For how many is this just a hobby? Something you feel you can quit at any time?

[Stephanie47]

1. Not a hobby. I do feel a need to wear women's clothing. I really cannot figure out what pulls me to wear women's clothing, although I do have some thoughts at it. I know there are some you believe wearing women's clothing is a personal choice. I cannot imagine there are men who would endure criticism and scorn by loved ones and society rather than change "hobbies."

2. Yes, I did stop wearing women's clothing and had absolutely no thoughts about wearing women's clothing. I was in the army. Specifically I was in the infantry and in combat. Yes, I realize I had no opportunity to wear or buy women's clothing or anything for that matter. I suspect my male hormones were raging and totally overwhelmed any DNA given traits of femininity in order to stay alive. Sounds plausible?

3. I have other hobbies that I engage in. There's a ebb and flow all the time with those hobbies. Since I've become accepting of my inner self I've never stopped wearing women's clothing. Even when I do not have the opportunity to wear women's clothing as in the summer I am on this site or buying clothing. If one may call it a hobby within cross-dressing, then I am guilty. Guilty of collecting way too many slips for any woman to ever wear. I have way over 400 full slips.

[JanetM.]

I agree with Nicole. In my case, it is sort of a drive that requires occasional exercise. Like many of you, I too have purged several times to prevent being "caught" without logical explanation. In all cases, I end up returning to my drive to crossdress mostly alone and in a hotel room. On occasion, I have ventured out to cd friendly bars for one or two drinks which proved to be tremendously exciting to me. I think a hobby is something one undertakes when time permits and is not the drive found in occasional crossdressing.

[Mark/Rebecca]

How about none of us. Gender Dysphoria is no hobby.

[Alice Torn]

If i ever have to go to jail or prison, like my older brothers have and still are, I know I would adapt, and put it all on hold, until i was out. It is kind of a hobby, but is really not, just a hobby, is an inner need because it seems like a strong compulsion. Hobbies are not. I never got to have a close relationship, sex, and marriage. Always been a loner. Fishing, shooting basketball, bicycling, history, weather watching are hobbies i have.

[Lee Andrews]

Far from a hobby even though I joke that it is at times. I have no idea why I have this need but over time I have accepted it as a part of me.
I have stopped at times but not because I wanted to. Life gets busy and I'm either too tired or not in the mood for Lee. I find it ebbs and flows. The last year it has been flowing pretty strong. Not full out Lee but various stages like needing to sleep in a nightgown every night.
I have other hobbies that come and go, then come back again. I have a compulsion to dress and more of an interest to say, engage in model railroading or fishing.

[Samantha_Smile]

To have a choice not to be confused and confudled would be a blessing.

I can see how someone oblivious to the facts may draw similarities to a hobby (it requires a great deal of money to procure all the necessary kit (clothes, makeup, jewelery, wig, shoes, perfume, purses etc etc) and also a lot of time to learn how to best use the a fore mentioned kit, and then more time still just being in femme guise and then learning how to move, stand, walk and even talk (if that's what you're in to) like a woman.

However, traditionally, hobbyists have a choice in when and if they partake in their hobby. I get that some people get crazy enthusiastic over a new hobby and eat, sleep and breathe said hobby for a while.
But I'm not sure many hobbyists can relate to a 20 year struggle with their hobby.
Fighting off urges, shame, guilt and worry if someone were to discover their secret hobby.

I see the similarities, but I feel and know there are a great many more dissimilarities .

[Teresa]

Lexi,
The first time I read a member talking about CDing as I hobby I was very outspoken ! When I relate to my CDing situation when I nearly ended my life, I commented that hobbies don't cause that .

Since then I do realise that some people do treat it as a hobby and a very enjoyable one but it's far more to me, I need to satisfy an inner need.

As to how it started , yes there was a specific and traumatic time at 8-9 years old when my male side and female trait became intertwined with my sexual needs. A feeling I've lived everyday since no ebb and flow and no breaks . So it didn't start as a hobby and it still isn't a hobby,

The hobby I do enjoy is painting , combing dressing with it is a wonderful.

Samantha,
The deal I have with my wife is my dressing doesn't cost a fortune you can look very good and do it very reasonably . The whole outfit including dress, jacket, shoes and jewellery in my avatar was about £20.00.

[Rachael Leigh]

I try to think of my dressing as a hobby but in reality it is a part of me, have I quit yes a couple of times but it just comes back and then once I finally got over the hump of going out its even more fun and enjoyable.
My other hobby as it were is golf and honestly I can't give that up either I've tried but just enjoy it too much.
Not sure what that says about a hobby for me, I do think it's different though.

[PaulaQ]

Oh yeah, I can quit any time...

[irene9999]

The desire comes and goes, I've gone months without feeling the need to dress but last month I dressed quite a bit. I'm not sure I could quit, at best I can not do it for a very long time but eventually I would want to do it again

[marlacd]

It's not a hobby for any of us.

Clearly, I might be one that did physically stop for a long period of time-16 years, and again for about 2 1/2 years. But I never stopped thinking about it, during those times. I may loose myself in my interests from time to time. But I never really left them behind at any point.

Sometimes I wonder if we have some sort of chemical deficiency, that makes us want to dress. Or perhaps it's our mental makeup, or the way we think. One thing is for certain- if there is a god, (and I hope there is) I want to ask him why he did this to me. I think since I struggled with these feelings over the course of my life, I deserve an answer.

[Alice Torn]

Marla, There are so many mysteries I hope someday, someway,, will be revealed. It is so unusual for men to want to dress up, and look beautiful as women.

[Dana44]

I never ever though it was a hobby. As gender fluid and the fact that gender dysphoria is prevalent in most or all of us. It is a basic function of life. When I was on a ranch and after all the work was done. I dressed at night and would walk up the road to my gate. Pitch dark and felt like a woman in the breeze that was always present. On the full moon it was special. Nope defiantly not a hobby.

[CatchQueen]

For me it's far more than a hobby...it's an essential part of who I am and it's always been that way, since way before I knew what it was that I was doing. I've always been femme and crossdressing has always been a natural expression for me.

[ChastityInFemme]

1. I don't do it because it's fun. I do it because there's some sort of internal drive to dress. Definitely not a hobby for me. I wish it were that simple though.

2. I've stopped before but not by choice. I suffered a spinal cord injury 10 years ago and the internal drive to dress was so great that I eventually learned how to do it on my own. No matter what point I've been at in my life, the urge hasn't diminished. It's only grown stronger.

3. It's not a hobby for me so....haha. The ONLY thing that keeps me from dressing is being busy with life. School and work...they own me.

My earliest memory of wearing women's attire was when I was really young. Probably 5-6 years old. My grandma kept her shoes in the room I slept in when I stayed over. Of course I tried them on! As I got older, into my teens, it was more of a sexual thing. But now, Idk what the hell to think of myself. Am I just a crossdresser? Is it more than that? Will I eventually transition to live as a woman? I have no idea...and it scares me. For now the only thing I know is that my greatest goal out of dressing is to pass as a female.

[Charlessa]

I do it for fun. that I won't deny. but it's way more than a hobby. I've crossdressed in some fashion since maybe 8 years old. I've had to quit for a few years because I got locked up. but it was always on my mind. now though , I can't quit and don't want to

[Joan58]

Definitely not "just" a hobby. Hobbies have come and gone over time."This" for me has never gone.

[Raychel]

Definitely not a hobby here either, This is definitely a part of me.
has been since I was very young and still around.

I feel more comfortable in my skin when I have Raychel time.
the rest of the time when I have to be Ray, I just dont feel right.
Like a theater performance I am acting out
I don't feel that way during Raychel time.
Doesn't make alot of sense, but that is how I feel.

[MissTee]

Not a hobby. More like a calling. I've learned to accept it as a part of me and simply enjoy it for what it is.

[NancySue]

This is definitely not a hobby for me. Like many others, I began at an early age with a sheer pair of RHT nylon stockings. Hobbies are fickle. I've enjoyed various hobbies (model airplanes, ships, stained glass) for which I could each give up and move on to another one. There's no giving up my dressing. I've happily never changed course as I've progressed from nylons (still #1) to a complete wardrobe. It's been a fantastic journey. 👠👗👡💋💄

[Sharon B.]

Hobby no, like some have said there is something in us that wants us to dress as a woman. I haven't dressed as a woman going on five months now and it is driving me crazy. I fell back in February and dislocated my shoulder and torn three muscles, surgery in June to stitch them back together. Body has grown back that has been in places for the last twenty plus years, arm constantly in a sling. I am looking forward to the day when I get use out of it and can once again dress as a woman.

[CONSUELO]

I believe we have touched on this "hobby" topic several times in threads from long ago.
I have hobbies. I have a stamp collection that I can take up or put down without any feelings of loss or internal conflict. But for me cross dressing is something that comes from my very core. I saw something recently about aversion therapy for cross dressers. Yes, I know that it doesn't work but it made me think of what would it be like if cross dressing was expunged from my being. My first reaction was one of great loss. For me cross dressing has been a strong continual thread in my life. While it has brought anxiety and conflict it has also brought me a lot of joy and satisfaction. My love of cross dressing is so deeply and subtly interwoven with my sexuality that to even think of such a thing as unravelling it makes me feel physical pain. So no, most definitely not a hobby.

[leannejacobs]

Like Jon I would stop if I could, I started about 10 years old to about 14 then stopped, I went through many years where it lay dormant and I never ever gave it a thought, then when I was in my 30's I started to dabble in just under wear and tights to start with, this developed to a few items, my wife found my stash when I was 39, I stopped again for a couple of years then started again about 7 years ago, again just a few items of clothing, about 3 or 4 years ago I came clean to my wife and after she came to terms with it my need to dress went out of control, I now dress up fully en femme, I do wish I could stop now though as it's taken over my life, there is so much I need to do and catch up on in my spare time, dressing should not be one of them, I might pack everything away soon and give it a break, throw myself into the gym or something.

[Julie1123]

Its almost on the fence for me. While I don't have the feeling that it is intrinsic to my identity, there is a level of compulsion to it that hobbies don't typically have.

[TanyaWonder]

I guess hobby dressers won't need this forum, huh? It is my belief that CDing is (at least usually) a result of a certain situation(s) at early age - an emotional trauma, if you will. I definitely wouldn't call it intrinsic though. For me personally, it feels like a stash of so called "female" expressions I had to lock away to seem male enough in the society's viewpoint and only open in the safety of privacy - via crossdressing. I kinda blame distorted view of gender in our culture (don't get me wrong here, we are where we are as a society and it's not meant as a rant). It can be changed, just seems very hard to figure out how.