I Am Paula
02-19-2013, 04:27 PM
There's been a lot of threads about therapy, and therapists lately. I've always been against it for a few reasons. Please note at this point- I am not making any judgements, or generalizations. These are my opinions, and experience. If your therapist is working for you, great!
Over the years I've seen therapists for a multitude of reasons, however it wasn't until much later that I discovered it's all inter-related, and all has to do with gender. Also, this was all many years ago, when gender issues were unheard of, but for a few pioneers overseas.
First time I saw a 'professional' was at about nine. My school had called my parents about my behaviour. They were concerned that I didn't play with the boys, prefered girly toys, and did ANYTHING to keep from having to change into gym clothes. They also caught me using the girls room many times. So, off to the child psychologist. After a fifteen minute evaluation, he told my parents it was a phase. Suggested to me I 'man up', and play murder ball with the boys. I never told him that I wouldn't change with the boys because I was terrified they would see my penis, and know something was wrong. In hindsight, my GID was well on it's way.
In my teens, I started getting caught cross dressing, and wearing very feminine clothing in drab. (the days of glam rock, so it wasn't TOO unusual). It was getting caught in homosexual acts that had my parents sent me to a teen psychologist. They may as well have sent me to a priest. He told me this behaviour was very wrong, and I had to quit immediately! He even threw out the ol' cliche 'do you want to poop your pants for the rest of your life?' Then he told me to get a girlfriend, and assured my parents that this nonsense would stop.
Several girlfriends later, I discovered that I was bi, but mostly pursued men because it was conventional wisdom that all crossdressers are gay. Well known fact! My pschiatrist told me so!
I had begun hearing about sex changes, happening in faraway places, and very mysterious. Hrt consisted of higher and higher doses of estrogen only. but I wanted it. I saw my family doctor, who knew nothing of such therapies, but sent me to a specialist in NYC. This one turned out to be a psychiatrist, and knew less than I did. He asked ME to do the research. I had pretty much decided that I liked girls at this point, and told him so, but this guy quickly tells me those days are over, because only a gay man would even be talking about this subject.
Jump forward a few years to 1994, and I'm voluntarily in a 28 day in-patient program for alcoholism. One of my councillors (with no diploma, but some pretty good street smarts), suggested that if I drank because of gender issues, why not go to the root cause, and let Celeste out? Just be all the girl that I could be.
Bottom line- Therapists did nothing for me. Granted, this was long ago, but three PHD's and an M.D. did a total of ZIP, except tell me not to do what I was doing. It was a recovering alcoholic with no credentials at all that set me on my proper course. Needless to say, I have little faith in pschology, analysis, and therapies other than shoe shopping.
Just my $0.02- Celeste
Over the years I've seen therapists for a multitude of reasons, however it wasn't until much later that I discovered it's all inter-related, and all has to do with gender. Also, this was all many years ago, when gender issues were unheard of, but for a few pioneers overseas.
First time I saw a 'professional' was at about nine. My school had called my parents about my behaviour. They were concerned that I didn't play with the boys, prefered girly toys, and did ANYTHING to keep from having to change into gym clothes. They also caught me using the girls room many times. So, off to the child psychologist. After a fifteen minute evaluation, he told my parents it was a phase. Suggested to me I 'man up', and play murder ball with the boys. I never told him that I wouldn't change with the boys because I was terrified they would see my penis, and know something was wrong. In hindsight, my GID was well on it's way.
In my teens, I started getting caught cross dressing, and wearing very feminine clothing in drab. (the days of glam rock, so it wasn't TOO unusual). It was getting caught in homosexual acts that had my parents sent me to a teen psychologist. They may as well have sent me to a priest. He told me this behaviour was very wrong, and I had to quit immediately! He even threw out the ol' cliche 'do you want to poop your pants for the rest of your life?' Then he told me to get a girlfriend, and assured my parents that this nonsense would stop.
Several girlfriends later, I discovered that I was bi, but mostly pursued men because it was conventional wisdom that all crossdressers are gay. Well known fact! My pschiatrist told me so!
I had begun hearing about sex changes, happening in faraway places, and very mysterious. Hrt consisted of higher and higher doses of estrogen only. but I wanted it. I saw my family doctor, who knew nothing of such therapies, but sent me to a specialist in NYC. This one turned out to be a psychiatrist, and knew less than I did. He asked ME to do the research. I had pretty much decided that I liked girls at this point, and told him so, but this guy quickly tells me those days are over, because only a gay man would even be talking about this subject.
Jump forward a few years to 1994, and I'm voluntarily in a 28 day in-patient program for alcoholism. One of my councillors (with no diploma, but some pretty good street smarts), suggested that if I drank because of gender issues, why not go to the root cause, and let Celeste out? Just be all the girl that I could be.
Bottom line- Therapists did nothing for me. Granted, this was long ago, but three PHD's and an M.D. did a total of ZIP, except tell me not to do what I was doing. It was a recovering alcoholic with no credentials at all that set me on my proper course. Needless to say, I have little faith in pschology, analysis, and therapies other than shoe shopping.
Just my $0.02- Celeste