Is Changing Categories a One-way Thing

[Beth-Lock]

Someone was talking at trans-support group and referred to the old joke, 'What is the difference between a crossdresser and transsexual?' Answer, 'Five Years!' And of course people do debate whether a cross-dresser can progress to being a transsexual. For example, 'Is it possible to do this without having been a transsexual, inside, all along?'
Certainly there are cases of people who have changed sex, and then regretted it, and wanted to change back. Even cases of reconstructive surgery being used, to try and restore the original state of things down there.
But are there any cases of people being transgendered, (living as a woman but without the benefit of an operation), who have changed to being a cross-dresser, dressing only occasionally or privately?
Then there is the question of failed transitions or failed real life tests. The conventional view is that in such a case, do people just go back to not dressing, or always sooner or later, try again? Can some people give up transition, but still crossdress?
In the old days, information about cross-dressers and transsexuals was scarce and even taboo. Today, we must have open enough minds and enough sources of information to fill in these gaps in the conventional literature. Why for example, did Johns Hopkins cease gender reassignment surgery? Has Johns Hopkins since changed policy again, and returned to doing GRS operations?
It would be fascinating to know if anyone out there has knowledge of these taboo matters.

[MiraM]

Then there is the question of failed transitions or failed real life tests. The conventional view is that in such a case, do people just go back to not dressing, or always sooner or later, try again? Can some people give up transition, but still crossdress?

Some people do begin transition and stop. I am one. I was on HRT and living as a woman at one point. I realized that it was not the correct path for me, as I feel I am somewhere in the middle of the gender spectrum...not fully male or female, but with aspects of both. I stopped HRT and went back to living life mostly as a gay male but I still dress to express the female aspects of myself. If finances allowed I would look into breast augmentation to bring my body more in line with the way I see myself, but that is as far as any physical modifications would go. I do not personally know any people that began transition and stopped everything...even crossdressing, but I am sure there are probably some out there. The ones I know that did stop transition continued to crossdress after.