are there stages to crossdressing

[pernille d]

i have been on the forum for a bout 6 months now and . must say that my dressing has talken on a whole new meaning and entered a new phase .

in my younger days it was ll about sexy underwear ,then over the years ( essecally the last 3 years i have been going more and more over to the full look with clothing/make up etc , and the last 6 months i have gone mad with my purchases ,and ventured out a few times ,

is this some thing that happens with age???? i have also thought it is a result of this forum, i now have friends and i have learned that it is ok to be who i am so i think its because i feel more relaxed therfore, i am letting the true pernille show her face .(so much so i am very close to comming out to my GG as i know what i am and that it is a big part of my life that i cant surpress anymore )

is this just me or are there others that have had similar experinces .

[Super Amanda]

http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125491

This thread going right now pretty much gets on this topic I think...check it out!

[pernille d]

had a feeling there was a thread in it somewhere , so thanks for the link will check it out

[Nigella]

I don't think there are phases to this lifestyle. There is a beginning and an end, but where you begin and end is entirely up to you. The road you travel, as has been said in many threads, has as many twists and turns as there are stars in the night sky.

Differing circumstances that make you change the way you live your life, also change the way you live this lifestyle.

We all choose a path, choose which avenue, if any we take off that path, and we all decide when and where that journey will end.

[sherri52]

The forum does do something to you. It helps to build up confidence. With all of the girls here that go out and about you see that you are not alone and want some of the freedom that others are getting in thier dressing. Therefore you grow in the dressing and progress at a faster rate than you did by yourself. With the help of others on the forum you find that you are not alone and you get to meet some of the girls while enfemme.

[Brandi Wyne]

is this just me or are there others that have had similar experinces .

Honey, it's certainly not just you. We all have gone through stages of recognition and reaction to our feminine identities.

We are all on a journey and no one but you can alter any part of that. Good luck to you.
:hugs:

[Bunny Girl Zoe]

Started with nylons years ago but there on then of in five mins as after years of hiding it from myself I came to site and has helped me to accept who I am. As think support is main thing with cding.

[JenniferR771]

Yes, I agree. Over time we do definately tend to do more and more. Starting out (like I did with bras and girdles) and moving on to heels and pantyhose and dresses and wigs and finally makeup, nails and then photos and going out to shop. Around the house. To clubs maybe. It is possible that the thrill is gone once you "get used" to having heels or long hair, and we want something more. Maybe shaved legs, your own hair, silicone boobs.
In fact, maybe it is a "macho thing" always looking for more or faster or better or more daring. We get more bold. Columbus discovered America, because he was not satisfied with short trips. Above and beyond. No wonder my wife worries. Sigh.
And here is the biggest question of all? Is a transexual distinct--or just an extreme form of crossdrssing? How do you feel about this?

[Super Amanda]

And here is the biggest question of all? Is a transexual distinct--or just an extreme form of crossdrssing? How do you feel about this?


Well, the reality is that none of the labels are appropriate, IMO. I identify as TS since the label mostly describes me. Unfortunately labels are necessary for linguistic convenience.

Until we figure out more about the whole transgender phenomenon, I feel like we will continue to divide ourselves based on these labels... :(

[meri]

There are a couple of things at work that I am aware of in myself that has begged for more....

1. The tendency to be, shall we say, no longer inspired by what are presently wearing and wanting to add more to reacquire that inspiration. It's a process of the ego, the ego is never satisfied, it always wants more, bigger and better.

2. Self-confidence, over the course time you allow yourself to open more to discover what truly interests you, then you allow yourself to enjoy that without fear. This site helps you open because you see that you are not alone in this interest, there are many others who share it. This tends to dissolve the guilt and fear.

It's my opinion that if you think you are interested in something, you may as well give it a try. That's the only way to know whether or not that interest is real. You will try it sooner or later, so why not try it sooner. Don't be afraid, they don't prescribe electro-convulsive treatment for our kind anymore....;)

[pernille d]

i think we all have different labels , as we are all different , as said before we are all on different roads, so we have different abels , i think we must all remember that we are what we and how feel inside not what other people label us as.

i have for may years been driving slowly along on a country lane and now at last i have found the large open road so i have put my foot down on the gas and things are going maybe too fast

i dont think a label will bother me too much as long as i know myself what and wher i am .
,

[Super Amanda]

i dont think a label will bother me too much as long as i know myself what and wher i am .
,

Well said, sis! :)

[Crissy Kay]

I guess as a "closet" cd, I never left the first stage!!

[Nikki A.]

Like the others have said, it's not really a different stage, but, in reading and becoming more comfortable in the fact that you are not alone you are willing to stretch and go a bit further than before. How far you go depends on what your aims are and when you reach your point of satisfaction. For some it is transitioning to others it is staying in and not going out. There is no right or wrong, just what u are happy being. As for myself, I don't think I pass but I have been out and will continue to go as time permits.

[Ruth]

Reading and participating in this forum can help you progress (if that's the right word) in your CDing. It was reading here that made me realise I could go out in public en femme - I had felt it was beyond me until I read the marvellous accounts of going out on this forum.
Perhaps the right word is fulfilment not progress: we are who we are anyway, but we may need some help to realise it!

[SusieK]

For some it is transitioning to others it is staying in and not going out. There is no right or wrong, just what u are happy being.

The difficult part is knowing yourself and recognising with honesty which is the right path for you. Just because someone else is doing something doesn't make it right for you and there is potential for misery for you and those around you if you get it too far wrong either way. If you try to suppress CDing/TG urges that are part of your being then it is likely to have a detrimental effect on your emotional state, and a knock on effect on those around you.


It is possible that the thrill is gone once you "get used" to having heels or long hair, and we want something more. Maybe shaved legs, your own hair, silicone boobs.
In fact, maybe it is a "macho thing" always looking for more or faster or better or more daring.

Likewise if you get completely carried away with each new stage then you may end up somewhere that you don't really want to be. Certainly, if you think going further may be due to 'macho' urges, then it would be a little ironic to realise this shortly after SRS - after all if it's just thrills that you're after where do you go next. (I realise this is an extreme example, but the point stands)

I recognise in myself the feeling of wanting to go further to recapture a feeling. I shaved my legs for the first time towards the end of last year, and it was a wonderful feeling. I like having smooth legs, but already the initial feminine buzz has gone because I have got used to it.

I would say that these feelings are typical of addiction, and while CDing is not in itself a bad thing, no matter where you are on the sliding scale, addictive behaviour is. I would caution against pushing the boundaries just because they are there, and the previous level no longer excites you.

I don't have all the answers, as I'm not sure yet which is my right path, but for the moment I intend to take it slowly, possibly with some backtracking. I think I may let my leg hair grow back, so that in a few months time I can shave them for the first time again. I look forward to it.:)

To clarify if my opinions give the wrong impression - I love CDing (in private so far), and am happy being me. I no longer have any guilt or shame about being a CDer, though I would have embarrasment if outed. I do sometimes have guilt about addictive and obsessive behaviour associated with CDing, particularly when it impacts my family.

Susie