Why does wearing a femme item, or make-up relieve stress?

[heathr1]

Any ideas?

It does though.

[Lady Katherine]

Oh Heather, that's simple. It's because many of us were meant to be female all along, and it just feels so natural. Dressing has liberated me so much and I have found out who I really am. :)

[Ashley in Virginia]

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An identifying name given to a book, play, film, musical composition, or other work.
A general or descriptive heading, as of a book chapter.
The title should be a hook. The meat should go in the thread itself.... Give it a try you may like it.

[steffie39]

It may be that it makes us look and feel pretty which in turn raises our self-esteem. When our self-esteem is raised and we feel a part of something (i.e., crossdressing community), then it helps us to relax because we feel so good about ourselves.

Steffie

[Joanie]

Because it is so totally different from what I wear to work that when I dress it seems like I have departed the normal surroundings and gone to an exotic place. It is very relaxing. Of course, today, with the wife gone, I have been dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, etc. all in panties and slip, not necessarily a relaxing CD moment but fun anyway! Now to relax.

[CharlotteSomers]

For me I thinks it's because I get to be somebody else, anybody else, who doesn't have the same problems and stresses in my daily life. When I'm dressed, all of that goes away and I don't even think about it. That's probably why my instinct to dress becomes stonger when I'm in a bad mood.

[Billijo49504]

I wish I knew the answer to that question, coz I've been wondering that for a long time. But it sure works. I guess it lets me have my breasts stick out, instead of hiding them under big shirts.
Joanie, try a lipstick called Sinful from Victoria Secret. I wear it all the time, it has very little color, but it is lipstick, not chapstick. Give it a try. It feels good.

[Joanie]

Billijo,

Thanks for the tip on Victoria Secret Sinful. I will give that a try!

Joanie

[MarinaTwelve200]

For me I thinks it's because I get to be somebody else, anybody else, who doesn't have the same problems and stresses in my daily life. When I'm dressed, all of that goes away and I don't even think about it. That's probably why my instinct to dress becomes stonger when I'm in a bad mood.

Thats EXACTLY why I do it, and I agree.--As i have stated in other posts, most of us CDers here are in TWO camps.---(1)Those like US, who do it to GET AWAY from what we consider our real selves---its sorta like a stress releiving "vacation" from us.

The other camp, (2)considers their REAL SELVES to be their "fem selves" so they CD to "GO HOME", so to speak--I supose that both reasons would "relieve stress."

These are OPPOSITE psychological "conditions" that share CD in common for symbolically changing "personal identity" for a benifical effect.

I have also noted that this (camp 2) TEND to assume that ALL CDs are like them selves in feeling and motives, etc. and give advice from THAT angle. (Sorry girls), I cant blame them though, without experience of the other side of the male CD coin it's an easy error to make, especially in these forums the type 2 outnumber type 1 at least 2 or 3 to one. We type 1's likely are also less prone to participate in such groups out of embarrasment and confusion---Face it, type 2 IS easier to understand in a CD context While type 1 can really play heck with a hetero mind.

And there are are other fetish/sex based reasons for CD too, but thesr are other conditions not relative to this discussion

[Joanie]

Hope you don't mind a newbie chiming in. Precisely right, I think. I am type 1 and use it to get away from stress, boredom, the same old drabness of male clothes while the type twos are gravitating to what they feel they truly are.
I think though that some of us, from my reading on here, might have a mixture of the two type, consider....

This reminds me of Erich Fromm's ESCAPE FROM FREEDOM, a philosophy book in college in which he talked about freedom OF(speech, faith, press, etc.) vs. the more modern concept of freedom FROM (he names fear, want, can't remember the other two). I think those of us who dress want from freedom FROM stress, sameness, boredom, etc. as well as freedom OF expressing a softer, feminine side. Hope this makes sense.

[MarinaTwelve200]

Hope you don't mind a newbie chiming in. Precisely right, I think. I am type 1 and use it to get away from stress, boredom, the same old drabness of male clothes while the type twos are gravitating to what they feel they truly are.
I think though that some of us, from my reading on here, might have a mixture of the two type, consider....
.

Yes there IS some overlap--I call it "the fringe benifits"---While I CD to escape, I DO enjoy the experience--makeup, etc. I get to see how I look as a girl which is also fun, and I get to sorta "be my own GF"---etc. It IS pleasant "to be" a woman.---It CAN very much SEEM that THAT is what i want to be, but Certian instances, and experiences in my life made me realize that I REALLY DONT WANT to be a woman, Im really into CD for other things---primarily to take a vacation from MYSELF, if only for a few hours.

When the symbolic ID change happens, being hetero, having THE ULTIMATE contact/penetration with a woman (ME) can be a HUGE turn on. Were it not for my "clarification" of thought and realizations over the last several years why I actually CD I could see how it may me possible for me to actually beleive I 'wanted" to be a woman myself.--especially to some degree or other.---The associated 'fun" aspects of CD CAN very much cloud one's thoughts.

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

It probably varies per person, depending on why they dress. For those with some degree of gender dysphoria, it's a chance to be their true self. For others, like myself, it's a chance to get away from my everyday self and be someone else.

But I'm not sure it's as clear-cut as two camps. I don't have any desire to transition, but en femme it's easier to express certain kinds of feelings, and I don't have to force myself to play the part of expressing others. It's sort of similar to when I attend a professional conference and need to be "on" all day doing networking, etc. By the end of the day, I need some time alone to recharge.

The "recharge" analogy may work in other ways too. I'm a bit cerebral and live in my head perhaps a bit too much. Dressing up gives me a chance to be sensual and live in the moment. And as Steffie said, feeling good and looking pretty ain't bad for feeling better either.

[Rachel_740]

Any ideas?

It does though.

Simple really - because that's me!

Anne

[rexy]

very good question. yes it is very relaxing for me too!! after i get home from work i can not hardly wait to get changed to rexy so i can relax

[eleventhdr]

A very lot of us were suppose to have been girls to begin with . So dressing is how we now escape into what we were suppose to have been all along. Suzy!.

[Imogen_Mann]

I wont question it, if I do, it might stop working !

XX

Jayme.

[vanessa]

I think that for me, for the short times that I am dressed, it's the alignment of my outward self with my inner soul. For those brief moments of time, I do not feel like a disjointed entity. Ironically, it's when I'm in femme mode that I feel less like I'm playing pretend than any other time.

[Wendy me]

easy cding ='s dressing ='s shopping............need i explane any more???

[Rachael Warren]

Hi Heather, for me most of the time I do it for comfort, I simply prefer skirts to trousers.

When stressed or depressed, I will then take it much further, this for me is an escape from reality, I suppose, but the feeling of being "whole" is fantastic. Like was said earlier in the thread, its like a mini holiday, time to recharge.

Love Rachael.

[Helana]

Camp 1 = escapists - thats the fun part
Camp 2 = consumates - getting in touch with the whole

For me there is a massive overlap between these two camps. Even if I am in camp 2, I can just dress up for the fun of it without there being a "need" to do so.

As a general trend, as we age and build up our CD experience, there is a natural urge to seek better experiences, to seek a greater fulfillment so often people slowly migrate from camp 1 to camp 2. But some are more than content with escapism only. It really depends upon the extent of their gender dsyphoria.

[Deanna2]

Pure comfort and relaxation.

Right now I've got on seveal items of femme gear, including a brand new pink miniskirt. I'm sitting here with a long drink and I couldn't be more relaxed.

Luvya