I have a pet theory on purging and wanted to float a trial balloon on this.
Generally purging follows a "bad" event. For example, the wife catches you and demands it stop, something happens that makes us question our manhood, guilt over getting caught, worries at work about being discovered, meeting someone dressed and feeling embarrassed etc.
All of those reasons can easily lead to purging. But I have an alternate possible explanation.
Perhaps purging is an extension of a failed attempt to integrate crossdressing into our sense of self-acceptance.
The consequence is much like a forest after a fire. The old underbrush is cleared and new growth is possible.
When I look back, there are not many if any clothes I would want back form any of my purges. I have rebuilt and renewed my tastes and interests every time. I have grown every time.
So, maybe purging is a natural way to say "this set-up, these circumstances aren't working". Maybe we can't simply add on to everything to grow incrementally, maybe we need a "blank canvass" to find a new way to adapt take the fight back to the world.
We've all had periods of breakthrough growth, maybe purging is a way to force us to start over and try again?
Meghan