As we're all different I know this won't apply to everyone but I'm sure many will agree with most of it.
My CDing started as sexual at about nine years old, earliest recollections were more to do with what was going on rather than feeling guilty and obviously no need to tell anyone . This carried on right through school until I left and met my first GF, she was first to persuade me to wear her panties so again no need to tell anyone.
My second GF I found was into it when she caught me wearing a nightie I'd bought her, we had a great time sharing stuff and the effect it had on both of us ! So there was no guilt or shame and no one else needed to know !
When I married the dressing continued as did the sexual turn on but it wasn't shared with my wife, so the closeted situation started, I guess I didn't tell my wife because I thought it would pass, now that I was married and I could just stop ! How wrong I was, along side the sexual needs were the desire to dress fully and for longer and experiment with makeup !
This was getting bad , I was a man but what else was I to want to dress like a woman !
Now I had kids and my business to run, what if my wife finds out or do I just tell her ! This is crazy to risk losing this for the sake of wearing a dress, but it won't go away , in fact it's getting stronger because it appears to help when things get too stressful ! Then you feel guilty because the clothes feel so good to wear, nothing like drab !
Twenty years was long enough I was going to explode I had to tell her somehow ! Within minutes of starting to talk the tears flooded from me, it felt like a millstone lifted off my shoulders I guess she listened more out of sympathy as she'd never seen me cry like that before !
The outcome was no major marriage upheaval, but I stupidly thought I had full understanding and acceptance ! I could turn the clock back and share it with her as I did with my GFs ! The DADT wall went up after about two weeks and I spiralled down into depression and an near suicide attempt !
Twenty years on again I decided that this had to the right time to be accepted and come out ! It's not going well I guess some of her excuse this time is that I'm a silly old fool, that's going to make a fool of himself and embarrass everyone around him !
Well when I look in the mirror or look at my pictures I don't see that ! I see a genuine happy smile, with a reasonable figure that doesn't look that bad when dressed ! I just can't see the problem with letting me be more open and to share a few hours of happiness and enjoyment with me ! The man is still there underneath, I have no doubts that I would emerge a better one then I am at the moment !
I'm tempted to use the attached pic as my new avatar, it genuinely shows who I am and the unashamed enjoyment I get from my CDing !