I'm new to all this and scared and terrified, help?

[Ice Maiden]

<--- PTO Continu'd

[Ice Maiden]

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[Gzz96]

Yeah you're right, I can try asking my brothers to make sure any post addressed to me is put straight in my room... hopefully I'll be able to hide them that way, and my brothers don't usually ask questions.

I'd rather hold off as long as I can, before I'm as certain as I can be before telling my parents, I don't want to be like "hey I'm transgender"... "ohh wait false alarm". :/

Do I have to see my GP specifically, or can I see anyone at my GP practice? The reason being is that my GP is usually quite busy and its hard to get an appointment with her. Also what should I say to my GP, exactly and I could probably only get a councillor, which is different from a psychiatrist I think? I live in Sheffield, so I can't self refer, have you heard anything about the reputation of the Sheffield one? Also, do you have to have Real Life Experience living full time before you can have hormones, because that's not really fair, I wanna wait for the hormones to have some kind off effect before going full time :/

I hope so, because obviously testosterone is going to affect me more and more all the time

If it is the right choice, and everything goes well, I'll be sure to let you know.

Thanks for your reply again, and thanks for being here when I need someone to talk too...

- G

[Ice Maiden]

Thank you for the Thank You - despite helping people for 20 years and being here since 98 'thank yous' are pretty thin on the ground!

Well first off as a rule you can see any GP at a practice you are registered with, as they get sick, have holidays, have days off and sometimes are over-booked. So yeah just ask to see anyone available when you go in.

Hormones are a problem, in that, if you want to use the NHS there is a prescribed care 'pathway'. Which involves discussion and interview, assessment, and second opinion. This should be a 'joined-up' thinking with your GP (who will prescribe on their behalf) and under the guidance of the standards of care see here http://www.wpath.org/uploaded_files/140 ... 20Book.pdf you do not have to buy a copy just press the BOOK image for the PDF file. Read it! It is VERY IMPORTANT that you digest that. As it will affect the rest of your life should you continue.

Hormones are sadly changing the body all the time. For minors (under 18) the Tavistock Clinic in London http://marketplace.transgenderzone.com/?page_id=79 after working with the families may prescribe 'Blockers' you can find out what they are here http://library.transgenderzone.com/?page_id=2794 they put puberty on hold until the person is adult or decides to change their mind and puberty can continue. It is not a 'Sex Change' as the press so love to say. 'Just' meds...

Anti-androgens are important to combat testosterone. Some report they went straight onto oestrogen (Estrogen) and were fine. All this is carefully decided by someone called an Endocrinologist. They will monitor and give advice based on blood tests to get the balance just right. However, getting a good one who knows what they are doing is rather hit and miss (no puns intended).

For now we need to pull all this back to where we are now. The future is exactly that. For now small steps. And speaking to your GP is the start, as even if you change you mind you still might require some counselling, or psychotherapy. As 'purging' can be very traumatic and might not work. Purging is where transgender people under pressure (work, family) decide in a moment of anger with themselves to take all their femme (or masculine) attire to a charity shop or burn it to exorcise their 'demons'. And the family think it is all over. A few weeks pass and they are shopping again .

This is why you need people to talk to. With the best will in the world, we are online not at your local practice. So you must start there in any event.

[Ice Maiden]

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(PS I put this in as a spacer) As I cannot create additional posts once another person posts directly below yours. But I can always delete them )