Why Transition? February 15, 2012

Recently I was asked why anyone would want to take hormones and have surgery to change their sex.  They were curious about the personal benefits involved.  We often hear the costs involved, such as $$$, social status, and sexual dysfunction, however what a cysgender person cannot know is the pain, dysfunction, and inner turmoil that exists for a transgender person.  The very question demonstrates a lack of understanding.  So let’s set the record straight by explaining a few things.

First of all, incongruency exists for a transgender person, because they live in the opposite body of which both their brain and identity have aligned.  They are operating without the proper chemistry and attempting to work with the wrong tools.  You can use pliers to hammer nails but it just does not work very well.

Hormones assist in the regulation of brain function.  What determines Gender Identity is the effect of hormones on the fetus in the earliest stages of development.  “Scientific evidence has been growing that somehow certain brain-structures in the hypothalamus (the BSTc region) determine each person’s core gender feelings and innate gender identity. These structures are “hard-wired” pre-natally in the lower brain centers and central nervous system (CNS) during the early stages of pregnancy”.  (Dennis, Carina 2004)

Further, “Six years ago, the Netherlands Institute of Brain Research published the results of a study they had been conducting…. A subsequent report was published last year in the leading international journal for neurological studies, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism [85 (5): 2034-41; May, 2000]….  What the researchers found were significant differences in the brains of men and women relevant to reproductive hormones, cognition, emotions, and our body’s responses to them. The differences were both in magnitude and consistency and involve a region of the hypothalamus identified as the BSTc. Human males average about twice as many neurons within the BSTc as do females. In both males and females, transsexuals did not have the neuron number typical of their gender, but, instead, had the number typical of the sex they always believed they should be.” (Niedermayer, Grace 2004)

The relief a transgender person feels from the proper hormones is usually a euphoric experience.  The beautiful thing about contra-hormone therapy (CHT) is the effects are reversible completely for about the first six months and even after years of therapy if the person decides to revert, although sterility is likely.  In only a few weeks it is clear if CHT is the right choice.

Testosterone in a body wired for estrogen or vice versa will create dysphoria, agitation, and irritability.  So if euphoria and a general peaceful feeling are not experienced then CHT is not the answer and other treatment is indicated.  Yes, CHT is a treatment for a medical condition, gender incongruency (formally known as Gender Dsyphoria).

As in any medical condition it is best to have specific medical guidance by someone with experience in gender therapy!  It is possible to treat yourself, just as anyone with any medical condition can do, however the results very drastically.  Hormones are not a recreational drug!  I find this almost comical that someone would think so, and yet invariably people do.  If you would like to know more about hormones, their effects, what to expect, other gender and sexual info please read my eBook, Sex and Sexuality, One Woman’s Journey of Discovery.

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity             Free eBooks

 

Trans-Gender Expectations July 11, 2011

The usual course of transition for a Male to Female (MtoF) Transgender is to first dress as a woman and to socialize with peers prior to taking the major step of CHT (Contra-Hormone Therapy).  (HRT is hormone replacement therapy and since transition is about change and not replacement this term does not apply to the trans journey). Socializing as a woman is very different than as a man so getting used to that aspect is greatly beneficial in both determining if you desire to progress (going full time) and gaining the skills necessary to be successful.  Many things will come naturally because they are innate such as mannerisms, emotional behavior including needs and desires, and mental processes.  The learned traits may not be natural such as movement, social expectations and relationships.  Gender transition is basically the process of breaking down learned “male” persona and allowing the natural female self to emerge.  This will be easy for some; however, it is a big road block for most.  Only 5% of those who attempt transition fully complete the journey from male to female; the larger percentage end up somewhere in between, which for many is perfectly acceptable and may in fact have been the goal all along.

It is important to be patient with the transition process and allow these things to occur naturally through counseling, feminine coaching, and voice therapy.  A skilled gender therapist/counselor guides the path and provides a third person perspective to facilitate getting in touch with the authentic self.  The feminine coach is valuable in helping to get in touch with feminine energy and develop its expression.  I must say the first time I felt my feminine energy vs. my masculine energy it was a revelation!  Being aware of the body’s energy and what it projects is very important.  To truly express feminine energy do not project energy instead simply center in the divine feminine and this energy will attract others.  I have posted a link on the transgender links page of Unity in Gender Diversity to The Yin Project.  The feminine coaching here is highly recommended.

Voice therapy is vital to MtoF transition.  Start this process as soon as possible, even before transitioning if you are planning that far ahead.  I also recommend getting electrolysis started as soon as possible and depending on your age, I recommend doing laser first to clear the dark hairs and let the electrologist focus on the light hairs.  It will take 6-10 laser treatments.  Don’t let the electrologist tell you that laser is not permanent because I know that it is from experience.   There is a page on this website that goes over the whole process of transition planning.  Expect laser to work and with the proper hormone regimen the face is the only area that needs treatment unless you are unusually hairy and I know that some men are.  Not to worry, this is a part of the journey, so plan for it.

The hormones do a remarkable job of reducing body hair and stopping male pattern hair loss.  Find a doctor who specializes in CHT for transgender/transsexual persons, because doing this yourself or using a doctor with little or no experience is inviting failure.  Getting periodic lab testing done to monitor liver function and other factors is vital to maintain a healthy transition.  Plus working with a skilled professional assures the desired results.  It can be done on your own, but that is contrary to what this whole journey is about in my opinion, which is to fully and completely experience the transition.  This journey can be lethal so take it very seriously!

Many transgender/transsexual persons want to jump straight to the result and if that was meant to be then don’t you think you would have been female from birth?  I can hear all the opinions flying as I write this which is great, remember this is from my experience and if you desire a different experience then make it so.

Surgery is a step that many desire and is the only known successful method of treating severe gender dysphoria.  It is not for everyone though and will be addressed in the next blog.  So stay tuned

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity

Hormone Power September 28, 2010

The individuals who are on a gender transition journey are well aware of the power hormones wield in life; however the average person may not realize just how powerful these little communicators are.  I devote an entire chapter to hormones in my new eBook, Sex and Sexuality, which is coming out next month. 

A hormone is essentially a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one cell to another, pretty simple right?  Well, there is power in simplicity.  Physically each person has certain body parts that trigger the hormone release in the first place.  In the case of Hormone Replacement Therapy (used mostly for post-menopausal women or post op women), or Contra Hormone Therapy (used for the treatment of Gender Dysphoria or Gender Incongruency) the hormone is introduced manually. 

In the book I get into the specific effects of each sexual hormone as they are used for CHT, without going into much about HRT.  The amazing thing to me is the end result of a little chemical that orchestrates the rearrangement of your entire body, short of growing new sexual organs.

Here is a quote from the eBook, Sex and Sexuality, “The sex hormones are powerful tools for communication amongst cells, just as sexual acts are powerful communication between animals.  It seems that all of life is about some form of communication or relational experience.  Almost all of human behavior can be related to communication in some form.  We have just discovered another form here in hormones which are the chemical start to potential sexual fireworks.    

The other lesson learned here is that male and female really are fairly superficial aspects of our being and that every human has both, otherwise there would be no way for a male to take female hormones and take on the characteristics of female (or vice versa).  It really is as simple as flipping a switch in the physical makeup of the body to shift from one sex to the other on a physical level.  Of course there is a complex process that occurs and many would not consider this simple, but the point is it occurs when the messenger (hormone) tells the cell which form to take, just like flipping the light switch on the wall.  What does not shift is the gender identity or sexual orientation which is hard wired into the brain.”

A note to my transgender friends, as you know, hormones are powerful tools, but do not change the mind or your Spiritual essence, if anything they do help to accentuate them though as in the process our body, mind and Spirit are aligned.  While they help many people, they are not for everyone, so make sure you are clear on your gender identity before you make this big step.  Going back is possible at this level, but not without permanent changes depending on how far down the road you get.  I for one must say hormones are the best thing I have done for myself since becoming aware of my transgender status.  Now to have the surgery so I can stop taking them!

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity

MtoF Transtion and what to expect January 30, 2010

The usual course of transition for a MtoF transsexual is to first dress as a woman and to socialize with your peers prior to taking the major step of CHT or Contra-Hormone Therapy.  This does not need to be on a full time basis, although it can be.  Socializing as a woman is very different than as a man so getting used to that aspect is greatly beneficial in both determining if you desire to progress and gaining the skills necessary to be successful.  Many things will come naturally for you such as mannerisms, emotional behavior including your needs and desires, and mental processes.  What may not be so natural is movement, social expectations and relationships.  Transition is basically the process of breaking down our learned “male” persona and allowing our natural female self to emerge.  This will be easier for some, but is a big road block for many of us. 

It is important to be patient with the transition process and allow these things to occur naturally, although counseling, feminine coaching, and voice therapy do play an important part.  A skilled counselor can guide your path and point out aspects that are not natural if they are not obvious and help you get in touch with your authentic self.  The feminine coach is valuable in helping you to get in touch with feminine energy and develop its expression.  I must say the first time I felt my feminine energy vs. my masculine energy it was a revelation!  Being aware of our body’s energy and what we are projecting is very important.  For women to truly be feminine for instance we do not project that energy, we simple center ourselves in it and this simple act will attract others to us.  I have posted a link on the gender links page of my website to The Yin Project; I highly recommend her. 

Voice therapy is very important also and I suggest that you start this process as soon as possible, even before transitioning if you are planning that far ahead, which most of us do not.  I also recommend getting electrolysis started as soon as possible and depending on your age, I recommend doing laser first to clear the dark hairs and let the electrologist focus on the light hairs.  Don’t let the electrologist tell you that laser is not permanent because I know that it is from experience.   I have a page on this website that goes over the whole process of transition planning, so I would like to stay focused here on what to expect.  So expect laser to work and with the proper hormone regimen the face is the only area to be concerned with unless you are unusually hairy and I know that some men are, that is OK (it doesn’t mean anything, unless you say it does, lol). 

The hormones do a remarkable job of reducing body hair and stopping male pattern hair loss.  Find a doctor who specializes in CHT for transgender/transsexual persons, because doing this yourself or using a doctor with little or no experience is setting yourself up for failure.  It can be done on your own, but that is contrary to what this whole journey is about in my opinion, which is to fully and completely experience the transition.  Many TG/TS’s want to jump straight to the result and if that was the way it was meant to be then don’t you think that you would have been female from birth?  I can hear all the opinions flying as I write this which is great, remember this is from my experience and if you desire a different experience then make it so.  More on this subject can be found here.   ;-) Sequoia Elisabeth