Hello, I've been on EC now for a few days and have already learned so much from the forums. I am in my early 30s, am a graduate student, a newlywed (since Halloween) and... just now coming to accept the fact that I am likely trans (FtM). To say that I am overwhelmed is an understatement. I've identified as a gay female(ish) for years and am out to everyone on that front. However, it's just not the full story. My depression has been drastically declining since July until I accidentally misgendered myself to a friend a couple of weeks ago (I said that my female cousin and I grew up "like brother and sister") and thought to myself... "Yeah. That probably wasn't an accident." I quickly covered it up, but since then, coming to terms with the fact that I absolutely identify 100% as a male (and have since I was 3) has started to alleviate some of the psychological distress I've been experiencing for so many years. That said, I am new to the trans world and have no idea where to start. Do I start with a name? How do you even name yourself? Also, I need to see a therapist, but how do you even begin finding one that specializes in gender identity? So many questions. I'll keep hitting up the support forum, but any guidance from you all would be incredibly helpful as I am trying to take in so much information at once. Thanks to everyone who has already replied to my responses on other threads!
Hello, congratulations on your marriage! I'm Flynn (I'm FtM as well). Choosing a name would be a great place to start. Yes, you can pick it yourself or you can have others help you chose one. Either way, it's a lot of fun. For finding a therapist, you could always ask around. I found my therapist through recommendations from another therapist. If you are not currently in contact with any therapists then you can do a quick Google search for gender therapists in your area. One useful website is psychologytoday and I think the tag they use is transgender. You can search by area and issue. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to answer them. Good luck!
Hey welcome! If you need anything I am around. I'm Wes also ftm and all around helpful. Yes you can name yourself or ask friends for help but ultimately it is your decision.
Hey, welcome to EC! Choosing a name can be hard. It is something that is personal. I just looked at a bunch of names and picked out a few that I liked. I then found out I would have been named Bradley if I was born male. That was one if the names I had chosen. So, it really stuck after that. I would make sure to look at lists from your birth year as well. You don't want to pick a name that really sticks out, because that will make people ask questions. It's funny how things accidentally happen like that. I just had a group refer to me as male as part of a demonstration on how misgendering others. I realized that I actually liked being referenced as male. That was what set the alarm bells off for me.
Name advise: I came up with my name by thinking of people I admire who have names I like. Which is how I found the name Winston, after Winston Churchill (I know he's a controversial figure but so was every leader in ww2 and he's not that bad...proportionally) and my new middle name nikola, after nikola tesla. It may not work for you but it's how I did it. You can also have your parents name you again, I've heard of some people who've done that.
