Is dressing up as a women make me not normal and mental ill?

[taylor12]

Hello

I am 24yrs old man,

So at first i bought my first mini dress then went out with it for the first time with cheap a wig and got called by a stranger “you happened a girl?” As i did not use hip pads and also i walked like a man.
So after that i bought a dozen of babydoll & mini dress and started to do widening pelvis exercise and making bigger hips and thy mussles exercise to make my cross-dressing look and feel better and which degraded by male body looks.
I do not plan of taking any HRT. As i require my men form also.
So does this make me mentally ill? Or this is normal for straight male

[Marie-Jo]

To plan not taking any HRT could maybe be an indication of premature decision making, but not mental illness.
To ask cross-dressers if cross-dressing is a mental illness is a really queer question. You should start reading in the forum and see if you can find some leads.
Most of the time I see the opinion that not cross-dressing is causing mental illness. A dozen babydolls and mini dresses looks as a brave start. How about make-up?

[Nikkilovesdresses]

There's a big and very important difference between being 'not normal' and being mentally ill.

Crossdressers are not 'normal' in a society where most men wear grey suits, or blue jeans and tee-shirts, but dressing differently is not a crime and it does not indicate mental illness.

I agree completely with Marie-Jo that hiding your feelings, pretending that everything is fine when it is not, is much more likely to cause mental illness. By allowing yourself to wear a dress, you are following how you feel inside. You are not mentally ill- but you are also not 'normal'.

There are thousands of members on this forum who feel the way you do. Do we seem mentally ill to you?!

[Tracii G]

You might have a fetish but mentally ill because you like some womens clothes? No I wouldn't call that mentally ill.
I have worn nothing but womens clothes for a long time and I am perfectly normal.
I have no kinks, fetishes, no sexual fantasies or obsessions.
Seems as tho' you haven't accepted who or what you are yet so its a good thing you joined here the nice people here can help you figure a lot of things out why you feel the way you do.

[deebra]

taylor12 IMO crossdressers are born with a part of their brain being female and therefore wanting feminine things and live for short lengths of time or full time as a woman. Many here have said it started at 3 or 4 years old, for me it was 4. There are hundreds of thousands of CD's, I think advertising, being sexy and prefering to be soft and feminine and non-aggressive has a lot to do with why. You are not mentally ill, just part male and some female, more female than most guys. Therefore you are normal just different, no different than males being born some with black hair, some blond and some bald. So why the heck isn't society smart or educated enough to see this difference is just normal in some males? Keep wearing girl clothes, it's just normal for us.

Personally I think non CD's are missing out on how good it feels to dress and go about as a woman.

[Ressie]

Do wider hip exercises work? It seems that you're adding more manly muscle tissue in the hip and leg area. Only a psychiatrist can determine your mental health.

[Stacy Darling]

I'm definitely a crossdresser!, my singlet reads "Bridesmaid" though!

My wife said that I had mental problems as I cross-dress, so I had a psychiatric assessment!
Now I have a clear mind!

Take care of yourself and stay safe if you go out dressed again.
Stacy!

[Pat]

It's unlikely you're mentally ill. Here's a roundup of recent science on the topic -- https://www.crossdressers.com/forums...quot-questions

There are many kinds of people who crossdress from people who just crossdress to people who are on the path to discovering they're TS. Don't worry too much about it as long as you're doing it because it makes you happy.

[Aunt Kelly]

There was a time when such behavior was formally designated as a mental disorder. Thankfully, we live in more enlightened times in much of the western world, (North Carolina and certain backwards parts of Texas notwithstanding).
Seriously though, Taylor, gender identity and sexual preference are two different things. While it is unusual for men (straight or otherwise) to feel a desire to dress in women's clothes, it is normal. Yes, normal - "normally" a certain percentage of the population is transgender.

[Ariana225]

I think your questions are a result from society having a negative view about you. But the science is on your side of it just being who you are. Being different from the masses doesn't make you mentally ill, it makes you unique.

Mentally Ill - any of a broad range of medical conditions (such as major depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, or panic disorder) that are marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, or emotions to impair normal psychological functioning and cause marked distress or disability and that are typically associated with a disruption in normal thinking, feeling, mood, behavior, interpersonal interactions, or daily functioning.

I don't think crossdressing, being gay, or transgendered falls in line with that definition. You were born who you are and as long as you're not a bad person then everything is normal and fine about you. Be you with no regrets and you will see it's not you with the problem, but others with a negative opinion about you.

[DIANEF]

Hello new member! No, I wouldn't say you're mentally ill. A quick read trough some of the pages on this forum will show you that cross dressing covers the entire spectrum from fetish wear to full on presenting 24-7 as a female. No HRT?, probably a wise decision as that is a big step and you would need professional guidance about that anyway. As you are still young you have the time to develop your dressing, and remember this is a great place for any advice you need.

[chelyann]

welcome
your are NOT crazy, you are just a crossdresser , only you will know IF and when you want to transition in time and ignore what the rest of the world thinks.
maybe you need to get some hip pads if it would help with your figure, try YouTube for videos on how to walk more feminine.
just enjoy life ...

[Abbey11]

I'd ask the question what is normal? There are over 7 billion people on the planet and we are each unique, just because a large number want to look the same and be drab, I prefer to be me which means being a little more adventurous than the average mr mainstream , as far as I can tell it is the majority that are missing out

[Confucius]

Normal is what is conventional within society. If only 2% of males ever crossdress in public, then it certainly cannot be considered "normal". However society looks to its youth to challenge social convention and expand our tolerances and freedoms. That means it might not be normal but it may have positive value to society.

Mental Illness has to do with our ability to function productively within society. If a person can be healthy, happy, intelligent, and maintain a good career, then simply crossdressing doesn't constitute a mental illness. It makes him a harmless eccentric and unconventional.

So why do people feel a need to crossdress? I've asked myself that question many, many times. I have come to the conclusion that there are many reasons, and that no two crossdressers are exactly the same. We are all unique. I believe it was hardwired into my brain at a very early age. In reviewing my childhood I discover that I suffered from some gender dysphoria and a very low self esteem. As I grew older I have slowly gained a greater appreciation for myself and my biological gender, however when I crossdress by brain continues to release neurotransmitters which make me feel good. That makes me a straight crossdresser.

[Stephanie47]

Wearing women's clothing does fall outside societal norms and expectations. Society will label anyone and anything as abnormal, not normal, for whatever reason it wants. Society has a poor track record when it comes to establishing norms and expectations. Even women are still scorned in society for displaying their femininity in manner that do not conform to the expectations of others. I don't thin anyone really can come up with a provable explanation why a man desires to wear women's clothing. My personal belief is there is a dna component to it. Whether a man acts upon that component is another issue. Trying to figure out through therapy is not an indication of mental illness. It can be just a way to figure out how to deal with feelings the person believes are not normal. My desire to wear women's clothing does not interfere with any aspect of my life.
It never has. However, at one time it did cause conflict with my wife. Whose fault was it? Mine for displaying who I am? Or my wife's for adhering to societal norms and expectations of the male gender?

I think within any activity, cross dressing or otherwise, there may be some element that may need therapy. There may be a compulsive disorder present. Why does a natural woman or a crossdressing man need 300 pairs of high heels at the expense of breaking the family budget? A therapy is see for reasons other than cross dressing (residual effects of combat) believes every person has some dna of the opposite sex. Some have more than others. If I carry that theory to its conclusion then there is a pull to bring that person in line with his or her dna. The therapist also believes some activities fall within "retail therapy," i.e., spending money on things to make us feel better. My wife acknowledges she overbuys on her hobby for that reason. And, that's the reason I buy more slips and panties than I'll ever need.

I'll will conjecture believing you're mentally ill will ultimately make you mentally ill. If that's the case I would always suggest some sort of interaction with a therapist.

[Shayla]

Taylor, You are not mentally ill. But you seem like you have a need to cross dress and NOT doing it may make you stressed or depressed. Be safe.

[Lucy Lou]

Hi Taylor, you are not mentally ill just different. Unfortunately this world is full of prejudice and if people were really open minded you would not be asking that question. There are too mant people who dress for it to be a little thing. Enjoy it and be safe. Lucy xx

[Francene Lola Dupree]

Who wants to be normal anyway, I aim to be extraordinary in every way xXx

[natalie edwards]

Well if you enjoy dressing as much as I do you'd be "crazy" not to!

[CarolBrown]

Since I, like many others who have read this are most likely sitting fully dressed (for those out of the closet) or wanting to be fully dressed (for those in the closet), would say, no, you're not mentally ill if you want to wear feminine clothing. The only item of clothing that theoretically makes us cross dressing is the Bra (for men) and a jock strap (for women) as was once said by a fashion designer.

Being a MTF cross dresser does step over some society based normalities, but, doesn't make us mentally ill, nor (in my opinion) put us under the banner of Gender Dysphoria (which at best guess is the Mental health issue surrounding it). We are who we are, if you want to be Jane or John then do so, in general, people don't give a monkeys how someone wants to portray themselves.

Welcome to the world of being a Crossdresser.

[sometimes_miss]

I wouldn't say that we're all mentally ill, but many of us DO suffer from various problems, perhaps more so than the general public. Just reading through these forums, you'll see a large number of us who don't know why we crossdress. Then of course, there's the familiar forced feminization fantasies which might be the result of guilt due to being brought up being told that being feminine in any way is the worst thing we can be. You also have those who insist that they are completely straight, yet, admit that when they dress up as women, ONLY then are they attracted to or turned on by the thought of or actually engaging in physical intimate activity as a female, with a man. In short, there's a lot of feelings and behaviors which don't quite fit, and that brings on the frustration and isolation which then causes other problems.
While it's not exactly either an illness or even a disorder on it's own, crossdressing and transgender feelings are the cause of many other psychological problems for many of us. I'm guessing depression and anxiety are at the top of the list.

[Rowan Ailbhe]

Transgender....is an umbrella term, under which crossdressing falls...is not a mental illness...has not been classified as such for quite a number of years.
This is a normal variation in the human psyche....

[Julia1984]

No. Not even in the good old U S of A as I understand it. But suppressing deeply held subconscious or conscious urges, for whatever reason? That can definitely lead to or contribute to a whole slew of "mental illnesses". Depression and anxiety being the two best known. If you can stare those two impostors in the face, you'll be a woman, my son.
Julia

[BettyMorgan]

Th problem many of us encounter is that people think different is the same thing as abnormal. You are neither abnormal for wanting to wear clothing of a specific gender nor different. You are you.

[Shely]

there really is no such thing as normal after all.