It is five days since I accepted that I could no longer endure the agony keeping such an important aspect of my life a secret from my wife of almost 10 years.
Shortly after we met I had told her that it was something I used to do - which was true. After a break of around ten years the need began to re-surface some two years ago.
I had done my homework and printed off as many objective and dispassionate articles as I could find without intimidating her.
The Net Doctor was a particularly objective example, I thought.
We were out on our own on a glorious sunny Sunday morning. She knows I am taking medication for depression and I said that I was going to seek further counseling as I felt particular issues were remaining unaddressed.
When she asked what issues, I told her that my need to cross-dress had returned.
I have to say I expected some connection to the difficult summer we have had. She has been going through the menopause ‘with a vengeance’ and I have been very moody.
Instead – I got a stunned silence. Nothing I have ever said or done before has had this reaction. I explained about the articles and when we got back home I left them out for her to refer to.
Yesterday she told me that she had tried to read some of them but that I should not be in any doubt that she does not want anyone else in the family to know and she doesn’t want to know anything more.
That is as far as we have got, at the moment. It is a scary time. How did it go for you?