has this forum changed you?

[crossdrezzer1]

I was wondering if this forum site has changed you,,, since I have become a memebr I have posted a face picture,,, visited three different stores openly shopping for myself and trying on at the store and checked out the site daily,,,, I think this site has made me more open and a little----no alot more out of the closet and was wondering if this site has has the same effect on other members?

[Lora Olivia]

In one word yes. Weird as this is going to sound it has made me feel more normal

[Karren H]

Not really... I was this wackey before I joined!! Lol.

[Rachel Morley]

Yes. This site made me truly realize just how worldwide crossdressing is. :) Also, if it wasn't for this site I doubt I would have had the courage to go outside. I came here and (apparently?) saw so many people talking about, and actually going out, as if it was nothing. I thought to myself, if they can do it so can I! That was the trigger for me to get out there and do it. That was like 4 years ago ... now look at me! I go out all the time and it's (almost) normal! :D

[JenniferR771]

Sure, it has changed me. More bold. Shopping for dresses. Trying them on. Out for coffee and dinner.

[Patty]

Yes it has changed me. Now I love to go out wearing sandals with painted toe nails and long shiny nails. Go shopping and browse with the women and not worry about what they think.
Just follow in Karrens steps.

[Jaydee]

This forum has changed me in more ways than I can count. When I first found it by mistake a couple years ago, I was deeply in the closet. Denying my my desires and feeling guilty and ashamed. I have since become more comfortable with myself. I have started the process of coming out to my wife in baby steps, so far so good.

For good or bad, my dressing has also progressed. I have become comfortable shopping, even trying on a few times in stores. I now have a much bigger stash than before, and have spent a lot of money. I spend a lot more time on the computer than I used too, looking at this site.

All of you have done a lot for me, and I appreciate it.

Jaydee

[Beth785]

I hear of the other girls going out and having fun and then ask myself "what's stopping me from doing the same?" Nothing. So, I just go out and do it. I'll do just about anything I do dressed as I would do in drab. That includes changing the oil in my truck! I just don't trust those quicky lube places with any of my rides!

[Sherry-Stephanie]

Oh yeah!!!! I'm slowly turning into a closeted male....

[pamisme]

YES in just a year I have found people just like me.:love:
I have went out dresed by my self and felt great but so scard at the same time. I felt that the first time I posted hear. But now I have a home and I can not say how this makes me fill. Just love and happyness .
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.:love:

pam

[JessD76]

On my good days this forum gives me hope and something to strive for. On my not so good days, it makes me feel ugly and hopeless. Either way it has motivated me to perfect my look. It has given me the feeling that I'm not alone in the world, but it still seems disconnected or distant. It is more than likely of my own doing, however.

[DeniseNJ]

Oh yes this place is like gasoline on a fire . if you wanted to dress and be feminine this place is very comforting. It will make you try and do things you never dreamed of:thumbsup:

[Tracii G]

Very much so. I have opened up to so many here and thats a HUGE step in itself.
For the most part I used to keep to myself and not talk to too many people.
I thought of TGism as something to stay away from and at odds with my inner feelings.
The night I came here I learned I was among friends that felt as I did.
Kudos to all here.
I have lived thru some pretty rough times gang life, drug addiction,war etc and it has taken its toll.Have had some great times too "riding the lightning" (rock and roll on the big stage) but coming here has sparked a goodness I forgot I had so thanks to all that have become friends I owe it to you girls/guys.

[Sally2005]

Yes, but I think it is goes beyond this site. The internet and social networking has enabled people to communicate openly and anonymously. This allows you to learn from other people's experiences which otherwise you may never be possible. There is also, personal growth and maturity which was required at some level to even seek out and join a forum like this one. After reading about everyone's experiences, the personal growth has accelerated.

[tinachristina]

I thought that the things in my head were only in my head. I mean , I was aware that many CDs were definately having the same thoughts both normal and wild ones but I never thought that they were so close to mine . Someone in the one thread talks about having girly feelings even in guy mode . My wife told me that this is true for me too. I never believed her before but now it is different. The forum has improved our relationship by making me understand the churning that I often do inside.
And of course there are a number of intelligent people here showering us with suggestions to make a happier life . What more can some one ask for .

:love: Tina

[Shannon]

This forum has been such a positive experience in my life. It has changed me so that now I've gone out en femme in public and enjoyed it; I told my wife about my dressing before we got married; I shop confidently regardless of what I'm wearing; I openly wear nail polish on my toenails. This list of details could go on... But the biggest change is that Shannon is now more Shannon than she ever could have been without this forum.

[Edwina]

Yes it has. When I found it I was desperate to learn more to explain my attraction for things feminine. I was gradually acquiring a "stash" of garments and thought I had reached my limit. That is before I started reading some of Karren's exploits I found myself compelled to buy a wig. Well that was the turning point for me. I then had to try breast forms and make up and then I ventured out in daylight.
The last time was when I decided to fetch my amp from the repair shop dressed as Edwina. The reaction I had from the owner's wife was fantastic and I felt on top of the world for days.
The support and encouragement I received from others here, including Miss Karren (you have a lot to answer for girl :)), has helped me enormously.
Thanks to all
:love:
Edwina

[Carole Cross]

When I found this site I was still uncertain if I wanted to transirion and I was still in the closet. I have since decided that I do want to transition and have started going out in public.
I dont think without the help of the people here, and another site, that I would be at the stage that I am today.
I would like to thank everyone here for helping me to discover who I am.

[Kate Simmons]

Not necessarily. Although since being here, I have integrated and organized all of my feelings under one aegis.:)

[Jenniferpl]

To a certain dergree yes. I knew I was a cross dress before I joined. What has been interesting to learn is how young most of were when we started. Another interesting area is to what degree we all crossdress. Joining this site has encouraged me to explore somethings I would not have tried on my own.

One unintentional benefit is that there is better communication with my wife. There seems to be one constant theme through all of the responses and it is "talk it over with your wife". In my case it has worked. She supports and encourages me. It has been a fun journey so far.

[Angie G]

I don't think it has really changed me. I have talked of thing here that I don;t think I would have told anyone I;m in face to face contact with.:hugs:
Angie

[xAnne_Mariex]

I'd say it has a little bit, I do post on another cd site but since coming here I would say i've gained a little more confidence, bought myself some outfits to call my own and most importantly of all, told my mum.

[Jess_cd32]

Yes it has for me also, it made it possible I feel to finally come out to my SO. I've also lost fear of going out and buying some things that I wanted as well, most of the fear anyway, some is still there.

Its great to be able to interact with other cd's and see that we're all the same, yet so very different. I wish I joined now years ago when I first breezed thru here.

[Want to be Lisa]

It has changed me immensely. Before coming here I wasn't aware of how many people felt the same way I do. I can say things here that I wouldn't have ever dreamed of saying elsewhere. I have learned things here about myself. I have learned tricks to make me look and feel better. I have met some people (online) that I feel comfortable talking with about some personal things that I could never do face to face which is something I really needed.

Due to circumstances beyond my control I am unable to dress the way I feel. Although I am not dressed, coming to this forum and talking with the other girls here fills the void just a little and may be what is currently keeping me sane. Even in "guy" mode I can come in here and feel like Lisa.

I have been tossing around writing a thank you thread to all of the lovely ladies I have met here that have helped me. I just can't really seem to put it in words how much some of you have really helped me out.

Has it changed me?

Thank you. :hugs:

[sue ellan]

yes. my life has changed a lot since i found this site and all the wonderfull
girls. if not for this site i would still be in the closet. but now i have been out
enfemm severl times. again a big thanks and hugs around for all.

[Kendra08]

In the short time I've been here I've become a lot more accepting of myself. Just reading the posts and having that feeling of not being alone in the world is comforting. I also have done a lot more shopping and stopped telling SAs that I need a gift receipt. I've gone and tried on some shoes at a store in guy mode and have talked about being a cd more openly with my real life friends.

[Kate's at home]

Sometimes I think of this forum as one big global community based, mutual/self group that never stops.

And it has been somewhat helpful in adding to the self acceptance of who I fully am.

And I thank all the ladies here for that!

Kate

[JoAnne Wheeler]

This Forum has helped bring me out of my shell; has allowed me to have

someone to talk to who understands; has given me comfort in times of need;

and has given me confidence to persevere and to actually post pictures of

JoAnne - This Forum is invaluable to all of us.


JoAnne Wheeler

[RitaCD]

Yes, yes, yes. This forum has been a tremendous boost to my confidence. I have learned so much from the ladies here from shaving, to dressing and makeup application. Thanks to all of you and keep sharing your experiences. :daydreaming:

[BekiJ]

Absolutely. I am more comfortable with myself. There is still the fear of being found out, but there are times (a second here and there) when my attitude is “so what.” As I have said before, my wife does not need this burden, so I will remain hidden. But if she did find out...

It is just so nice to know that if the crap hits the fan, there are people that will understand and perhaps be able give guidance.

Hugs
BekiJ

[Tess]

It has helped in the sense that I have a better understanding of the range of crossdressing and where I fit into that spectrum. I know my comfort zone and better understand other levels which are exciting and interesting but not necessarily a fit for me. Oh yes, and I seem to be under dressing more.

[Katrina red nails]

Pretty much everything you said initially applies to me too. I am still learning the way along the road but this site has been absolutely invaluable to me.

[Tal'Aura]

Jolan Tru,

No, this forum hasn't changed me. I am like I was before, and I will stay that way. However, this forum helped me a lot. I got encouragement when my depression reached a critical point. If I weren't found this forum, I would probably commit a suicide. I appreciate the help and responses I've received.

[Sapphire]

I am still in the closet insofar as I have never ventured out en femme, and I may never do, so but I have come out to myself and acknowledged that I am not unique but share a predisposition common to many others. I now feel a lot more at home in my own skin and enjoy being what I am.

[Edyta_C]

This forum has changed me dramatically. Before I started with the girls here I was depressed and on alot of meds. Since reading here, I have reduced my depression considerably. I came out to my wife who with the help I found here has become accepting. I am more Edy to day than at any time since childhood when I was Edy. I am so much more pleasant, relaxed and outgoing since I discovered the girls here. Their acceptance, wisdom and experience has helped me grow. I have come to accept myself both the Ed and Edy parts and integrate them more every day. I can't expression the feelings of gratitude for the acceptance of the sisterhood here. I love ya all!

Thanks and hugs Edy

[boardpuppy]

This site helped me in numerous ways. After coming here I was able to say to myself that I was a CDer, also the SO knows about my hobby. I don't know if it is a hobby or not because I still have a lot of questions about myself. The adventures and questions posed by the girls here have made me think and look at myself and see if it applied to me and how. It has also shown me that theripy was needed for my journey if I was to change into a likable (to like myself/others to like me) person.

[Tasha McIntyre]

Oh yeah, in a big way.

Since joining a few months ago (among other things) I have,

Come out to the wife
Applied make up to myself and worn a wig
Taken photo of tash and posted online
Met another CDer in person from this forum
Chatted online to other members of this forum
Gained a pretty good understanding of myself
Gained a pretty good understanding of others and how great we are :hugs:

None of which I thought would be remotely possible 6 months ago. Maybe one day I'll venture out past the front door :daydreaming:

Cheers :)

Tash

[AKAMichelle]

Oh yeah!!!! I'm slowly turning into a closeted male....

DITTO!

When I first found this website, I was struggling with understanding everything. Through this process of searching for understanding, I did the following:
1) Told my wife
2) Increased my clothes (quit purging out of guilt)
3) Went out for the first time
4) Met other crossdressers
5) Realized the most important lesson of all.

No matter what I wear or what surgery I may have - I'm still me. That is the single biggest benefit to this website. It assisted me in discovering who I really was and not to hate myself for these feelings.

[Susan Dee]

This website has been a very big help. It has given me more confidence, has let me see that there are so many others out there who think and feel the same as I do, has helped me get some things straight, and is a source of information.

This can only be good, and help towards us getting at peace with ourselves. If only the web was around years ago.....

And as Lora says -


it has made me feel more normal

[Sam-antha]

On the whole, I think it has given me a wider view of the world and the folk living in it.
There has been no change in the "me" that you see around, but I never dreamt of chatting to so many people, never really knew there were so many of us.
:hugs:
~Samm

[Brina Halloween]

It definitely has changed me. Not sure what the result will be.

I definitely have another reason to lose some extra weight now.

I have a lot more cloths.

I did two days at Halloween dressed last year.

I am much more comfortable about myself and less worried about what others think.

After getting over a pink fog when I first found this site by accident. I think it has been a good thing.

Brina

[Lisa Golightly]

I guess when I arrived I was not a very happy bunny... Things had gone very wrong elsewhere and I was a bit lost... I've seen the forum change in that time... I find it a really nice place to be now (I don't know if that is partly due to my own evolution...) and I've found some wonderful friends here... Very special people.

I've not been particularly influenced in my choices, but it is nice to be somewhere where there's a helping hand if needed...

I guess this is the kind of moment when you thank everyone for their efforts for making this place a second home... Thanks Angels :)

[Kaz]

Lisa's right... the strength of the forum is the people who are involved and in the short time I have been here I hav ebeen amazed at the support, friendliness, experience and know-how of everyone.

Long believed there was no such thing as a stupid question and this is so true. Every thread I have read/contributed to casues me to think about things slightly differently... which is what learning and growth are about.

Am I different...? Outwardly possibly not, but inwardly I feel I have grown and understand more, and this has caused me to seriously think about my next steps. Do I want to stay as things are? Or do I want to move forward. At the moment it is the latter. Could I have done that without the help of everyone here? Possibly... but I am not sure that I would!

So... hell yes! :love:

[Marjory]

I wish I had this forum when I was a teenager. Yes, it has changed me and made me feel better about myself.

[SusanMarie]

Absolutely!!! All for the better.

:yt:

[Jennifer Giovannetta]

Yes it has. There are other experiences that has contributed to my growth as a CD, bu this forum has been the integral part of my development.

[StaceyJane]

Let's see, since I Joined I...
Started shaving my legs..
Started shaving my arms and hands.
signed up for laser hair removal
drove thru the Mc Donald's drive through en femme
started to seriously talk to my therapist
I have changed, and I feel much better for it.

[Hope]

You could say that life has changed for me...

I have been here like 2 weeks and in that time I have gone from hiding all of my clothes from everyone (tough my wife knew about them I still hid them from her) and never even contemplating going out in public; to looking forward to going out to MAC next time I am in Chicago and getting makeup... My clothes are hanging in my closet, on hangers, my wife has seen me in my enormous size 14 heels, and loves me more because I told her... and I can totally see myself going out en Femme. Not near where I live - but I live in rural 'merica.

When I came here I had accepted myself for who I am - and vowed never to purge again - but I never imagined I might feel this happy about it.

So... yah - you could say life has changed, is changing... for the better.

[Jolene]

This site has changed my life in the fact there are so many others like me out there. This is a lonely life for me here because I could never share this with anyone in my life. Maybe a good shrink would help.Someday someone will find out and I will have to try to explain. Coming here and reading about all of you and your experences has given me courage and made me feel better about myself.

[Jennifer Brooks]

Oh you bet it has. It has given me advice, friendship, confidence and knowledge to be comfortable with who I am. Who am I? I am a Crossdresser and not a freak of nature. I am also not a lone in my journey to understanding. Thank you Cross Dressers.com :)

[jessiejess112]

It has helped me as far as giving me hope that I can (hopefully) find a wife that is accepting of the real me.
I always try to read the threads of CDs that have accepting wives, and also CDs that struggle when coming out to their wives. It's knowledge that can only help when and if, one is confronted with this situation.
I also like the fact that I can express my feminine thoughts and interests, and then I read similar responses instead of criticisms. I have never read any posts insulting us, so either outside people don't care about this site, or the administrators do a very good job of deleting rude posts. Either way I like it :)

[Cissy Chiana]

yes it's helped me in a couple of ways

good: it's given me a way to express my long-hidden femininity :)

bad: it's helped me realise that I am transgendered and I can't not deal with it any longer, it's not enough just to pretend to be a woman, I am one emotionally, spiritually and mentally and not being one physically is giving me serious mental health problems... :sad:

[Melora]

I LOVE This site.. Yes! It has been a Gift to me too! :)

[Lilith Moon]

Yup, this place has changed my life dramatically. It has been an absolute lifeline in the crossdressing famines of my life and people in here have shown me the way forward when I have been lost. Thank you all !

[Christina Horton]

As said many time here YES it has. I liked myself before I came here,But my cuz told me that I seem much happer the last time I saw her.that was before I went out as Christina.But after I found this site. I found one other site before I found this one. That site had a live chat with other CDers. then I found this one. I had my frist name and was going to use my real last name , my real last name starts with a W. Before I got here I had told all my friends and famliy in 91, but again was not ready to go out. After I had been here for 2 or 3 months I found the site Second life . That you can dress as a woman all the time and look like you want . All my friends there helped me too. All 3 of the sites gave me my self worth to go out and buy my frist wig and forms . I have since been out 6 time since Aug 8 of last year, not much but when your a trucker and on the road 23 days if the month that at leat 1 day when I am home . So it's alot. SO yes this forum has changed my life all for the better. Now only if it could find me the girl on my dreams , NOW THAT WOULD BE LIFE ALTERING. well you girls have a good time out and for thoughs of you whom have not gone out (WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU WATING FOR) LOL when your ready you will go out. Well I have to go and get ready I need to do a close shave and do my make up , Thats right I am going out today wish me luck.

Well it the next day and I had a blast out the best time out.YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
HUGGS :hugs: :canada: