Being new here, I've only read a few hundred of the 30K+ threads and a lot of them, in some way, deal with an aspect of giving up dressing, hating it, not knowing why we do it, etc. Proponents say that one can't quit, some say its possible and others do it because they like it or it is a fetish. Aside from some important biological functions like breathing, eating, sleeping, etc, one can STOP doing anything (notice I said stop). After smoking cigarettes for 37 years, I went to bed one night, got up the next day and that was that--haven't smoked in a decade. And, smoking ranks with the top contenders for difficulty in stopping and/or quitting. Some contend that being a CDer is hormonal or genetic (both may be correct to some extent, I don't know).
However, one needs to seperate out biological needs from desire as illustrated by a male's declaration that he is absolutely certain that he is a woman in a man's body, e.g. an eventual trans-sexual, as opposed to people who got dressed by their sisters, liked it and have continued -or something in between. I got the "chemical urge" around 14 , did minor dressing for a few years, stopped doing it for reasons that are not clear, did it a few times over the next 35 years, and have now taken it up again for reasons that are unclear (chemical senility?).
For those who wish to STOP dressing, defining the reasons should be very helpful and the first thing on the agenda. i.e. harmful, expensive, no longer fits personality, wife hates it, etc. Sort of like the 12 steps from AA which I have seen rewritten for a number of other "addictive" behaviours. Notice too that I have not said the desire will disappear if you, like me, got the puberty treatment. If you took it up becuase you just enjoyed it, it should be as easy as falling off a log to stop or quit since it can in no way be deemed "biological" Same for the fetish folks, but I suspect they would just substitute another fetish. For those who believe they are transgendered, they are likely on their way to something more permanent such a living as a woman 24/7 or becoming a TS. and stopping wouldn't be part of the process, unless they have other issues with going in that direction.
The rest of us then, should be able to stop with the right motivation and understanding--if that is really what we want. If nothing else, a card in the pocket that says NOT TODAY. One day at a time. It seems to me in part on how "dependent" we have made ourselves on dressing, much like anything else in the world. Some people can only talk one thing --their car, their rifle, their dog, their bra, their girdle etc. Their focus is too narrow. Dresing in any mode should be apart of us, not all that we are. If dressing is an excuse for something else, then the something else must be dealt with first, before one can quit dressng.
I think that semantic differences styme efforts to accomplish goals but nothing is impossible. I think it was Gen. Mark Clark who said "we do the difficult now, the impossible takes us a little longer."
Thoughts anyone?
Mandrake out of water.