Does the feeling fade? Reprise

[abigailf]

So I was reading through my old posts. I do this from time to time to gain perspective of my past self. I came across the following post and it got me thinking: "let future me now answer the question."

Does the feeling fade?

I am post-op and have been presenting full time as my proper gender for over three years.

I was at a wedding this weekend in Lake Placid with a friend. We went hiking, kayaking and did other stuff together. The wedding was a weekend celebration and offered a couple of nights of dressing up. I don't think about being trans much anymore and that was the case during all the activities here. However, I have to say that I still enjoy getting all dolled up. I loved putting on my dress, buckling my shoes, doing my makeup and hair. It is even sometimes strange to me when people refer to me in the third as "she" or "her". I'm like "Oh, that's right, their talking about me."

Most of my days I dress as casual and comfy as possible, being athletic it usually means sports tees, shorts or yoga's. I don't think twice about wearing a bikini at beach volleyball tournaments. It does nothing for me but to allow me to be comfortable. However, dolling up for the wedding felt really good. Maybe not exactly like when I was first cross dressing, but still really good. It's probably because I don't get dolled up that often anymore and that makes it special.

I have also had moments wearing a bikini while sunning that was somewhat arousing to me. Being naked is sometimes arousing to me as well. I still enjoy wearing a skirt or dress and looking cute and sexy. For the most part it is just fun for me. If I am going on a date I will wear something sexy and I can find that arousing, especially if I like the person.

So, yes, clothing can still elicit euphoric feelings, though perhaps not exactly as it did six years ago when I posted the original question. More importantly, the absence of the dysphoria I have since living in the right gender is such a relief that it can sometimes present itself as euphoria.

Does the feeling fade? For me, no, not faded, just changed. It's a great day to be a woman.

[Robin414]

Thanks for the "time capsule" post Abigail! Definitely food for thought ☺

[VanTG]

Thanks for sharing and its wonderful that you have found yourself and enjoy being who you are. It must be weird though like you said being referred to by different pro-nouns now.

Congrats on the happiness.

[Rachel Smith]

While I am not post-op like you I do agree that for me the feeling didn't fade but just changed. I still feel good when I get dressed to the 9's but it is a different feel good. It's not sexual anymore but more of a feeling of pride.

[Jorja]

I don't think it is a matter of the feeling fading. I think it just becomes "normal" and we just don't think of it in the way we once did. Even though I wear a dress almost everyday to work, I still can get extremely excited to dress for a date.

[Emma Leigh]

Was discussing something similar with a TG friend as we were going to Sparkle in Manchester the weekend before last that women rarely dress to the 9,s as you put it and that they usually just dress casual (or comfortable)..often shorts or trousers..whereas we always dress to the 9,s...yes the attitude may change with the passage of time but I still want to wear something beautiful every evening that has never diminished after all these years and if I succeed in my dream of going full time in the very near future I cannot see it ever changing for me personally

[cheryl reeves]

to me the feeling doesnt fade,i look forward to the times i can put terry away and let cheryl loose,i love dressing to the 9's but also times i like to just dress like all the other women my age..i just love dresses more the pants or shorts..

[stefan37]

I've been full time 2 years.
I wouldn't say it has the same effect on me as it did when I first started dressing. But there are many moments that I reflect and get the rush of freedom. Freedom to wear what I want. Freedom to be me. No hiding. That for me is the real rush.

[Aprilrain]

I could not elicit the feelings of sexual gratification or excitement from wearing clothes that I once could. I'm ok with that. I don't like the results of my surgery however. Sex is out of the question as it would be far to painful