I subconsciously loved the attention I got from coming out and using new pronouns at school. I chose a nickname that people would give me as my new name, and I would love when people would call me that because of how personal it felt despite me telling others to call me by that name. I felt revolutionary, in a sense, because I was a trans and gay POC in this intolerant Christian school.

Now, I understand that not everyone who identifies as trans does it for this reason, and some people have legitimate dysphoria, and I am not trying to diminish the experiences of those who do.

I think both cisgender and transgender people care about gender, just in different ways. The stereotypes surrounding gender will cause cisgender people to feel insecure about themselves, and they will take actions to fit into the mold of what “a real person of their gender should be”. For example, a lot of cis men tend to hold in their emotions because “men don’t cry”, and they feel “less like a man” if they express themselves.

I did not medically transition, just desisted, so correct me if I am wrong about anything, but medical detransitioners often detransition due to negative emotions surrounding their transition (for example, regret or missing being their birth gender). Because of the negative emotions surrounding transition, they tend to be against it since they don’t want others to experience what they have. Trans people who feel happy about their transition and want others with gender dysphoria to transition to feel that same happiness have opposing beliefs. Since trans people and detransitioners are often at odds with each other, it is discouraging for one side to support the other.

You say that no matter how you dress, you are still uncomfortable with your body. Could this be because of body dysmorphia instead of dysphoria?

I can’t tell you whether you are trans or not. Only you can know that about yourself. But perhaps talking with a professional could help you see what the best options are for you

I had a very similar experience to you, but my thoughts were caused by a subset of OCD, so medication and therapy helped me. Your situation may be different to mine, but in general, taking care of myself by eating right and exercising (I know, cliche, but if you are able to afford it, do it!) helps a lot.

I mistook a lot of autism symptoms for gender dysphoria. For example, I thought hating wearing dresses and not fitting in with other girls was because I was secretly non-binary/a guy. It turns out, a lot of dresses just gave me sensory issues, and I did not have the social skills to fit in with other women. I only had guy friends since those guy friends.. were autistic too

What you are describing sounds like a common experience with autistic women. I saw a couple videos where people say that they don’t feel like a girl because they don’t feel human, not in a gender dysphoria way. I feel similarly. I am detached from what is traditionally expected from women because I feel isolated from everyone, but I am still a woman. Figuring that out took some time, but everything clicked once it did.

I also struggle with Gender OCD! It’s tough, especially since my Gender OCD is coupled with Sexual Orientation OCD. I did transition socially but still felt wrong

I could not figure out why gender could not stop crossing my mind, and it would always be sudden thoughts and stress me out to the point where I could not think about anything else. The internet told me that it was a sign I was in denial, so I thought it was just that. I socially transitioned and still thought something was off. Then I found out about Gender Identity OCD, and everything clicked.