This story is from the comments listed below, summarised by AI.
Authenticity Assessment: Not Suspicious
Based on the provided comments, the account appears authentic. There are no serious red flags suggesting it is a bot or an inauthentic actor.
The comments display a consistent, nuanced, and personal narrative about self-discovery, therapy, and rejecting gender labels. The details (like specific therapy types, personal hobbies, and the emotional journey of name change) are complex and lack the repetitive, agenda-driven patterns of an inauthentic account. The user's passion aligns with the expected perspective of a desister.
About me
I started using the name Annie after a suicide attempt at 20, desperately wanting a fresh start. Through hard work in therapy and finding real friends, I learned my struggle wasn't about gender but about being lost and unhappy. I rediscovered my love for music and stopped chasing labels to focus on what truly makes me happy. Now I present very feminine but see gender rules as silly, and I've finally learned to love myself. My journey was about transitioning from being lost to finding peace, and I don't regret the path that got me here.
My detransition story
My name is Annie, and I want to share my story about my journey with identity. Looking back, I see now that I was never trans. I was just a very lost and unhappy person trying to find a way to feel better.
It all started when I was 20, after a really low point where I attempted suicide. I felt like I needed a complete fresh start, and a big part of that was changing my name. I had hated my birth name for my entire life, so I decided to change it. I haven't done the legal paperwork yet, so places like banks still use my old name. At first, hearing my legal name felt really bad, almost like dysphoria. But over time, those feelings completely faded. It’s surprising what time can heal. Now, if someone calls me by my legal name, I honestly don't give a fuck. The people who know and love me call me Annie, and that’s what matters.
What really helped me turn things around was therapy, specifically DBT. It changed my life immensely, but it wasn't a magic cure. It was hard work. Therapy can help you find yourself, but it only works if you're honest. I had a therapist once who was a specialist for a disorder I thought I had, and she was the best. But I was frustrated because she refused to give me a full diagnosis. I realize now that if I had been totally honest with her, she could have helped me with my eating disorder and anxiety. I was young and dumb, and I let my heartbreak control my life back then. I didn’t let her into my other problems, which wasn't her fault. She was getting close to the real issues, and her holistic approach still helped me make better choices in all parts of my life.
I also learned that chasing diagnoses, especially by self-diagnosing online, isn't helpful. When you're young, you think a label will give you all the answers. But the best thing you can do is focus on what makes you truly happy. Learn who you are. Get to know yourself. Learning self-love is the hardest part, but it's the most rewarding.
Another huge help was finding a solid group of friends. I made them playing Pathfinder Society, which is a Dungeons and Dragons meetup group. I also poured myself into my real interests, like playing piano and singing karaoke. I worked hard to banish my social anxiety. My motto was "fake it until you make it," and it fucking works. I remembered who I always was deep down: a creative bard.
My thoughts on gender are that it’s pretty ridiculous. I think the idea that heels and earrings are feminine is a silly, modern Western concept. Men in Africa and Polynesia wore earrings for centuries. American politicians used to wear pink silks, powdered wigs, and heels. Gender is just a set of silly societal rules, and it's easiest to just play by those rules in public. It's dumb, but true.
Now, I present as super feminine—makeup, dresses, the whole lot. But I also love catching frogs, and bugs don't scare me at all. I think all these gender umbrellas and labels are ridiculous. I don't need to think about how masculine or feminine I am 24/7, and I don't want people to treat me differently based on how I look.
I don’t have any regrets about changing my name because it was part of my journey to finding myself. It was a step I needed to take at the time. My journey wasn't about transitioning genders; it was about transitioning from being lost to finally understanding and loving myself.
Here is a timeline of the main events:
| My Age | Event |
|---|---|
| 20 | Attempted suicide. Afterwards, I started using the name Annie for a fresh start. |
| 20 | Started DBT therapy, which helped me immensely. |
| Early 20s | Made a solid friend group through Pathfinder Society and rediscovered my love for piano and singing. |
| Early 20s | Worked on my social anxiety and learned to practice self-love. |
Top Comments by /u/AnnieBananny:
Heels + Earrings = feminine is such a silly western modern cultural idea.
Men of Africa wore earrings for centuries. Polynesia as well. American politicians wore pink silks, powdered wigs, and heels on the regular.
Gender is a silly collective societal set of rules and it’s easiest to play by the rules in public. Dumb but true.
Yes. The best therapist I ever had, who was a specialist for the disorder I was diagnosed with (technically traits) refused to fully diagnose me and it frustrated me beyond belief. If I had been totally honest with her, I think she would have gotten me to talk about my eating disorder and anxiety and really made a lasting difference. Unfortunately I let my heartbreak rule the story of my life at the time (I was young and dumb) but she still helped immensely with that. I didn’t let her into my other problems, it wasn’t her fault... but she was getting close, and her holistic manner caused me to make better choices in all spheres of my life.
Edit: please don’t self-diagnose with anything, ever. Labels just aren’t helpful. When you’re young, you think it will give you more information? The more you can research on the internet, the better, right?
Actually the best thing you can do is focus on what makes you truly happy and how to chase that, and tolerate everything else in the meantime. Learn you. Get to know yourself. Learn self-love which is the hardest part but the most rewarding in the long run. And don’t worry too much about diagnoses until a doctor tells you how that label might help you. And how they can help you with it.
Thanks. I’m uberfemme presenting, makeup, dresses? The lot. I also love catching frogs. Bugs don’t scare me.
Gender umbrellas and labels are ridiculous. I don’t need to think about how feminine or masculine I may be 24/7, thanks. And I don’t want people treating me differently based on how tomboy-ish I look.
Ridiculous.
I am not trans. I was never trans.
I still changed my name when I was 20, after a suicide attempt. I needed a fresh start. I hated my name my whole life.
I haven't legally changed it yet. People still call me the old name; banks, airlines. At first it was kind of dysphoric. After a while, the emotions totally faded. You'd be surprised at what time can heal - now if someone calls me my legal name, I actually don't give a fuck - because the people who know and love me call me Annie.
Change your dang name. It's not hard at all! You just tell everyone. That's it. People are very respectful about it.
Also DBT therapy changed my life immensely, but therapy isn't a cure-all and it's not easy. Therapy may help you find yourself.
What also helped me find myself is a solid group of friends I made playing Pathfinder Society (a dungeons and dragons meetup group) and pouring myself into my real interests. Piano, singing karaoke, etc. I banished my social anxiety ("fake it until you make it" was my confidence motto for a long time, and it fucking works) and remembered who I always was: a creative bard.