Age And Acceptance?

[PinkDressLover]

I am currently 22 years old, I dress as I feel, when I feel. I'm more of a lounge person so when i'm at home i really girl it up. My current girlfriend who i've been with for several years knows, but isn't incredibly accepting about it, but she does help me with my hair and I wear pjs when i'm at her house, no pink though, just some basic fairly girly black ones...she does get a little annoyed when I leave my slippers laying around though. other than that..the other people i've let into my life, a wonderful woman in her 30s offered to let me move in with her so I would be able to do it full time, and the other was accepting but it kinda ruined the chances of a relationship since now we mostly do girltalk and she borrows my clothes.

[Mandy Salamander]

[SIZE="2"]~fresh out of college, 'n living in northern california, self-acceptance was really quite easy in my early 20's,,, 'n stayed open throughout my 20's,,, but a brutal beating shortly after moving back to a more conservative midwest put me back in th' closet for several years,,, but 's something that certainly can't be denied (at least f' me!!!) 'n started coming back out at around 35,,, 'n still going strong 'n better'n ever at 50!!!,,,,,,,,,, OMG, I'm 50!!!!![/SIZE]

[michellethestorm]

I think I accepted when I was in my early 20's....although I still haven't come out.

[Lilith Moon]

For me it was self-understanding that was lacking. I distinctly remember thinking for much of my early life that my TG needs were just a little glitch, a sort of bolt-on extra "thing" that was not so important and would likely go away with time...while at the same time being utterly powerless, even unwilling, to stop crossdressing.

It eventually dawned on me that this is fundamental to the core of my being, but I now have the problem of self-fulfillment while surrounded by people who know only the original self-denying me.

[Deena]

I did not accept Deena until I met my loving sisters in TriEss at age 67. My wife now knows but is "not supportive". I attend TriEss meetings whenever possible and shope en femme. No regrets about the late start and I do enjoy myself as Deena.

Hugs, Deena

[Helen MC]

age 12 when I started to wear girls' panties instead of boys' underpants. I have never doubted myself in the 41 years since.

[RikkiOfLA]

For me, it was angina in my mid-forties. In the hospital, I had a lot of time to think. I realized my life was probably half over, and it was high time I started living the way I needed to, and not the way my parents had wanted.

Rikki

[Ms. Laura]

I guess I'm still woprking on full acceptance. I'm 33 and have really pushed aside the pointless guilt and feelings of shame. It's been a long slow process without an event surrounding it. I still feel guilty but it centers around my feeling that I should be doing something more "useful." The same feeling you get when you're pursuing something like golf or some other activity. That won't go away for a LONG time.

My wife has been a big help and really, reading about all of the people on this site who are so insightful and not sex crazed lunatics like many other crossdresser website browsers.

I hope that I can get past my fear of shopping and such. It's almost painful to walk through a store and have to go past the women's dept. Sigh.

[Toni]

[SIZE=4]I've been wearing ladies clothes for 53 years and it only in the last two years that I have really been able to live with myself. I think that coming out of the closet in Feb 2005 and the internet are the main reasons for my more relaxed lifestyle, and the fact that my wife helps me with things much more than she has ever done before.[/SIZE]

[Angie G]

Billijo the dress on you last at work haveta be a sercam.you go girl.
Angie G.

[Angie G]

:evil: Laura don't pass the wemans dept.LOOK how cares I shop all the time it's
no big thing, and I buy thing to with or without my wife.
So just jump in ther and ''DO IT''
angie G.

[Phoebe Reece]

I would have to say age 21, as that is when I really started dressing fully as a woman and I realized it was much more than just a thing for certain lingere.

[KarenXDR]

Immediately..which was age 12 or so. And here's the peculiar thing: I was brought up in a strict Catholic household..and dreaded confession..(found out later most females my age lied)...always telling the truth. However! I NEVER EVER felt compelled to admit to xdrg. I saw absolutely nothing immoral about it. Still don't, of couse.

I'm delighted to have been born a xdr.

Lipstick kisses to you all...

Karen

[tekla west]

I'm with Erica on this one. Its been a process, not a sudden overnight deal. I never fought it, but mostly it had to wait till I went to college. First time I went shopping for myself was halfway between my home in San Francisco and my destination Des Moines Iowa. So, Salt Lake City, LOL! Hey it was the first city I came to.

I've always had an easy time of it with the girls, and never had a lot of guy friends so that was not an issue.

By the time I moved back to Cali after college I was dressing pretty fey (this from someone who would go to the creative writing class in robe and slippers)

Once the kids were born, I started going out.

By grad school I didn't care at all, I was out to everyone, and I didn't care - they thought I was nuts even without the fashion problem.

"That's Doctor Drag Queen to you, Ed - it is Ed right, whatever. Still, its Doctor Drag Queen there Ted. Ned? Whatever."

After the kids went to college, the wife ran away, and I came back to SF again, I pretty much began to go all out.

and here I am.

[JiveTurkeyOnRye]

I don't know when the exact age was, but sometime in the past four years or so, since I've been in my twenties, although 18 was the age when I first started wearing women's underwear, basically after I graduated high school, but even then I sort of saw it as something wrong that I was doing.

But yeah, my twenties have been when I really sort of came into my own mental acceptance of it. I know when I was in my teens and such, my mindset was "I wish this would go away" or "I can make this go away." but since then I have moved into a place where my inner thought about it is "I wish I was braver about this." I don't yet have the courage to go out dressed up, but I am not ashamed of my dressing either. All of my close friends know about it, my dad knows about it, but I just don't know if I want to be publicly exposed.

[Siobhan Marie]

I'm 30 and have recently accepted myself, I've recently discovered that I'm transgendered with no desire to transition and am happy with that, but am using Wikipedia so that I know what it means and can answer any questions that I'm asked when I choose to tell people. When I dress it just feels so right and I feel so complete and so at peace. Haven't felt this good in myself for a long time.
Anna x

[AZGia]

Since before teen age years I knew I wanted to do this. I was ridiculed beaten and puished while growing up, and forced into some macho sports to break me of the habits. I became a champion moto cross racer for many years went on to motorcycle road racing and being a champion. I was married for twenty years and raced two children all while sneeking around to cross dress. After my divorce I said enough is enough I am who I am. That was over six years ago. I am now 47 with a very accepting gf and enjoying life as a firefighter and owner of a two bike drag race team with my son, all the while enjoying dressing. Life is so much better.

Gia

[KateW]

I have been dressing all my life, but I only got the confidence to confide in another person when I was about 18. This is also when I started changing my outward appearence by plucking my eyebrows and getting my ear pierced more then once. Now in my 20's I am more then comfortable with my own skin, and wouldn't go running for the hills if confronted about it.

[Sky]

If anything I went backwards. I started out accepting it. The first time I did it, I was like, "Alright. This ain't bad at all." As I got older, taller, fatter, hairier, etc. I started to accept it less. Mostly because it became more depressing. I no longer looked like a cute little girl. I started looking like a man in a dress.

This is interesting because that's how I feel too, although the other girls seem to be more self-forgiving.

In my 20s, as I learned how to dress, walk, manners, etc. I became more and more enthusiastic. I thought I looked hot. Then I got married and purged a couple gazillion times, but always fell back into it again. But lately I have had that man in a dress feeling. I know, we all should accept ourselves for what we are, but I'd rather accept myself for looking good... sorry if this sounds frivolous.

[JoAnnDallas]

I guess obtained full self acceptance that I am a CD last year, when I found this forum, formed some close friendships with some sisters on this forum, and started going out in public enfem. That was shortly before my 57 birthday.

[Caitlintgsd]

I started dressing in my mid teens. But joined the Navy 2 weeks out of high school mainly to get away from my family. Didn't have much opportunities to dress while in the Navy so I did a real good job of supressing it. Had a totally miserable marriage while I was doing service for uncle sam. After 8 years I got out of the Navy. Started dressing again. Then went through severe bouts of depression when I was around 40. I was emotionally all over the place all day long for no obvious reasons (thick headed I guess). Went to a counselor and was told all about GID. I still don't dress at work (en femme anyway) but I think the days are numbered with that as it's getting hard to hide, uhm, other developments now.

[ava_bruna]

Alway's liked female clothes but didnt come out till 50ish. started with pantyhose then at seeing the wife didnt say much I went for it~~***~~
Gave it up for a short time a couple time's but here I am even more into it and loving every min of it,guess my ear's tell

[trannie T]

Achieving self acceptance has been a long slow process. I think that I finally accepted that part of myself in my 40's. I'm still deep in the closet, not out to anyone. I'm on the brink of telling a few close friends about my dressing, which will show a higher level of self acceptance. As others have posted the older I get the less important it is to hide my dressing.

[Nicola46]

I havent had the chance to embrace my femme side, that is why I have to get my satisfaction as an admirer. The closest I got was in my mid 20s in the 80s when I was single and experimenting, sadly there was no internet in those days. My wife knows of my interests after discovering my search history! and thinks im a perv. Maybe she said that out of shock. Still one day I will get the chance albeit for a short while.

[Joy Carter]

I have always been a CD age three or four just couldn't admit to myself who I was. Beat my self up big time over it lost a career over it thankfully not my wife who has not accepted who I am. Much better now that I have accepted myself I have no real yearning to come out but would love to be with other sisters and grow. I'll bring a desert and you supply the coffee let's get together and talk . Oh fifty six here !