Is it a stress reliever?

[Kimberly A.]

Hey y'all! :)

I just had another random thought/question..... Is crossdressing also a stress reliever for any of you? Honestly, it is for me. I feel very relaxed and at peace when I'm able to let my inner woman out. LOL :D

[Jodi Yardley]

Absolutely! :daydreaming:

[DianeT]

Yes, to a great extent, and I miserably failed to explain why to my wife (and GGs on this forum, who mostly call this escapism) so far despite trying hard.
-- EDIT --
My wife has very mixed feelings about this because she suspects that the stress relief has something to do with some prejudices against women who would be clueless and irresponsible creatures in the eyes of some men (can't argue with that after seeing some questionable posts on this site from a few weeks back). So when emulating women we would feel clueless and irresponsible too, and great weights would be lifted off our shoulders. I personally don't think that is the right explanation, or at least not for everyone, but she has a point :)

[Tracy Irving]

No, not at all. But I don't have much stress to begin with.

[StaceyJane]

Yes. I feel so good wearing a nice dress.

[Visitor]

I'd say soothing rather than relieving. Given the choice between putting on a Beethoven string quartet or a women's undergarment it will depend on my mood. Sometimes there is just an itch that needs my attention. It may be rooted in stress, but if so I likely won't know exactly what it is. By the time I've dressed it won't be important any longer. And like everyone here I have my own way of dressing. There is no one size fits all in this world. :)

[Teresa]

Kimberly,
It depends if you are out or still in the closet . I can still remember taking the stairs two steps at a time when I heard my wife arrive home unexpected , my heart pounding .

So glad all that is in the distant past , now my life is very much stress free .

[Maid_Marion]

I enjoy retail therapy, shopping for clothes. I'll watch YouTube videos and read web pages to gather ideas on how I can dress better. Or better understand what is behind fashion styles.

Marion

[Christina89]

Yes this whole other side of me started with a lot of stress. But as time went on my other side became my go to stress relief. And it still is to this day. I know come home after long days at work and I just dress as Christina. Not full makeup and wig. But I partially release her.

[Misty_cder]

Dressing is a stress relief for me. After a long day of being in a coat and tie, there just something about the act of taking off my male clothing and putting on something feminine. It can be as simple as putting on tights and a tee shirt, or going for nylons, skirt and blouse. To get phycological, I think the act of undressing is a way to mentally shed the stress of the day. Of course, this was the "normal" when I was working in an office and my kids actually stepped on the school grounds. During the "work from home" routine, I have not had the ability to dress for any decent amount of time. I'm regulated to five to ten quick minutes in our master bedroom closet with the door shut and items pilled up against it to prevent any accidental discoveries.

[Stephanie47]

Of course, engaging in any activity that is relaxing should reduce stress. It still does not answer the question why I choose to wear women's clothing on occasion. I can think of many more expensive activities that would reduce stress. I found wearing women's clothing reduces the ill effects of combat related PTSD. I suspect many wives would opt for their husbands to turn to drugs, alcohol and womanizing than wear a dress and heels. And, engage in serial marriages. That's what all the guys in my support group have done; one or the other or all those things.

[Judy-Somthing]

If having fun is considered stress reliever then it is for me.

[BeckyPickleschlitz]

If having fun is considered stress reliever then it is for me.

Exactly! Cross dressing is the most fun I?ve had in years. And yes, it relieves stress for me.

[Shely]

Becky is totally correct. I think i have the most fun in the dressing, although i love the feeling after I am all put together. A complete womens outfit well designed and coordinated is a feeling all it's own. When the underlings, fabrics, styles, colors, wig, bracelet, rings, necklaces and purse all come together, WOW it is a feeling like you can never achieve in men's clothing. Is that a run on sentence? It is a heightened sense but eliminates any stress i was feeling.

[Confucius]

It is a stress reliever? Yes, of course.
When I crossdress I can feel a surge of feel-good neurotransmitters that produce sensations of comfort, gratification, a sense that the world is making itself right, and it makes me happy. In earlier years it was much more of a sexual experience, but that isn't important to me anymore.

[JennB]

Most certainly for me. Why? Now that is a majorly complicated question...but the answer is certainly a yes.

[MarinaTwelve200]

Absolutely----I can relax like never before while I am dressed----I can "feel the springs unwind" and the stress float away----I attribute it to being, for a while, "Not Me" and thus being relived of all my personal worries and responsibilities---and also any obligations to my "manhood", as I am not "a man" in that mode.----Not to mention it is also FUN to look and be "pretty".

[Brandi Christine]

It is absolutely a stress reliever, I love the feeling of being dressed, of being feminine, like Marina said, I can leave my "manhood" behind, I am not nearly as serious when dressed up, I feel free, I feel light and happy... All the worries I have melt away for a little while.

[Star01]

Being dressed is a stress reliever but getting to that point is another matter. Trying to find an opening to dress more than every two or three months is the biggest stressor in my life. The frustration of knowing how to dress but having junk for a wardrobe is extreme.

[wendy]

Now that I am open to my wife about Wendy, a big yes on stress relief.

Work has been incredibly busy and stressful; I find transforming into Wendy is a huge escape from work stress. Unfortunately now, I am constantly thinking about dressing up even while I am working so in a way, it is a good distraction.

[Barbara Jo]

For me it is definitely not a stress reliever.

I try to avoid any stress,
It is when i am completely stress free that I have my most intense desire to dress and presents as female.
when i am in fact stressed, my desire diminishes.

[jacques]

hello Kimberly,
I have noticed that unconsciously I cross dress less when I am happy.
stay healthy,
luv J

[Taylor186]

For me, as a CD, crossdressing is definitely an escape that brings pleasure and relieves stress.

[Cheshire girl]

Yes definitely a stress reliever. During lockdown there was nowhere to go dressed. After a few outings for meals and shopping I feel so much better. Nothing beats going out in public and being treated as a woman.

[Pumped]

Definitely a stress reliever!

I got in a bit a of a heated discussion with my boss yesterday. I was getting beat up over something I messed up and just found out about, on my own. Not a big deal, easily fixed, but for some reason my boss decided to lean on me about it and wondered why I had not done anything about it. I looked at him and said "Seriously, I realized it was screwed up 15 minutes ago and this is where we are going with this?"

I got home, poured a Crown Royal on the rocks and started digging out my outfit for the evening. One of my bodycon dresses, bright fluorescent green, hip pads, 40H bra and forms, black patterned tights and high heels, a bit over the top, but what I needed at the time. I had told my wife about it already so she knew I was in a pissy mood. I got dressed, we had dinner while watching TV and cuddled on the couch. Not a lot of conversation, and no mention of my outfit from my wife. She just scooted over and curled up against me and took a knap. By bed time I felt better, we talked for a few minutes and went to bed.

[SaraLin]

Yes - and no.

Back when I was still going out, it was thrilling, amazing, - and terrifying. I would stress myself out about slipping up and being "clocked". I had a hard time relaxing and "going with the flow", but when I could - HEAVEN!


Nowadays, I spend plenty of time AT HOME in nighties (on the OK list), and my wife will even suggest at the end of the day: "Why don't you go get comfortable?" Even she sees that I'm more at ease in something feminine.

[andreanna]

Might be a stress reliever or it might not, I just know that i Definately enjoy and feel so much better about life in general when I am dressed.

[Lacy PJs]

Yes, it is relaxing for me as well.

Lacy PJs

[JennyJCD]

Yes, changing who I am always relieves the stress. For me Jenny is almost like a separate persona, she doesn't work, she doesn't pay bills, she just gets to lounge around looking all pretty. Applying make-up is almost like meditative. You sit still and take your time slowly, applying one layer than the next. Seeing each layer turning a page to this. It is the same thing as reading a book or watching a movie it is a process that fully absorbs my attention and leaves me feeling refreshed and renewed.

[NancySue]

For sure. After a tense day or long day, slipping on a pair of hose almost takes my breath away...ahhhhh. I find most of what I wear has an instant relaxation and calming effect on me whether there?s tension. I simply enjoy wearing female clothes. They?re so much more comfortable.

[sometimes_miss]

It's a 'stress reliever' in that it removes the stress caused by our subconscious mind repressing the crossdressing feelings. When our minds are busy doing so many other things, the desire to crossdress isn't able to be held back anymore in our subconscious, so we feel stressed; crossdressing gets rid of at least THAT cause of stress.

[JustineFallow]

Yes, absolutely. It also softens my clinical depression a bit. I really need to do it more often.

[karennjcd]

Mixed feelings here with this question. For many of the reasons outlined by others here, I'd say sure I dress because it feels good and it takes my mind off other things.

I also tend to sleep better as "Karen" than I do otherwise. I think with worries about turning onto my chest in my sleep and having an acid reflux attack, wearing a bra with some falsies prevents this and thus I have less anxiety in falling asleep quickly.

There is some level of fear however as long as my adult son continues to live with me. Sure I only dress when he's gone, but I get a little paranoid when the wind blows my storm door open that he is coming home early from work and might catch me.

[Paulie Birmingham]

It's part of foreplay. So ultimately, if things go well, yes it is a stress reliever or at least leads to stress relief

[Rachel05]

Hell yes, no matter how stressed I am, I can dress up pretty and feel calm and at peace with myself, it works like a dream

I also dress when I am not stressed, it is not just a stress buster, to be fair, my life is a lot less stressful nowadays than it used to be, which means now I can just enjoy dressing for the sake of dressing and I really like that

[Cacique82]

I feel very relaxed when I get into a nightgown.

[rhonda]

Yes it is , it completely changes attitude for the better .

[Alice_2014_B]

Yes, it is (for me)!
That and working-out.

:)

[darla_g]

ABSOLUTELY I stated as much in my last photo set i posted. After months of COVID Lockdown it was so much fun!

[DeniseNJ]

I agree totally it's a stress reliever if I'm feeling very anxious and depressed I look to Denise for help
She rarely lets me down and makes me feel so much better about myself...

[Breeheels]

For sure it is. And I know why too. for me its a form of stimming.

[Angie G]

For me it is very much a stress reliever. When I in girl mode my world is at peace.:hugs:
Angie

[CarlaWestin]

I sorta have to have everything else fairly under control before I indulge Carla.
If I'm dealing with large stress, the only relief is to solve the issue.
Carla's more like a mini-vacation for an hour or two that has to be earned after all the dragons are dead.