You know I have been thinking for a long time about this thread. I know full well that it could become controversial, especially in light of a recent thread. Anyway, let’s post and see how it goes.

My story of becoming who I am today has been one of mainly self-help. By that I mean that there had been no professional intervention until very recently.

A very short synopsis of my life has been that I came out to the world as TG in 2005, not actually dressing 24/7, but certainly when the situation did not demand male clothing, dressing female. I was in full time employment at the time, had been there for 10 years and held a fairly visual post in the trade union. Out of all the family, friends and acquaintances that we knew, only one turned their back on us. The rest were accepting, and still are today, even though I have moved on.

In 2007 I was made redundant from my job, not as a result of my TGism, but a change in the qualification requirements of the job I was doing, the company decided it would be cheaper to pay off the existing staff rather than retrain them, then offer the job out to contractors.

I took this opportunity to re-apply for a job that had originally been declined. The company I reapplied to knew about me being a 24/7 cder, I made that clear in my original application. I was offered a position at this time, presenting 24/7 and changing my name legally to Nigella. I am still employed by them today.

In 2010 I realised I was more than a 24/7 cder, I am TS. At this point I was comfortable with my life and who I was, I had needed no professional help in any shape of form, no Dr, no psychiatrist, nothing of that nature.

Since coming out in 2005 until mid-2010 everything had been done on a self help basis. Mid 2010 I sought out professional help to aid me in my transition. I have been on hormones for 12 months. What’s next for me, well I now have my first psychiatric review for surgery referral in a few weeks time,

The aim of this thread, well what I would like to know, is how much of your transition has been through self help? Have you been able to do anything on your own, without any form of professional help?