Is CDing like a drug addiction?

[Taylor Ray]

Lots of insightful replies here; love all the honesty. For me this topic reminds me of experiences some of my gay friends have had. When closeted, they felt like they were doing something "wrong", and they would perhaps fall into the trap of using the word "addiction'. Once coming out, all of that stuff fell away.

So, from a semantic perspective, perhaps the word "addiction" (and many of the models based upon the word) is too tied with something that is inherently negative or wrong. For me, once I fully embraced that I enjoy wearing women's clothing, all of those words and feelings of shame fell away.

At this point, I view clothes as being clothes. We wouldn't say that a man was "addicted" to wearing "guy clothes". The gender duality in regard to clothing is a social norm. I have owned women's jockey panties that were exactly the same as male jockey underwear in actuality, but of course they came in a different package that had a picture of a woman on the front.

[Gillian Gigs]

I will say yes. For many of us get an endorphin release through our dressing. It beats running for miles just to get the rush. Well maybe doing both at once would do more for you. LOL

[andrea lace]

I was walking in my wife's bedroom and slipped and fell into one of her high heels. That for me was my gateway drug she has been looking for pairs of her shoes for some time but now they are mine for keeps. saw a pair of her stockings and now cant help myself. I am holding out but now after the shoes and the stockings I am desperately finding it hard to stay away from the hard stuff MAKE-UP. But those shades of red and berry glossy lipstick are now impossible to resist dare I GO THAT ONE STEP FURTHER. As I sit here daring myself to go for the hard stuff I know it wont be long before I am a proper junkie noooooooooo

[verytheresa]

For me crossdressing has an obsessive compulsive component like drug addiction. I obsess about it and am compelled to do it. I don't get stomach cramps and start throwing up if I don't do it like you do with opiates.

[Robbin_Sinclair]

The more I crossdress the more I want to crossdress. Most of us are probably addicted to shopping.

After giving this more serious thought, there are some striking similarities'. Both have the power to destroy people lives. Also numerous marriages and relationships have been torn apart. One particular trait both have in common is lying and denial. Sneaking around also comes to mind.

The major difference is behavior. The behavior of a person on drugs is unpredictable at best. Many innocent individuals have been injured by someone on drugs. Many of us on this site frequently mention crossdressing having a relaxing calming effect on them.

If I had to narrow the topic down to three thoughts, for me, those are what they would be.

A great topic to raise. Thanks again. rrbbn

[Secret Drawer]

I often ask people if they think being gay is genetic or learned behavior. I don't judge their opinions as right or wrong, but do ask if they thought any sane person would choose a road like that filled with hate and ridicule? Wouldn't it be easier to just "be" straight? For me its a no brainer, the harder road comes from the genetic wiring that makes it necessary as opposed to a controllable trait. Crossdressing is (to me) a manifestation of something from our genetic makeup. Exactly as homosexuality or a tendancy to enjoy math over reading. All of it is "socialized." Everything we have ever known or will ever learn about is socialized. It is in how our genetic makeup materializes out this socialized reality. Some men can try on a skirt and feel nothing, others get that electricity and never look back...
Also, I have skipped out on work to go fishing on occasion, so I am not sure if we can assume something is an addiction if it "affects" other parts of our life?

[cyndi13]

I am addicted to the endorphin rush when I dress, it calms and centers me. I find that as one of my biggest internal struggles, though the recent push for social acceptance has helped me cope.

[Tiki]

Yes it is....in a way even better

[dawnmarrie1961]

It is a type of "Behavior". As with any type of behavior it can become repetitive and eventually get out of control. Most CD'ers get a euphoric high (We call it the "Pink Fog") from cross dressing. And as with anything that stimulates the chemicals in the brain the user wants to do it again and again to maintain the feeling. Problem arise because, left unchecked, things tend to get out of control in the person's life as they continue to seek a bigger high.The need to "dress" becomes almost second nature and the degree of "dressing" more involved. A person can starts to lose their sense of "SELF" (Who they are.) and instead tries to invent, or create, themselves into to a person that is more inline with what their behavior is dictating to them. Perhaps they were never satisfied and accepting of themselves with who they were before? In any event this inner conflict can be quite difficult to overcome.(Hence a lot of what we call "purging". Our feeble attempt to bring back the status-quo.Sometimes it works.Mostly not.)
As with anyone with a behavioral problem if asked about it they are going to deny it exists or come up with a bunch of fictitious explanations for why they are doing what the do.
Why do these things happen? There are many possibilities. And no one answer that covers everything.The medical community has pretty much thrown up their hands over the years and came up with a few recommendations. But they are as lost as the rest of us. Life is weird.And the science of the human mind and how it works is not as advanced as we'd like to think it is.
So we all just try and muddle through as best we can with the information that we have. And learn to live with it.
I should really learn to keep my mouth shut. Because nobody hear realy wants to hear this.

[Ressie]

I can quit anytime I want to. But I don't want to.

[Dianne S]

I can quit anytime I want to. But I don't want to.

I can resist anything except temptation. -- Oscar Wilde.