genderaffirming.ai 

undefined Detransition Stories & Timelines

Browse through 2061 unique detransition stories and timelines of people who haved shared their experiences in the /r/detrans subreddit, which is the largest open collection of detransition stories and experiences on the internet!

These stories have been summarised with the help of 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.

Only users who have shared enough to put together a full story and timeline are included. Users that have posted less than five comments or their comments that received less than three upvotes are disregarded. Posts are not yet included in the dataset.

Every user has been analysed for signs of bot generated or inauthentic content. Any account that does not appear to be a genuine de-transitioner is flagged 'suspicious'. These accounts will be manually reviewed and removed from the detrans.ai dataset if they are found to be inauthentic. Accounts that have made fewer than five comments have been ommitted from analysis.
Age Distribution
Detransition Pathways
Loading chart data...
Showing 20 of 2061 users

/u/DetransIS

1304 comments • Posting since 7/27/2019
Transitioned at 15 -> Detransitioned at 17

I was born with an intersex condition and felt like a freak because my body developed differently from other girls. I was manipulated into believing I was a boy and started testosterone as a teenager. The hormones and surgeries caused permanent health problems and changed my body in ways I can't reverse. I stopped years ago, but I now live with deep regret and a body that doesn't feel like mine. I was failed by everyone who should have helped me love myself as the woman I am.

female
internalised homophobia
took hormones
regrets transitioning
trauma
serious health complications
homosexual
intersex

/u/furbysaysburnthings

1142 comments • Posting since 4/30/2019
Transitioned at 25 -> Detransitioned at 33

I started transitioning to male at 25 to escape feeling like a failed woman and the pain from my past. I was on testosterone for over seven years, but I eventually realized I was using it as a coping mechanism, not because I was truly a man. Moving away from my affirming social circle gave me the perspective to see I was living a lie and dissociating from myself. I've been detransitioning for a year now, working to reverse the physical changes, which is difficult and scary. I now accept that I am female and am trying to build an identity for myself outside of gender entirely.

female
low self-esteem
took hormones
regrets transitioning
escapism
trauma
influenced online
influenced by friends
now infertile
body dysmorphia
retransition
puberty discomfort
benefited from psychedelic drugs
autistic

/u/portaux

1092 comments • Posting since 8/24/2019
Transitioned at 21 -> Desisted at 23

I always felt different from other girls and wanted to be treated with respect, which led me to believe I was a boy. I became deeply depressed and nearly took testosterone, convinced it was my only escape from misogyny. After years of questioning, I realized I didn't want to be a man; I just hated the sexist stereotypes forced on women. I never medically transitioned, and I now see myself as a masculine woman who loves herself as she is. My journey taught me that you don't need to change your body to be your authentic self.

female
low self-esteem
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
depression
influenced online
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
anxiety
only transitioned socially

/u/Takeshold

1008 comments • Posting since 1/17/2020

I started testosterone as an adult because I struggled with being a masculine woman and thought becoming a man was the answer. For years, I lived as male and saw how much easier life was for men, but I felt a deep loneliness and lost my connection to other women. I realized my pain came from internalized homophobia and that transitioning didn't solve my problems, while also introducing health risks my doctors never warned me about. Detransitioning was frightening, but I found acceptance in women's communities and learned to manage my dysphoria without changing my body. Now I'm a happier butch lesbian, living as a woman on my own terms and accepting the permanent changes from testosterone.

female
internalised homophobia
took hormones
regrets transitioning
serious health complications
homosexual

/u/fir3dyk3

576 comments • Posting since 4/5/2019
Transitioned at 19 -> Detransitioned at 23

I started identifying as non-binary in college because I felt trapped by stereotypes about women and wanted to escape the discomfort of being female in a sexist world. I even considered testosterone, but realized I didn't actually want to be seen as male, especially since my sexuality only made sense to me as a woman loving another woman. After graduating, I saw that identifying as non-binary was a pointless coping mechanism because the world still saw me as female. I let go of that identity and the confusing ideology that came with it, which was a huge relief. Now I'm at peace, simply living as a masculine lesbian without needing a special label to justify who I am.

female
internalised homophobia
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
escapism
depression
influenced online
homosexual
started as non-binary
anxiety

/u/Luck_Unlucky2

564 comments • Posting since 5/5/2022
Transitioned at 38 -> Detransitioned at 40

I felt like a boy from a very young age, a feeling made much worse by the sexual abuse I suffered, which taught me to hate my female body. I socially transitioned to live as a man in my late thirties and for a while, it felt like a huge relief. But when I considered medical transition, I stopped because I realized it would mean taking away my child's mother. Through deep reflection, I understood my desire to be male was rooted in trauma and a fear of being female, not an innate identity. Now, I am learning to accept myself as a masculine woman, finding peace by healing from my past and rejecting rigid gender labels.

female
internalised homophobia
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
trauma
homosexual
started as non-binary
sexuality changed
took puberty blockers
bisexual

/u/xnyvbb

527 comments • Posting since 5/2/2020
Transitioned at 19 -> Detransitioned at 20

I was a girl who felt uncomfortable with my body and thought I was supposed to be a boy, influenced by online communities and a past relationship. My transition, including testosterone and surgery, was traumatic and triggered severe health issues, leaving me with permanent changes. I realized my feelings were rooted in trauma, autism, and OCD, not in being male. I am now focused on accepting my female body and healing from my past. I deeply regret my choices and am undergoing expensive procedures to try and feel like myself again.

female
internalised homophobia
hated breasts
took hormones
regrets transitioning
escapism
trauma
depression
influenced online
influenced by friends
got top surgery
serious health complications
now infertile
body dysmorphia
retransition
puberty discomfort
benefited from psychedelic drugs
sexuality changed
autistic
ocd

/u/ComparisonSoft2847

499 comments • Posting since 10/9/2024
Transitioned at 19 -> Detransitioned at 30

I started as a teenager who was deeply uncomfortable with my developing female body and jealous of the freedom boys had. I thought becoming a man was the only way to be a valid, masculine person attracted to women. After being approved for testosterone, I got scared of the health risks and the performative role I felt I'd have to play. I fell into a long depression, but through therapy, I realized my struggle was with internalized homophobia and misogyny, not my sex. Now, I'm a happily married lesbian, finally comfortable as a masculine woman, and I regret the years I lost to that confusion.

female
internalised homophobia
took hormones
regrets transitioning
depression
influenced online
homosexual
puberty discomfort
doesn't regret transitioning

/u/Werevulvi

478 comments • Posting since 8/11/2019
Transitioned at 20 -> Detransitioned at 29

I was born female and transitioned to live as a man for nine years, starting when I was twenty. I later realized my dysphoria came from trauma and internalized homophobia, not from being truly transgender. I detransitioned after a sudden breakthrough where I integrated with a dissociative part of myself and my perspective completely shifted. I now live as a woman again, but I grieve my mastectomy every day and struggle with my permanently deep voice and beard. Despite the pain, I am finally at peace with being a lesbian and am healing from the past.

female
internalised homophobia
hated breasts
took hormones
regrets transitioning
trauma
depression
got top surgery
now infertile
body dysmorphia
retransition
homosexual
puberty discomfort
sexuality changed
autistic

/u/spamcentral

393 comments • Posting since 6/18/2022
Transitioned at 21 -> Detransitioned at 23

I was a tomboy from the start and felt punished when puberty hit and my body changed. After years of being misgendered, I identified as non-binary, but that just left me feeling isolated and confused. Losing a lot of weight helped me see my natural masculine frame, and I realized my real issues were trauma and society's narrow expectations for women. I stopped identifying as non-binary and now accept myself as a gender non-conforming woman in a happy relationship. My journey taught me that true peace comes from healing the root causes of pain, not from changing your body.

female
low self-esteem
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
trauma
depression
influenced online
body dysmorphia
retransition
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
had religious background
heterosexual

/u/sara7147

375 comments • Posting since 8/7/2019
Transitioned at 14

I watched my happy, athletic daughter suddenly declare she was a boy after being immersed in trans content online, which felt like a social trend, not something coming from within her. I believe she was struggling with the normal awkwardness of puberty and social rejection, and she latched onto this as a solution. I refused medical interventions and instead found a therapist who focused on her underlying mental health without pushing any labels. We focused on family time and real self-acceptance, and it was a slow, difficult journey with many ups and downs. Now, I believe my role was to love her through her pain and protect her from making irreversible decisions based on a temporary feeling.

female
influenced online
influenced by friends
puberty discomfort
benefited from non-affirming therapy

/u/Luck_Unlucky

352 comments • Posting since 1/1/2021
Transitioned at 18 -> Desisted at 40

I felt like a boy trapped in a girl's body from the time I was a toddler, a feeling that intensified with trauma I experienced. I socially transitioned to live as a man in my 40s and for a while, it felt like the answer. I eventually realized my desire to be male was a coping mechanism tied to my past and internalized shame about being female. Through therapy, I learned to accept my body and understand that my masculine interests don't make me less of a woman. I'm now at peace, living as a masculine woman, and finally free from the depression that haunted me for decades.

female
low self-esteem
internalised homophobia
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
escapism
trauma
depression
homosexual
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
only transitioned socially
sexuality changed
bisexual

/u/Ok_Bullfrog_8491

345 comments • Posting since 5/16/2024
Transitioned at 10 -> Detransitioned at 21

I started hating my female body as a teenager and developed anorexia to stop my periods and look androgynous. I broke several bones at 21 because my eating disorder had given me osteoporosis, which was my wake-up call. During my recovery, I found weightlifting and began to appreciate my body for its strength instead of how it looked. I was later diagnosed with autism, which helped me understand my social struggles weren't because I was meant to be male. I am now a healthy, happy woman and I want to help others avoid the same suffering I went through.

female
hated breasts
depression
serious health complications
now infertile
body dysmorphia
puberty discomfort
autistic
eating disorder

/u/DraftCurrent4706

341 comments • Posting since 10/15/2024
Transitioned at 17 -> Detransitioned at 19

I started as a depressed teenager who didn't fit in with other girls and was bullied by boys, which made me hate the idea of being a weak woman. I escaped into anime and began fetishizing gay men, eventually believing I was supposed to be one. My research into the permanent effects of hormones and surgery horrified me and made me realize I could never actually become a man. I understood that I didn't want to be a real man; I just wanted to escape the misogyny I had internalized. Now I'm a happy, masculine woman who worked through my real issues and I'm grateful I never medically transitioned.

female
internalised homophobia
porn problem
regrets transitioning
escapism
trauma
autogynephilia (agp)
depression
influenced online
body dysmorphia
anxiety
sexuality changed

/u/novaskyd

333 comments • Posting since 10/21/2019
Transitioned at 17 -> Desisted at 22

I started identifying as a trans man in my late teens because I was a lonely, anxious kid who didn't fit in with other girls. I lived as a man for four years and even got a prescription for testosterone, but using the gel never felt right and made me hesitate. What really changed things was realizing I could still enjoy feminine things and that there's no single way to be a woman. Now, I'm comfortable living as a female; I'm married with kids and see my body for what it can do, not just how it looks. Looking back, I believe my anxiety and social pressures played a big role, and I'm grateful I found my way through it without medical intervention.

female
low self-esteem
internalised homophobia
took hormones
regrets transitioning
depression
influenced online
body dysmorphia
retransition
homosexual
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
anxiety
only transitioned socially
autistic
ocd
had religious background

/u/trialeterror

321 comments • Posting since 1/18/2019
Transitioned at 16 -> Detransitioned at 27

I wanted to be a boy from a very young age and started medically transitioning in my mid-twenties. I took testosterone and had top surgery, but I realized it could never make me truly male. I detransitioned because I accepted I am female and that my dysphoria came from trauma and unhealthy thought patterns. While surgery relieved some distress, I now live with chronic pain and some regrets. I'm finally at peace focusing on what my body can do, rather than what it is.

female
hated breasts
took hormones
regrets transitioning
escapism
trauma
depression
got top surgery
serious health complications
puberty discomfort
anxiety

/u/quendergestion

314 comments • Posting since 12/24/2022
Transitioned at 30 -> Desisted at 35

I felt completely disconnected from being a woman, which started from childhood trauma that made me feel unsafe in my own skin. I socially transitioned to a non-binary identity for years, trying to escape that discomfort. Finding a safe relationship and IFS therapy helped me understand my trauma was the real issue, not my body. I've since desisted and now live comfortably as a woman, realizing my dysphoria was a symptom, not an identity. I am just grateful I found healing without making any permanent changes to my body.

female
regrets transitioning
trauma
started as non-binary
only transitioned socially

/u/Lurkersquid

299 comments • Posting since 12/11/2022
Transitioned at 14 -> Detransitioned at 20

I was a tomboy from a young age and started wishing I was a boy in fifth grade so I could dress how I wanted. In high school, online communities convinced me my discomfort with being female meant I was a man, so I socially and then medically transitioned. Living as a man was isolating because I only passed as a young boy, and I became obsessed with not being "clocked." A profound psychedelic experience made me realize I was fighting my own healthy body for no reason, so I stopped hormones. I'm now a masculine woman, and my dysphoria is gone now that I've accepted myself.

female
hated breasts
took hormones
regrets transitioning
influenced online
influenced by friends
body dysmorphia
retransition
homosexual
benefited from psychedelic drugs

/u/Sorry-not-Sorry-666

292 comments • Posting since 10/14/2022
Transitioned at 9

From a very young age, I felt a deep discomfort with being a girl and desperately wished I was a boy. I thought transitioning was the answer, but I realized it was just an aesthetic change that couldn't actually make me male. I discovered my dysphoria was really rooted in internalized sexism and a rejection of sexist gender roles forced on me. Now, I am at peace as a masculine woman, having learned to accept my female body. My main regret is the years I spent hating myself because of a harmful ideology.

female
low self-esteem
internalised homophobia
regrets transitioning
depression
influenced online
homosexual
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
only transitioned socially
autistic

/u/TheDorkyDane

268 comments • Posting since 6/18/2022

I started as a lonely young woman who felt like an outsider, and I later learned my struggles were due to a personality disorder, not being born the wrong sex. I'm terrified by how quickly doctors push permanent, damaging treatments on confused kids, which I believe is creating a lifetime of medical problems. Through therapy, I learned to accept myself as a woman with both masculine and feminine interests. Now, I advocate for honesty about these dangers, believing your value comes from who you are, not from changing your body. We need to be kind and let people be unique individuals without harmful labels or procedures.

female
depression
benefited from non-affirming therapy
Page 1 of 104