This story is from the comments listed below, summarised by AI.
Authenticity Assessment: Not Suspicious
Based on the comments provided, the account appears authentic.
The user explicitly states twice that they are not detransitioned themselves but are an ally, often sharing a consistent, detailed story about their sister's mental health struggles. The language is nuanced, shows personal reflection over time, and includes natural conversational elements like correcting a typo. There are no red flags of automation or inauthenticity in this sample.
About me
I watched my sister struggle with severe mental illness, including body dysmorphia and different diagnoses, while she was in treatment centers. I was struck by how many other young people in those places identified as trans, which made me start to question the simple explanations I used to believe. I began to see that for some, the desire to become the opposite sex can be a way to escape from deep self-hatred and pain. My own experience with therapy showed me how crucial it is to untangle these complex feelings instead of just affirming them. Now, I believe that for people like my sister, gender confusion can be a symptom of a deeper problem that needs proper care.
My detransition story
My journey with all of this is a bit different because I didn't personally transition, but watching my sister go through it was a huge part of my life and it completely changed how I think about everything.
For years, my sister was really struggling. She was in and out of hospitals and group homes because of her mental health. She was first diagnosed with schizophrenia because she had audio hallucinations and really severe body dysmorphia. Later, they said it was borderline personality disorder. The doctors never really seemed to agree, and it felt like they were just trying different diagnoses to see what treatment might stick.
During all this time, when she was in these treatment centers, I was shocked by how many of the other young people there identified as trans or non-binary. It was way, way more than you would ever see in a regular school or anywhere else. At the time, I was really into liberal feminism, so I explained it away. I told my mom that of course they were depressed—being in the wrong body and dealing with transphobia is traumatic. But even then, a part of me wondered, because you don't see that same level of concentrated mental illness in other minority groups.
Seeing all that made me start to question things. I began to think that for some people, maybe transitioning is a way to escape from themselves, especially if they have a lot of self-hatred. The idea of changing into a completely different person, a different sex, seems like a way to run away from whatever is causing you so much pain. I saw how mental illness and a deep unhappiness with yourself could get tangled up with the idea of being trans.
I also learned a lot from my own therapy. I went for anxiety and depression, and it helped me see how valuable it is to have someone help you sort through your thoughts. It made everything clearer and simpler. That’s why I always suggest therapy to people who are questioning. I think if my sister had gotten really thorough, non-affirming therapy that tried to untangle her body dysmorphia from everything else, it might have helped her understand what was really going on.
I don't have any regrets about my own transition because I never did it. But I do regret not understanding the situation better when it was happening with my sister. I regret just accepting the simple explanation instead of seeing the complicated connection between severe mental illness and the desire to transition. My thoughts on gender now are that it's incredibly complex, and for some people, it can be a symptom of a deeper problem that needs care, not just affirmation.
Here is a timeline of the main events from my sister's experience, based on what I witnessed:
| My Age | Sister's Age (approx.) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | 16 | My sister starts being hospitalized for mental health issues, including audio hallucinations and body dysmorphia. |
| 15 | 17 | I first notice the high number of trans and non-binary youth in the treatment centers she stays in. |
| 16 | 18 | I argue with my mom, defending the idea that being trans causes depression, not the other way around. |
| 19 | 21 | My sister receives a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, after earlier diagnoses of schizophrenia. |
| 20 | 22 | I go to therapy for my own anxiety and depression, which solidifies my belief in the importance of non-affirming therapy for complex issues. |
Top Comments by /u/TyrannosaurusTERF:
Those “horror stories” ring true though. They may not speak for everyone’s experience with SRS but they highlight complications associated with m:f SRS that are otherwise not discussed. The procedures may have been around a while but they’re still far from perfect.
I don’t usually comment here because I’m not de-trans myself, but my sister has bipolar personality disorder and she was in and out of hospitals/wards/group homes for a handful of her teen years, and the amount of trans and non-binary people we saw in those places was shocking. Way more than reasonably proportional. At the time I brushed it off as “being in the wrong body is traumatic and so is transphobia.” But you don’t see that with other minorities.
I know someone already recommended therapy and you said she doesn’t believe in it, but I would really really suggest it. I just went to therapy for my anxiety + depression but all therapists are basically the same in that they organize all your thoughts nearly together and make everything so much more clear and simple. Maybe do some research and talk to her about what you believe therapy could do, or get her to talk with someone who had been in therapy about what it can do. I really think it’s a good ideal.
When my sis and I were teens, my sister was in and out of hospitals and wards and homes for years because of her schizophrenia, and so many people in the places she went identified as trans or non binary. At the time I was a good little libfem and told my mom it was because being trans/non-binary caused depression, not that it could be a side effect of mental illness.
I don’t want to give advice because I’m here as an ally as opposed to being de-trans myself, but I would assume it depends on if the reasons for your transition in the first place are still valid to you. I hope whatever you decide you find happiness with yourself, good luck.
I’m not detrans so I’m sorry I can’t answer, but if you’re experiences do return there are things you can try. I used to have awful periods as well and eventually I was diagnosed with pcos and given hormones to treat that, it’s possible you have a similar imbalance, and if you don’t which is also possible, my periods got extremely more bearable when I went on birth control. If you’ve already looked into these please ignore me, but I definitely suggest you look into these and discuss them with your doctor if you haven’t before.
Yes sorry, I meant to type borderline personality disorder, possibly an auto correct mistake. I wouldn’t personally call them distinct though. Every doctor she goes to has something different to say. Her first diagnosis was schizophrenia because she has audio hallucinations and severe body dysmorphia, and even now we don’t know for sure what is going on with her. Some people are textbook cases, but for others it’s more just diagnosing to try different treatments to see what works out. People are misdiagnosed all the time because we don’t really know as much about these illnesses as we like to claim.
Thank you for the thoughtful reply! Do you think self hate could be a motivator for transitioning in itself in certain circumstances? As in hating oneself to a degree that it causes a want to change into a new person/change something so fundamental (such as sex) to escape?
I’m very confused and don’t know where your anger is coming from, and I don’t know what my username has to do with anything. Mentally ill people make all kinds of choices that seem preposterous. I asked someone with experience what they thought, and if you read their reply you’d see that they actually agreed with me. I’m not sure what you think the problem is.