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Reddit user /u/Outrageous_Proof_812's Detransition Story

Transitioned: 20 -> Detransitioned: 24
female
took hormones
regrets transitioning
anxiety
autistic
This story is from the comments listed below, summarised by AI.
On Reddit, people often share their experiences across multiple comments or posts. To make this information more accessible, our AI gathers all of those scattered pieces into a single, easy-to-read summary and timeline. All system prompts are noted on the prompts page.

Sometimes AI can hallucinate or state things that are not true. But generally, the summarised stories are accurate reflections of the original comments by users.
Authenticity Assessment: Not Suspicious

Based on the comments provided, this account appears authentic. There are no serious red flags suggesting it is a bot or an inauthentic actor.

The user's narrative is highly detailed, personal, and consistent over a long period. They describe a specific, plausible detransition journey, including the emotional distress of being misdiagnosed with BPD traits before receiving an autism diagnosis. Their focus on voice training is technical and shows a deep, evolving personal investment. The account expresses complex, nuanced views that are common in the community, such as distinguishing their experience from "true" gender dysphoria while acknowledging that HRT can be the right choice for some people. The passion and occasional anger present are consistent with someone who has experienced significant personal harm.

About me

My journey began because I never felt like other girls, but I later learned that was due to being an autistic woman, not a gender issue. I identified as transgender and took testosterone for 11 months, but I realized it was a mistake when I started passing as male. Stopping hormones was difficult, and I'm left with permanent changes, especially a deeper voice that causes me a lot of anxiety. I needed to go through that experience to finally get my correct autism diagnosis and understand myself. Now, I accept that I am a woman, and I'm learning to live with the permanent effects of my medical transition.

My detransition story

My whole journey with transition and detransition was based on a misunderstanding of who I am. I now know I am an autistic woman, and that was the core of my confusion. I never felt like other girls, but I couldn't figure out why. It wasn't about gender; it was because I'm neurodivergent. A psychiatrist misdiagnosed me with 'BPD traits' instead of recognizing my autism, and I feel like that failure set me on the wrong path for my entire adulthood.

I started identifying as transgender and took testosterone for 11 months. I didn't have what I now believe is true gender dysphoria. I didn't hate my body. I think I just wanted to be trans. It felt like an identity I could adopt to explain why I felt so different. I was deeply involved in online communities, and it gave me a sense of belonging that I'd never had before. When I finally started passing as male, I realized it was all wrong. It felt like the worst possible outcome. I knew then that I had made a huge mistake.

Stopping testosterone was the beginning of a difficult detransition. My body changed back in many ways. My skin softened, my body odor returned to normal, my fat redistributed, and the terrible acne I got on my arms, back, and face cleared up. But some changes are permanent. The biggest issue I struggle with every day is my voice. It dropped significantly on testosterone and now sounds deeper than a typical woman's voice. For a long time after stopping, I was constantly misgendered. People would look at me, see a woman, but hear my voice and think I was a trans woman. This causes me a lot of social anxiety, especially because I'm autistic and already find social situations challenging. It’s been a long process, but my voice has naturally lightened more than I ever thought possible, and I've done a lot of voice training, similar to what trans women do, to help it sound more feminine.

I don't regret transitioning in the sense that I needed to go through it to find the real answer, which was my autism diagnosis. But I deeply regret the permanent changes, especially my voice. I wish I had never taken hormones. I've come to accept that I am a woman, even though I don't always like what that means in our society. My experience has made me cautious. I believe that for some people with severe, persistent physical dysphoria, medical transition might be the right path, but I think it's crucial to rule out other causes first, like trauma, internalized homophobia, or being neurodivergent like me.

Looking back, my thoughts on gender are that it's complicated, but for me, it wasn't the issue. I was trying to solve a social and neurological problem with a medical solution. I'm just an autistic woman, and I'm finally learning to live with that.

Here is a timeline of my journey:

My Age Event
Early 20s Started identifying as transgender and began social transition.
23 Started taking testosterone.
24 Stopped testosterone after 11 months because I realized it was wrong for me.
24 Began the process of detransitioning.
24-25 Received formal diagnoses for Autism and ADHD.
24-Present My voice naturally lightened and I started voice training to sound more feminine.
26 (Present) I am now seen as a woman 99.9% of the time in my daily life.

Top Comments by /u/Outrageous_Proof_812:

56 comments • Posting since August 29, 2022
Reddit user Outrageous_Proof_812 (detrans female) comments that medical transition and puberty blockers will soon be seen as the worst medical scandal in history, comparable to the lobotomy.
77 pointsFeb 21, 2023
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Maybe I am too hopeful, but I believe we will soon see the day where the number of us who regret medical transition or even blockers will be too much to ignore, and like the lobotomy, this will go down as the worst medical scandal of history. I believe that this will happen, and it will happen SOON.

Reddit user Outrageous_Proof_812 (detrans female) advises asking a niece about her desire to transition, suggesting questions on masculinity, future goals, long-term testosterone use, and surgical risks.
27 pointsAug 29, 2022
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Ask questions to explore her identity. What makes her masculine? How does she envision herself as a boy? What would that look like in the future? What are her specific transition goals? How will transitioning help her specifically? Does she envision herself growing old as a man? What would that look like? Is she ok with having to use testosterone for the rest of her life? Does she know about the risks of surgery?

Reddit user Outrageous_Proof_812 (detrans female) explains how passing as male led to her realization she wasn't trans, and shares her diagnoses of autism, ADHD, and BPD as contributing factors.
20 pointsJan 25, 2023
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I knew I wasn't trans because I finally passed and then I realized it was all wrong. This is the worst possible outcome. I was later diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and BPD. I felt different from other women because I was autistic, and the trauma from being neurodivergent didn't help. Hope this helps you. Please remember that hormones are often permanent

Reddit user Outrageous_Proof_812 (detrans female) advises against medical transition unless one has severe, persistent dysphoria specifically about their secondary sex characteristics, suggesting the "alone on an island" test to determine if distress is internal.
20 pointsMar 24, 2023
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I would advise you not to go though any medical procedures unless you feel persistent and severe dysphoria SPECIFICALLY based on your secondary sex characteristics.

A good rule of thumb is, 'If I was alone on an island, would I still have distress over my body?". If not, don't bother. It's not worth any of the potential complications

Edit: the rest can be worked through with therapy. I STILL don't want to be a woman in this society. Yet I accept that I simply am one.

Reddit user Outrageous_Proof_812 (detrans female) explains she blames medical professionals for not diagnosing her autism, which led her to misinterpret her differences from other women as a sign of being trans.
19 pointsNov 12, 2022
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I blame the professionals who were not, and still not educated about autism and never told me I was an autistic woman, even before all the trans stuff. That is what I am focusing on now. I KNEW I wasn't like most other women, I just couldn't pinpoint how.

Reddit user Outrageous_Proof_812 (detrans female) recommends resources for lesbians with genital preferences, suggesting the r/Actuallylesbian subreddit and YouTuber Arielle Scarcella.
19 pointsJan 14, 2023
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Not lesbian, but check out r/Actuallylesbian instead. They seem to share your thoughts. Arielle Scarcella is a lesbian on youtube who also shares some of these thoughts. She has lots of followers so she must be resonating with some lesbians out there

Reddit user Outrageous_Proof_812 (detrans female) advises on how to discuss a friend's gender questioning by asking exploratory questions about their transition goals and the realities of aging as a man.
17 pointsSep 21, 2023
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This is tough. I think that they might go on the defensive if you question your identity. Maybe you can just ask exploratory questions like 'What does being a man feel like to you?' and somehow bring up maybe jokingly that they will deal with all the issues of looking like an old man eventually (balding etc). You can ask specifically what their transition goals are and what they want to look like and have a discussion about what usually ends up happening (you look like the men in your family) But yeah this is really tough :(

Reddit user Outrageous_Proof_812 (detrans female) explains why she recommends against hormones for those without severe dysphoria, sharing her own experience of detransitioning and developing reverse dysphoria after realizing she is an autistic female with BPD traits.
17 pointsJan 27, 2023
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You remind me of my old self, and I have detransitioned and I had honestly given myself reverse dysphoria from my transition. I recommend NOT going on hormones if you don't have severe and persistent dysphoria regarding your primary or secondary sex characteristics. I turned out to be an autistic female with BPD traits. Hope this helps.

Reddit user Outrageous_Proof_812 (detrans female) explains how her transition was driven by a desire "to BE trans" and a misunderstanding of her autistic perception of gender, rather than by dysphoria.
17 pointsJan 11, 2023
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I think my experience might be different than most because I did not experience true gender dysphoria (I thought I had social dysphoria only) and I now see my experience as misunderstanding my very autistic perception of my own gender. I find that this is very different than the average trans experience. I didn't want to be a man, per se. I wanted to BE trans. I don't know if that makes sense. For me, there was no dysphoria to be resolved. There was an identity to be uncovered. I unfortunately now have 'dysphoria' about my voice and hair :/

Reddit user Outrageous_Proof_812 (detrans female) advises taking a break from online debates, suggesting real-world relationships are more effective for changing minds.
16 pointsApr 10, 2023
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Take a break from it all if you need. No one might listen to you if you argue on the internet. The best way to change people's minds is to get out in the real world, make relationships and then speak openly to people. Arguing on the internet is usually not worth it. I personally find it very triggering sometimes