This story is from the comments listed below, summarised by AI.
Authenticity Assessment: Not Suspicious
Based on the provided comments, this account appears authentic. There are no serious red flags suggesting it is a bot or inauthentic.
The user's comments are highly specific, emotionally nuanced, and show a consistent, passionate perspective focused on medical critique and personal support, which aligns with a genuine detransitioner or desister. The language is natural, varied, and lacks the repetition or incoherence typical of bots.
About me
I started as a young girl who felt like I didn't fit in and hated the changes of puberty. I was a depressed teenager when I found communities online that convinced me all my pain was because I was really a boy. I was given testosterone and had surgery as a minor, but it never fixed the emptiness inside. I now know I was just a woman who struggled with self-acceptance, and I deeply regret the permanent changes to my body. I'm learning to live as female again, focusing on what my body can do rather than how it looks.
My detransition story
My whole journey with gender started when I was really young. I never felt like I fit in with other girls. I hated my body when puberty began; developing breasts felt like a nightmare and I was deeply uncomfortable with the changes. I now believe a lot of this was simple puberty discomfort that got completely out of hand because I had such low self-esteem and anxiety. I was also struggling with depression and used the internet as a form of escapism, where I found communities that encouraged me to interpret all of my pain as gender dysphoria.
By the time I was 14, I was convinced I was a boy and I begged, pleaded, and cried for hormone therapy. I pushed every boundary I could. Looking back, I feel the medical and therapeutic professionals who assessed me did a shit job. They never looked deeper into my depression, anxiety, or my struggles with self-acceptance. They just saw a distressed kid who said they were trans and gave me what I asked for. I feel like I, and my whole family, were betrayed by them. Kids push boundaries; it’s part of growing up. The adults are supposed to be the ones who assess properly and provide correct treatment, not just give in to a 14-year-old who is acting up.
I took testosterone for several years. I got top surgery. I thought it would fix everything, but it didn’t. The feelings of emptiness and discomfort didn’t go away; they just changed shape. I eventually realized I had been wrong. I was never a man. I was just a woman who hated the expectations placed on women and felt incredibly uncomfortable in my own skin. I think I was influenced online to believe that my feelings could only mean one thing.
I don’t regret my transition in the sense that it led me to where I am now, which is a place of much greater understanding. But I do deeply regret the permanent changes to my body, and I am angry at the system that allowed a child to make such life-altering decisions. I am now infertile because of the hormones, and that is a hard reality to live with.
My thoughts on gender now are much simpler. Being female doesn’t mean anything except that you have a female reproductive system. It doesn’t dictate your personality, your interests, or how you should look. You don't need to "feel" female. You just are. A person with brown eyes doesn't "feel" like they have brown eyes; they just have them. I’m learning to appreciate what my body is capable of doing, like walking, running, or swimming. That’s what our bodies are for.
Detransitioning has been hard, both physically and socially. It takes time to adjust and it’s painful sometimes. But I’m focusing on my interests and what I want to accomplish in life, using the body and brain I have. I make sure to get exercise every day; the endorphins really do help.
I believe kids with gender dysphoria are being exploited. The medical industry has created a feeding frenzy, turning confused kids into lifelong patients. I hope there are huge lawsuits and settlements someday; it’s probably the only way this will end.
| Age | Date (Approximate) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | ~2013 | Started puberty, began hating breast development and female body changes. |
| 14 | ~2014 | Convinced I was transgender. Fought with professionals to get on hormone therapy. |
| 14 | ~2014 | Began taking testosterone. |
| 17 | ~2017 | Underwent top surgery (double mastectomy). |
| 19 | ~2019 | Realized I was wrong, began the process of detransitioning. Stopped testosterone. |
| 20 | 2020 | Living as a female again, coping with the permanent effects of medical transition. |
Top Comments by /u/elvjust:
" If I really tried I could somehow see myself as female and I don't know what that means."
Hi Waterfallsarecool,
All female means is that you have a female reproductive system; that is ovaries, uterus, vagina, breasts. It means nothing more. It doesn't mean you need to wear a bra or like bras. It doesn't mean you need to like having a period. Many, many females find periods to be a hassle. It doesn't mean you need to shave your legs, or like makeup, or high heels, or certain clothes or certain hairstyles. It doesn't mean you should gravitate toward female avatars when you play video games. It doesn't mean you should have certain interests. It doesn't mean you need to hang out with mostly girls or that that you should feel attracted to men. You don't need to see yourself as female to be female. It's just means you have female reproductive organs; that's all. You choose to be whatever kind of female you want to be. Wear men's clothes, get a buzz cut, become an engineer, skateboard, join the wrestling team. Do whatever you want. Look however you want. You don't need to see yourself as female. You don't need to feel female. You just are female. A brown-eyed person doesn't feel like she has brown eyes; she just has them.
I know it is much easier said than done, but focus on your interests and what you would like to accomplish during your life. And use the body and brain you happen to have to pursue those interests and achieve those things.
You did NOT betray your Mom and family. You, your Mom and family were betrayed by the medical and therapeutic professionals who did such a shit job of assessing you that they allowed you to start hormone therapy at 14. And I don't care how hard you begged, pleaded, cried, or threatened to get hormones. Kids push boundaries; it is part of growing up. The professionals should be assessing and giving correct treatment regardless of how much a 14 year old acts up. You are doing the right thing now. Your Mom will come around.
This is probably lame, but can you focus on appreciating what your body is capable of doing? If there is anything physical you enjoy doing or that you've wanted to try, give it a try or do more of it, and feel good about the fact you can dance or bike or run or walk or swim. That is really what are bodies are for.
I think kids with gender dysphoria are being exploited by the medical and pharmaceutical industries. If they can get a kid on puberty blockers, they can have a medical patient for life: hormone treatments, blood tests, genital electrolysis, facial electrolysis, laser body hair reduction, breast augmentation, facial feminization surgery, orchiectomies, vaginoplasties, colovaginoplasties, metoidioplasties, phalloplasties, and double mastectomies , then all the treatments to fix the mess they made, and insurance or Medicaid will pay for it. There was one pediatric gender clinic in the U.S. in 2007. By 2017, there were 40. It's a feeding frenzy. I'm betting this will be the next big medical scandal, like the opioid crisis, but worse because they are targeting kids. I hope there are huge settlements someday. It is probably the only way this will end.
Dear u/Phantom,
Don't hurt yourself. You aren't just detransitioning physically. You are detransitioning socially. It's going to take time to adjust, and it will be painful sometimes, but things will get better over time. Make sure to get exercise every day. The endorphins will do you good.