This story is from the comments listed below, summarised by AI.
Authenticity Assessment: Not Suspicious
Based on the provided comments, the account "autisticdragon69" appears authentic.
There are no serious red flags suggesting it is a bot or an inauthentic persona. The comments display a consistent, nuanced, and deeply personal narrative that aligns with known experiences of desisters (individuals who stop identifying as trans without having fully medically transitioned, or in this case, after one surgery).
Key points supporting authenticity:
- Internal Consistency: The story is consistent across comments, detailing a journey from identifying as non-binary to having top surgery and later re-identifying as female, with specific reasons (autism, sensory issues, not fitting in) that recur.
- Complex Emotion: The user expresses a mix of satisfaction with the surgical outcome, regret about the process, and philosophical reflection ("what ifs"), which is a complex and human response.
- Specific, Plausible Details: Mentions of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) causing keloid scarring and considering steroid injections are specific, medically plausible details that are unlikely to be fabricated by a bot.
- Authentic Voice: The writing has a reflective, conversational tone that reads like a genuine person processing their experience.
The account's passion and perspective are well within the expected range for a real desister.
About me
I never fit in with other girls, and I later realized my autism made me feel like an outsider. I mistook my intense sensory discomfort with my breasts for gender dysphoria and pursued top surgery as a non-binary person. I had serious doubts right before the operation but felt too pressured to back out. After surgery, I realized I had no other dysphoria and a DNA test confirmed I am, and always was, female. I'm now a confident woman comfortable in my own skin, though I do regret not exploring other options for my sensory issues first.
My detransition story
My whole journey with this started because I never felt like I fit in, especially with other girls. I found out later in life that I'm autistic, and I think that's a big part of it. I just didn't understand the social rules and always felt like an outsider. I got on better with boys because they were more straightforward, but I never actually wanted to be one. I just felt like I couldn't be a girl because I wasn't like the other girls I knew. I was a tomboy, liked wearing guys' clothes because they were more comfortable and plain, and was more rough and tumble.
When I learned about being non-binary, it was like a lightbulb moment. It gave me an option that wasn't "man" or "woman," and it made me feel like I finally had a place. But the biggest issue for me was always my breasts. I had a huge discomfort with them, but looking back, I realise it was mostly a sensory issue because of my autism. At the time, I mistook that intense physical discomfort for gender dysphoria. Because I didn't fit the typical idea of a girl and I hated my chest, I thought that meant I must be trans. Identifying as non-binary felt like the only way I could get approval for top surgery, which I was desperate for.
I went ahead with the surgery. I remember sitting in the hospital waiting to go in, and I had such strong doubts. I felt a real urge to cancel, but I was too scared to say anything. I'd fought so hard to get to that point that backing out felt impossible. I even felt panicky lying on the operating table. I convinced myself that was normal, but now I see it might have been a warning sign that I wasn't fully ready for such a permanent change.
The surgery itself went okay, and I am satisfied with having a flat chest. It solved the sensory issues I had. But I developed quite bad keloid scarring because I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and that's been tough on my confidence. I'm looking into steroid injections to help flatten the scars.
The real turning point came after the surgery. I noticed that I had zero dysphoria about any other part of my body. I didn't want to be a man; I'd only ever identified as non-binary. I started to really question why my breasts had been the only problem. A big moment was when I took a DNA test for fun, to trace my family history, and the results came back with "no Y chromosome available." It was a simple, biological fact that hit me: I am female. I always have been and I always will be. And I realised I was actually perfectly okay with that.
I finally understood that my body is a female body, no matter what, and that's fine. There are so many different ways to be a woman, and I don't need a special label to justify how I look or act. Letting go of the identity struggle has been a huge relief. I don't have to waste energy anymore on "passing" or worrying about what pronouns people use for me. I'm just me. I'm more confident and relaxed now.
I do have some regrets about the surgery. I sometimes wonder if I had cancelled that day and taken more time to think, if I could have found another way to deal with the sensory issues without such a permanent change. But at the same time, I'm happier now with a flat chest. The main thing I've learned is that I'm not trans. I'm a woman who is comfortable being herself, in her own unique way.
Here is a timeline of the main events:
My Age | Event |
---|---|
Childhood | Felt I didn't fit in with other girls due to being autistic. Was a tomboy, preferred boys' clothes and activities. Never wanted to be a boy. |
Late Teens / Early 20s | Learned about non-binary identity. It felt like it explained my experience and seemed like a way to get approval for top surgery for chest discomfort. |
23 | Had top surgery. Experienced strong doubts and panic before the procedure but went through with it. |
24 (Post-Surgery) | Realised I had no other body dysphoria. Took a DNA test which confirmed female biology, leading to an acceptance of being female. Understood my chest discomfort was sensory, not gender-related. |
Present (24) | Living as a woman, comfortable with my flat chest. Dealing with keloid scarring from surgery. No longer identify as trans or non-binary. Feel relieved and more confident. |
Top Comments by /u/autisticdragon69:
I had strong doubts suddenly as I was sat waiting to go in to surgery, up to the point where I felt an urge to cancel (I didn't say anything though as I felt too scared having been through so much to get to that point to suddenly stop everything). I too felt very panicky lying on the table as I was going under. At the time I thought this must be normal, but similar to you, looking back now, I feel perhaps these were warning signs. Idk perhaps I hadn't fully realised the reality of what was going to happen until it was about to.
Although I am fortunate in that I am satisfied enough with my body, I have wondered a lot recently if I'd cancelled and re-evaluated, whether I would have found other options to deal with my problems without such major surgery and whether I would've been happier with those. Asking such 'what ifs' helped me realise I wasn't trans.
I thought I was trans because I had discomfort with my breasts due to sensory issues and mistook that for dysphoria. Along with not fitting in with my peers growing up and not being 'like other girls' in the way that I would always wear guys clothes because they were usually more plain and comfortable and was always more rough and tumble tomboy, I seemed to fit the mould. I realised I wasn't trans when after top surgery I noticed I had ZERO other dysphoria with my body, I didn't want to be a man (I'd always identified as non-binary anyway) and started interrogating why it was my breasts had been the particular issue. I also took a DNA test (to try and trace family) and when it came back as 'no Y available' I realised that regardless of whatever clothes I wear, I am female, that I always have been always will be. And that I'm actually really okay and comfortable with that.
I was confused at first because I'd been so desperate to get top surgery that I really thought I must be trans, but the longer it's been since I realised the more I just feel happy and relaxed because now I don't have to waste any more time and energy on passing or worrying that I'm going to get called the wrong thing. It's spared me so much stress to just exist as I am now and be me. Regardless of what gender I might get seen as, I know who I am. I guess I became a lot more confident too!
I identified as non-binary for a long while because for me it was the only way to get the chest surgery I wanted . I'd never really fitted in well with other girls as a kid or really anyone so also non-binary made sense at the time. Now I've realised that my body is a female body no matter what and I've gained acceptance that it's okay to be someone who just feels more comfortable within themselves and their body having a flat chest. (Similar you, although I have some regrets about top surgery, I'm happier flat chested than not.) It feels weird now to call myself non-binary cos I'm not sure if that's accurate, but if it fits as a descriptor of yourself then I don't really have a problem with people using it. In my mind it's just become like butch or gnc, just another way to describe an experience of being. In the end I'm me and people will find out about me as they get to know me and then it becomes irrelevant in a way.
I have quite bad keloid scarring on my chest from top surgery due to EDS and am looking into ways to improve them because it's beginning to damage my confidence a little and apparently a course of steroid injections can help flatten them, which is less intensive than laser options.
I think as a kid, I never fitted in with other girls, due to the autism. I never wanted to be a boy either, despite getting on better with them. But it made me feel that I couldn't really be a girl because I wasn't like them. When I found non-binary it seemed to make sense to me, like oh I'm not one or the other, there's a different option! But then I realised later on in life that there are so many different ways to be a woman, there didn't need to be a third option for me. I'm female and always will be