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regrets transitioning Detransition Stories & Timelines

Browse through 2405 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 2405 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/Hedera_Thorn

469 comments • Posting since 4/11/2024
Transitioned at 16

I was a feminine boy who started my transition as a teenager because I was bullied and wanted to escape becoming a man after a traumatic experience. I had surgery and lived as female for years, but it never fixed my deeper problems with trauma and internalized homophobia. I now deeply regret it, as the surgeries left me with permanent pain and infertility. I've come to understand my dysphoria was never about being the wrong sex. I'm now in my 30s, finding peace by accepting reality and sharing my story to help others.

male
internalised homophobia
took hormones
regrets transitioning
escapism
trauma
autogynephilia (agp)
depression
got bottom surgery
serious health complications
now infertile
homosexual
ocd

/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/UniquelyDefined

414 comments • Posting since 5/20/2022
Transitioned at 25 -> Detransitioned at 26

I started identifying as non-binary at 25, thinking it was the answer to my deep discomfort and depression. I was convinced to try hormones, but just one month of estrogen caused permanent, painful breast growth and other changes. I realized I had made a terrible mistake based on internal issues, not because I was born the wrong sex. Now, I’m focused on healing and have learned my problems were from trauma and other conditions, not my body. I’m waiting for surgery to fix the damage and am finally learning to just be myself.

male
low self-esteem
internalised homophobia
porn problem
hated breasts
took hormones
regrets transitioning
trauma
autogynephilia (agp)
depression
influenced online
influenced by friends
serious health complications
body dysmorphia
retransition
puberty discomfort
started as non-binary
anxiety
benefited from non-affirming therapy
autistic
ocd

/u/Your_socks

413 comments • Posting since 11/9/2022
Detransitioned at 31

I started transitioning because I hated how my male body changed during puberty, and I thought becoming a woman would fix everything. I loved how estrogen made me look and feel physically, but trying to act like a woman socially felt like a exhausting, fake performance. I realized I wasn't trans after meeting a woman for whom it was natural, while for me it was a stressful act. I've since detransitioned and am living as a male again, but I'm now stuck with all my original insecurities and a deep regret for ever starting. I see now my problem was always a hatred of my masculinized body, not a need to live as a woman.

male
internalised homophobia
hated breasts
took hormones
regrets transitioning
depression
influenced online
body dysmorphia
retransition
homosexual
puberty discomfort
anxiety
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/IsntthatNeet

360 comments • Posting since 11/25/2022
Detransitioned at 26

I was born male and felt a deep, constant discomfort with my body from a young age. When puberty hit, that feeling became unbearable, and I started transitioning in my late teens, which gave me hope and saved my life for several years. Eventually, I realized that medical transition couldn't change my fundamental biology, and I became fixated on its limitations. I detransitioned because living as a male seemed simpler than chasing an unattainable ideal, even though my dysphoria never went away. Now, I live as a man, managing the same old pain but without the hope that transition once offered.

male
took hormones
regrets transitioning
serious health complications
now infertile
body dysmorphia
puberty discomfort

/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/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/cranberry_snacks

337 comments • Posting since 12/7/2021

I'm a man who, from a very young age, overwhelmingly identified with women and felt a deep disconnect from my own body. I nearly started hormone therapy because I believed becoming a woman was the only way to be happy. But I stopped because I felt changing my body was just an escape from a deeper lack of self-love. Through years of therapy and self-reflection, I realized my "female self" was a part of me I needed to accept, not become. Now I'm at peace, learning to love myself as a man with a female sense of self, and my dysphoria has faded.

male
low self-esteem
regrets transitioning
trauma
depression

/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
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