A while back, when things were getting frantic, and I decided I desperately needed hormones to continue, but I had a deep seated dislike for the gatekeepers, mental health professionals, and their ilk.
I didn't need no stinkin' therapist! Just give me a letter. I've got informed consent out the yingyang. Nobody needed to tell me what gender I am, and, as a big girl, these choices are not to be made by someone else. I ALWAYS knew what was right for me.
In the end, I couldn't jump the lines, and went grudgingly to therapy. Enjoyed it, but only stayed the minimum to get my letter.
Flash forward- 3 1/2 months on HRT. The best time of my life. Now that I have discovered what an enormous impact HRT has, and what a profound difference it makes to mind and body, I suddenly get it.
This is not something to be entered into lightly. I have changed (for the better) right down to my soul, and feel that every fiber of my being is affected. But this is not for everybody. I can see a conflicted person seeking a solution that HRT cannot provide. HRT has to be administered on by a partnership of Dr. and therapist.
When I read now about self medicators, dabblers, even some who think HRT may be 'fun', or just want to grow boobs, I understand why the gatekeepers exist. Why the protocols and checks and balances are set up as they are, and why the sometimes interminable waits. They gotta sort out those who need and will benefit, from those who just read too much.
My endo, as he was handing my scrip over his desk, said something to the effect of 'You're sure now? Always remember that you're taking drugs powerful enough to change a dog into a cat.' We both laughed. I gladly took the prescription.
This is more of an essay than a question, but feels free to chime in, either pro or con, about the system as it is in place.