomed to being dressed more often, it beings to feel natural, comfortable, and enjoyable on a non-arousing level.

I think it's up to the person how long a certain phase will last, at least to some extent. I think that the more frequently the clothes are worn, the shorter the duration of the arousal phase. That's my take on it, anyway.

[Electra]

I had the desire to crossdress even before puberty and during but it was muted and in any case it couldn't have been fulfilled due to social constraints.

I started crossdressing in middle age and, yes, initially, a strong element of sexual arousal was involved, sometimes so intense that every time just after putting on the skirt, or even while in the act, I found I had to change the knickers. Now that I have been crossdressing for a long time, and also because I am older, this does not happen but there is some arousal all the same; otherwise I wouldn't be crossdressing, I think.

[Jan W]

Renae,

Fair question I suppose.

In my own case I started well before puberty so the arousal faze was non existent. Don't know how that fits with your research but that is the way it was.


Jan

[Sam-antha]

..... I'm still waiting for this alledged arousal phase to kick in!! I think I'm stick in the "should havd been a nun" phase!!

But Karren, I thought it was last year that you were in the "nun" phase.
There is also the thought of what one is going to do when one is finally dressed.....me I like to get out.
~Samm

[Sakura Rini]

i started before the arousal phase becuase i like dressing like a girl, but the arousal phase hit me and hit me hard that i would get arousal just thinking about dressing up, seeing clothes i would like to wear and stuff like that.
im still going through the phase but it not as bad as before when i was younger when i would have to fix myself multiply times.
but thank god i have more control of myself these days, lol

[Joy3]

I agree with Clive, however, I strongly suspect that if I could dress far more often then I now do, the arousel would be modified quite a bit. I feel this way because I also love the calming feeling I have when fully dressed and made up.

Joy

[allisonrn06]

When I first started dressing I would get aroused all the time, even when thinking about it. I still do get aroused occasionally from it - mostly when I haven't been able to dress for a while, but it's not nearly as frequent as it used to be.

[BillieJoe]

When I first started CDing it was a matter of curiosity. I had always had a deep desire to be a girl but never dreamed about putting girl's clothes on. I had many occassions when I was younger where others put me in girl's clothing. Then one year (5th grade) my mother asked if I wanted to go to school on Halloween dressed in a colonial style dress my older sister wore years ago. I thought it would be a hoot and agreed to do so. I asked if I should take my pants off while I was wearing the dress and I was told NO. I didn't think much of that at the time. One evening while I was home alone I got curious as to how that dress would have felt like if I wasn't wearing pants. I proceeded to try the dress on without pants. Cool. It really got me to thinking. I enjoyed my experience and I looked forward to trying more things on each time I had the house to myself. It progressed slowly and in stages. Then one night I thought to myself that I wanted to know what it was like to wear modern girl's clothes. I tried some of my older sister's clothes on. At this time there was no arousal. Then I tried a pencil skirt on. WOW! What an awakening! Throughout my teen years thats how I dressed and spent a lot of time 'aroused'. Then came the military and I had to purge all I had accumalated. Three years later when I got out I started to reassemble my 'collection'. No real arousal but a 'different' sort of release. Couldn't figure it out at the time. Still had a VERY strong desire to dress. Then marriage. No problem 'performing' in bed. Thirty five years later I am impotent but still have a strong desire to CD. Make sense to anyone?

[laura.lapinski]

The sexual arousal part has never gone away for me.

Laura

[cdterri]

always has and hopefully always will

[susan2010]

Arrousal was always strong for me. I remember when I was 4 or 5, putting on my sister's petticoat. I was so arroused even at that age, years before realizing what was going on. Now, many years later, ifI can dress fairly frequently, I'm less likely to be arroused all the time.

[2b.Lauren]

I actually went through three phases,

First, was pre-puberty and it contained no arousal. I just wanted to be a girl.

The second phase occurred during puberty and I still remember the first time I had an accident while getting dressed. I didn't really know what was happening. I had to go to the library and look up what had happened. I remember that it felt good and I remember reading that I shouldn't be ashamed by it but it also conflicted with what I was learning at Catholic school. I continued in this phase until my early 20's when I realized that I really felt that I was TS and that arousal with dressing conflicted with what we were supposed to say to the gatekeepers if you were thinking of transitioning in the late 70's and early 80's.

The third phase began when I began to dress again in my 30's when the sexual aspect seemed to completely disappear. I am 51 now and it just feels natural to dress and not have a real sexual component.

My experience exactly. I was very young when introduced to dressing. Starting at 8 there was no real sexual desire at all. I loved dressing like a girl and it matched what I thought was right on the inside, if that could even be the case at such a young age.

My dressing desires changed a great deal when I was in my teens and yes I dressed for the sexual thrill and desire. As I moved into my 20's even the clothes that I wore (primarily lingerie) reflected my sexual drives and desires. I guess like Picasso's blue period that was my Sexy period. I wore garters and stockings, anything that was sexy, in what I interprited as sexy I wore. It was also all driven and lead by climax. I then kind of faded out for a while. Like others have mentioned I just stopped dressing a great deal somewhere around 27 or so. Maybe underdressing but not much at all.

Now in my mid 40's I am actually dressing fully more often, and am less concerned about total sex appeal and more concerned about comfort and my enjoyment of matching up outside with in. I still love sexy lingerie (and who doesn't) but it is not always the clothes that make me feel more like a girl. I think that I have reached that great place of peace with my dressing and I just look forward to doing it more often and exploring deeper parts of it for myself. Like getting my makeup right, or walking better in high heels, finding that perfect dress or blouse, improving my voice, or being comfortable when and if I ever get to go out again. Dressing makes me smile and feel happy, that is what I like about this current phase most!

[docrobbysherry]

That was after my divorce, in my 50's. The simple act of putting on ladies things re-awakened a sex drive I thot was gone, because of meds and my age!

Now, over 11 years later, I almost always have "happy endings" when my lengthy, often physically stressful, and complicated dressing sessions r completed!

I KEEP WAITING FOR PHASE 2 to kick in!!

[Marla]

I've been dressing for 40 yrs and am still aroused every time! Makes hiding it a bit difficult though.

[Sam-antha]

........re-awakened a sex drive I thot was gone, because of meds and my age!

That never goes, still have it...

~Samm

[JaymeCD]

For me, the first phase was actually just a strong desire to dress like a girl and be pretty. The sexual arousal aspect set in probably in my pre-teens or so. Of course, for a period of time, there was no bigger turn-on than wearing female clothes.

I do think the duration of time the "arousal period" lasts is directly related to how often one dresses. If the dressing is always centered around masturbation, and the clothes removed right after, it is likely the sexual-only nature of dressing will continue for a longer duration. If one remains dressed after taking care of business, and becomes accustomed to being dressed more often, it beings to feel natural, comfortable, and enjoyable on a non-arousing level.

I think it's up to the person how long a certain phase will last, at least to some extent. I think that the more frequently the clothes are worn, the shorter the duration of the arousal phase. That's my take on it, anyway.

I think the thing no one really touched on is the difference between a fetish crossdresser and a person with a gender disorder.

I'm not sure if I worded it correctly, but someone who crossdresses for the thrill of getting off does it for that reason. I believe that they have no interest in transitioning, and will continue to wear woman's clothing for that reason or for comfort.

But someone who is transgendered believes they were born in the wrong body and want to be the opposite sex. They have plans to transition and don't find wearing clothes of the opposite sex arousal.

Just my 2 cents...

[xAnne_Mariex]

Like a few others have said, to a certain extent I still get aroused by dressing but nowhere near as much as I used to.

It's more of a comfort thing now, at first it's a buzz and exciting but after i've settled down I relax and just enjoy being dressed up.

I'm actually quite glad it's passed tbh, I get more enjoyment out of it now than I ever used to.

[Kate17]

The arousal disappeared when I stopped dressing just in Lingerie and started experiencing the woman in me. There is excitement that can lead to arousal if I let it but it is mostly an inner glow. I love being fem which I can be in my male mode. Now going out is a little different - that is adrenilin flowing through my veins. I am still in the "will they know? That is a diffeent kind of excitement. Then, once out and comfortable, I slip back into my inner glow and enjoy being the fem that I am.

Kate17

[sharre]

Been dressing for 60 yrs or so and still get aroused at times. I can't dress to often but when I do, I can get aroused if I feel in the mood, if not, then just having something feminine on is still a great feeling.

[melissaabom]

Hi
'
I just turned 55 ..I still get aroused ..panties etc .just like
when i first started a whopping 45 years ago

Missy

[Gabrielle Hermosa]

I think the thing no one really touched on is the difference between a fetish crossdresser and a person with a gender disorder.

I'm not sure if I worded it correctly, but someone who crossdresses for the thrill of getting off does it for that reason. I believe that they have no interest in transitioning, and will continue to wear woman's clothing for that reason or for comfort.

But someone who is transgendered believes they were born in the wrong body and want to be the opposite sex. They have plans to transition and don't find wearing clothes of the opposite sex arousal.

Just my 2 cents...

Interesting.

I'm not entirely certain about the "transgendered" definition - I've seen it used in a variety of ways. I consider myself transgendered, though I do not want SRS and I'm happy being able to switch between guy-mode and girl-mode at will. Not born in the wrong body - just in the wrong society. I'm only a part-time t-girl.

I understand about the fetish dressers though. For some, dressing is all about the sexual arousal. But I think it's safe to say that for most of us, there was a time when dressing was big turn-on. Some move beyond that while others prefer dressing as a device of arousal only, I guess you could say.