Others prefer to channel their emotions through exercise. Do physical activities like yoga, running, and biking. Try hobbies like horseback riding or swimming as well. Exercise is proven to boost your mood and help you feel calmer. Venting your emotions is cathartic! You can relieve stress and express yourself by channeling your negative energy into something productive. If you’re unsure where to start, just drawing or writing whatever comes to your mind on paper (however dark) can help.
“My gender identity is valid, and so am I. ” “My body does not define my gender or who I really am. ” “I am important and worthy of happiness. ” You can also affirm your identity by making small but positive changes like styling your hair differently, wearing a new accessory, or telling someone your name and pronouns.
Doing things you love provides a healthy escape that can reduce your feelings of dysphoria. Other healthy self-care habits include eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep every night.
For example, you might smell a favorite perfume, listen to calming white noises, touch a soft blanket you love, or look at a cute picture of your favorite animal. There are other ways to fend off an intense dysphoria attack. Try meditating or practicing deep breathing exercises to calm yourself down.
Learn to contour your face with makeup. [5] X Research source Snuggle up to a pillow so it covers your chest while you sleep. Put on a large, shapeless sweater that covers your body’s curves. Use a large loofah or sponge to bathe with.
Say something like, “I identify as a woman, and my name is Jean. When you call me Mike, it makes me feel depressed and unwelcome. I’m asking you to call me Jean and not misgender me anymore. ” You might encounter people who deadname or misgender you, unknowingly or on purpose. You can’t always predict it, but you’re certainly allowed to avoid situations where you know it’ll likely happen. For example, a clerk deadnaming you at the bank might be beyond your control, but you can choose to skip a family dinner if you know that your transphobic cousin will be there.
Try making a list of things you’re hoping for in the future. It will help you have hope in your daily life. Listen to someone who has been through a similar experience to yours or read stories from transgender and nonbinary people online who have suffered from dysphoria and triumphed. You’ll get a dose of inspiration.
Not everybody has the luxury of an accepting family, and while it’s not fair, it also doesn’t mean you can’t build a support network. Look for trans, nonbinary, or genderfluid online communities to make connections! You might be surprised by the number of people looking for others to talk to about their dysphoria. As lonely as you feel, many other trans people feel the same.
If you look for a new therapist, choose one who specializes in transgender experiences or is at least trained to help LGBTQ+ clients. Talking to outsiders or a professional can help you gain perspective while allowing you to talk freely about your problems without worrying about their feelings on the matter. Only talk to someone—be it a friend, family member, support group member, or counselor—when you feel safe and comfortable doing so.
If you don’t feel safe wearing gender-affirming clothes in public yet, do so when you’re at home alone. Alternatively, wear a piece of gender-affirming clothing under your everyday clothes. Learn how to dress for your body type and accentuate or conceal certain body parts as desired. For example, long shirts hide your hips while short ones enhance them. Since stores carry clothing fitted for cis bodies, consider having your clothes tailored to fit your body better, or learn to use a sewing machine and tailor them yourself!
While you can’t wear these items all the time, they can help you with dysphoria in public or other short-term situations. These items can be expensive, but they’re a good investment because they’ll dramatically affect your appearance (and self-esteem). You can also buy some of these second-hand for a reduced price.
Remind yourself that nobody has control over things like body shape and bone structure. People come in all shapes and sizes! Accept your body and focus on the things you can change.
Medical treatment for gender dysphoria usually means hormone therapy or gender reassignment surgery (or both). As part of the evaluation, your doctor will also ensure you don’t have any other medical conditions that might affect the treatment. Expect a physical exam and lab tests. Your doctor will also need to establish your medical history and any harmful treatments you may have tried in the past (like self-surgery or unprescribed hormone use).
Your doctor can also help you weigh the risks and benefits of gender-affirming hormone therapy, so you can decide if it’s right for you. You can decide how much change you want from hormone therapy! Some might want to become as feminine or masculine as possible, while others might only want to minimize certain traits like breasts or facial hair.
Discuss all the possibilities with your doctor to figure out the best course of action. Remember that you can do as much or as little as you want—just because you do a single surgery doesn’t mean you need all of them. You (and only you) get to decide what changes your body needs to feel complete. Surgery is only one of many ways to change your gender presentation. It’s tremendously helpful and even life-saving for many trans people, but you don’t need it to socially transition.
You can start the process on your own! Read aloud to yourself (or sing) and try to sound more masculine or feminine while speaking. Use a voice pitch analyzer app to check your pitch and speaking pattern. Testosterone will naturally lower your voice to a male range, but estrogen for trans women won’t do the same—so this practice is helpful even if you haven’t started hormone therapy yet!
You don’t necessarily have to transition as a part of coping with gender dysphoria. While many trans and nonbinary people transition in some way, it’s just one solution; there are many other methods of coping.
