genderaffirming.ai 

only transitioned socially Detransition Stories & Timelines

Browse through 540 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
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Showing 20 of 540 users

/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/cagedbunny83

440 comments • Posting since 7/2/2021
Transitioned at 16 -> Desisted at 19

I was a sensitive boy who felt different and dreaded becoming a man, so I transitioned to female as a teenager. I lived as a woman for a few years but was exhausted by the constant fear of being seen as a fraud. I detransitioned at 19 by simply deciding to see myself as a feminine man, and a huge weight was immediately lifted. I realized my problem wasn't being male, but the pressure to be masculine, and I now live happily as an effeminate gay man. I express myself freely in a way that feels right for me, knowing that my style has nothing to do with my sex.

male
low self-esteem
internalised homophobia
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
escapism
influenced online
homosexual
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
anxiety
only transitioned socially
sexuality changed
took puberty blockers

/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/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/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/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/AbsentFuck

245 comments • Posting since 1/16/2022
Transitioned at 19 -> Desisted at 29

I'm a woman in my late twenties who started identifying as a trans man in my teens because I felt I was failing at being feminine. I realized I was just trading one set of exhausting rules for another and that my discomfort came from hating sexist stereotypes, not from being in the wrong body. I had to unpack a lot of internalized misogyny that made me see femininity as weak. I never medically transitioned and I'm now completely at peace being a woman who doesn't follow any rules. My journey taught me that self-acceptance, not transition, was the answer for me.

female
internalised homophobia
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
depression
influenced online
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
anxiety
only transitioned socially

/u/neitherdreams

208 comments • Posting since 12/10/2023

I grew up in a strict home where being a girl felt like a punishment, which made me want to disappear. I tried to escape by creating a genderless persona online and cutting my hair, but it was really about safety, not identity. I never medically transitioned, and I'm grateful for that now because it gave me time to heal. Through therapy and moving out, I slowly realized my discomfort came from trauma, not from being female. I'm now learning to accept myself as a woman, and I'm focused on the harm caused by pushing medical solutions on vulnerable young people.

female
low self-esteem
internalised homophobia
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
trauma
depression
influenced online
body dysmorphia
retransition
homosexual
puberty discomfort
anxiety
only transitioned socially
autistic
eating disorder
ocd
had religious background

/u/vsapieldepapel

181 comments • Posting since 1/3/2024

I felt like a failure as a woman because I couldn't meet the strict, "ladylike" expectations of my Latin American family, and my autism made the female experience a sensory nightmare. I thought becoming a man was the answer and found a community online that supported this, but I soon saw it was filled with the same sexist dynamics I wanted to escape. I realized I was agreeing with sexist ideas by believing a tomboy couldn't just be a woman, and encountering males who transitioned for fetishistic reasons was the final straw. I never medically transitioned because I understood my dysphoria was really from internalized misogyny and autism, not from being born in the wrong body. Now, I'm at peace being a gender non-conforming woman after confronting the real reasons I struggled.

female
internalised homophobia
regrets transitioning
autogynephilia (agp)
depression
influenced online
body dysmorphia
started as non-binary
only transitioned socially
autistic

/u/Proper_Imagination

164 comments • Posting since 9/27/2019
Transitioned at 11

I am a mother navigating my child's social transition after he identified as transgender at age eleven. My gut tells me his distress is rooted in the intense pressures of female adolescence and a fear of not being "pretty enough," not an innate male identity. I support his social transition to keep our connection, but I absolutely refuse to consent to any medical interventions like puberty blockers due to the permanent risks. I am terrified by the social influences and the pressure to medically transition, and I worry his supportive friends don't truly see him as a boy. My hope is that with love and therapy for his anxiety, he will eventually find peace with his female body.

female
influenced online
influenced by friends
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
only transitioned socially

/u/Kirikizande

162 comments • Posting since 8/19/2020
Transitioned at 21 -> Desisted at 21

I'm a woman who, during the 2020 lockdown, started having intense thoughts about not being female after some online friends came out. My questioning wasn't about my body, but was really a way to escape my loneliness and fear of growing up. I decided to focus on my real problems through therapy and by leaving toxic online spaces, and the thoughts slowly went away. Now I'm comfortable being a woman and understand that my personal struggles had nothing to do with my gender. I feel like I grew up by facing my issues head-on instead of trying to become someone else.

female
low self-esteem
escapism
depression
influenced online
influenced by friends
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
anxiety
doesn't regret transitioning
only transitioned socially
autistic

/u/SuperIsaiah

162 comments • Posting since 1/30/2024
Transitioned at 16

I was born male but always had a very feminine personality, and puberty made me deeply uncomfortable with my developing male body. I felt immense social pressure that my femininity meant I was failing as a man and that I must really be a woman inside. After a long struggle with my faith and identity, I realized my feminine soul is not at odds with my male body. I never medically transitioned and am now learning to live authentically as a feminine man. While I still face dysphoria at times, I find peace through self-acceptance and a supportive partner.

male
low self-esteem
internalised homophobia
depression
influenced online
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
anxiety
only transitioned socially
autistic
had religious background
heterosexual

/u/Equivalent-Cow-6122

126 comments • Posting since 7/23/2024
Transitioned at 15 -> Desisted at 21

I was born female and my discomfort started with puberty, as I hated the changes in my body and felt I didn't fit in. I was influenced by online communities that convinced me becoming a man was the solution to my low self-esteem and unhappiness. I now see my dysphoria was a symptom of deeper issues like trauma, not a need to be male. Stepping away from those toxic spaces and focusing on my mental health allowed me to accept that I am, and always will be, a woman. I am finally happy and healthy, living authentically without trying to change my body.

female
low self-esteem
internalised homophobia
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
trauma
depression
influenced online
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
anxiety
only transitioned socially
benefited from non-affirming therapy
had religious background

/u/detrans-ModTeam

124 comments • Posting since 9/8/2022
Transitioned at 16 -> Desisted at 21

I started feeling a deep discomfort with my developing female body when I was a teenager, and I thought that meant I wasn't really a girl. I identified as non-binary and socially transitioned for a few years, believing it was the answer to my anxiety and unhappiness. I eventually realized my feelings were more about internalized issues and societal pressures than an innate identity. Through therapy, I worked through my underlying struggles and learned to separate myself from harmful stereotypes. I am now comfortable and at peace with being female, and I see my journey as a difficult but important lesson in self-acceptance.

female
low self-esteem
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
escapism
trauma
depression
influenced online
influenced by friends
body dysmorphia
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
anxiety
only transitioned socially
benefited from non-affirming therapy

/u/AngelCrumb

110 comments • Posting since 5/27/2022
Transitioned at 16 -> Desisted at 20

I never felt like I fit in as a girl, and my discomfort with my body got worse during puberty. After a traumatic assault, I socially transitioned to male for three years, but it was an isolating and difficult time. Getting diagnosed with autism and starting trauma therapy were huge turning points for me. I realized my dysphoria was tied to being autistic and internalizing stereotypes, not from being born the wrong sex. I've since stopped transitioning, and I'm now comfortable living as a female and accepting my body.

female
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
trauma
influenced online
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
only transitioned socially
benefited from non-affirming therapy
benefited from psychedelic drugs
autistic
had religious background

/u/Appropriate-Most-969

105 comments • Posting since 9/27/2024
Transitioned at 11 -> Desisted at 13

I was a young boy who got pulled into online transgender communities that convinced me my feelings meant I was a girl. I was really just a depressed kid with trauma, and I thought transitioning would be an escape from my problems. I socially transitioned for two years, but my mental health became worse than ever, filled with self-harm and suicidal thoughts. I detransitioned at 13, and while I still struggle, I'm in a much better place now. I'm learning to accept myself as a feminine man, but I live with the lasting physical damage from the puberty blockers I was given.

male
low self-esteem
internalised homophobia
porn problem
regrets transitioning
trauma
autogynephilia (agp)
depression
influenced online
serious health complications
now infertile
body dysmorphia
retransition
became religious
puberty discomfort
anxiety
only transitioned socially
sexuality changed
autistic
had religious background
trans kid
took puberty blockers
bisexual

/u/Froidinslip

104 comments • Posting since 7/20/2020

I was born female and as a teen, I prayed to wake up intersex because I hated my body and envied the power I associated with men. I now see my distress was rooted in societal pressures, internalized misogyny, and my own OCD, not from being born in the wrong body. I looked into medical transition but am grateful I never went through with it, as my issues were about self-acceptance, not my sex. I've learned that masculinity and being female are not mutually exclusive. Today, I accept myself as a masculine woman, and my identity is about who I am as a person, not a gender label.

female
low self-esteem
internalised homophobia
hated breasts
puberty discomfort
anxiety
only transitioned socially
ocd

/u/EricKeldrev

101 comments • Posting since 5/8/2023

I tried to escape the pain of being a man by identifying away from it, thinking that would make the hurt stop. I never felt the 'gender euphoria' everyone online described, which made me feel broken and question what was real. I left those online spaces because they felt like a cult, and I found true, unconditional acceptance at my local church instead. I realized my problem wasn't being male, but how I was treated for it and my own poor self-esteem. Now I understand my body was never wrong, and I've found peace by working on myself and surrounding myself with people who truly care.

male
low self-esteem
regrets transitioning
trauma
influenced online
became religious
only transitioned socially
had religious background

/u/Liquid_Fire__

95 comments • Posting since 11/30/2023

I was a tomboy who never fit the feminine stereotype, and I started to believe that transitioning was my only escape from the pressures of being a woman. I spent years considering it, driven by a fantasy of becoming a 'real boy' to avoid misogyny and feel safe. I realized my desire wasn't to be male, but to escape the limitations placed on females, which was a crucial turning point. I am now a happy homosexual woman who has made peace with my body. I'm grateful I avoided permanent changes and finally understand that being a woman doesn't come with a rulebook.

female
low self-esteem
internalised homophobia
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
escapism
depression
influenced online
homosexual
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
anxiety
only transitioned socially
benefited from non-affirming therapy

/u/PocketGoblix

90 comments • Posting since 7/30/2023
Transitioned at 16 -> Desisted at 17

I started identifying as a trans man at 16, believing being male would make me happier and free me from the pressures of being female. My severe gender dysphoria and mental health struggles led to a hospital stay, where I came out to my supportive parents. Right after receiving their acceptance, my dysphoria completely vanished because what I truly needed was to feel seen in my pain. I socially detransitioned a year later and now live comfortably as a woman who is free to express herself however she wants. I've learned that self-acceptance, not changing who I am, was the key to finding peace.

female
hated breasts
regrets transitioning
depression
puberty discomfort
anxiety
only transitioned socially
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