2 Big Reasons Why Transition is Not a Magic Pill!

Jul 13

I find it interesting to watch individuals contemplate starting a gender transition. This is primarily due to the expectations people have about what gender transition will do to their lives.

Some have realistic expectations and seem to have spent quite a bit of time evaluating what transition is and isn’t.

While others express unrealistic expectations, often seen as wishful thinking.

It is my job to help you realistically appraise what transition is, what it is not, and how it may unfold in your life given your:

the current psychological state of mind

your inner resourcefulness to tackle challenges
developmental history
current age and health status
support system or lack of
access to financial resources
and other factors that influence the roadmap of your transition path

But even with realistic appraisal, many continue to feel and believe that gender transition is akin to a magic pill.

This is especially often seen in young adults. After spending a few hours listening to someone’s euphoric narrative of their amazing transition on YouTube, eagerly anticipate exactly the same results.

Sometimes I even see this in older adults. Exhausted from living their lives with gender dysphoria they desperately hope the transition is that magical pill they have been searching for.

The truth is gender transition is anything but a magic pill. It is a process.

Often arduous and long. Painful and uncertain.

As it slowly brings you closer to who you truly are. Liberating parts of yourself you never knew were captive. Till you start feeling the freedom of joy and happiness.

Here are two big reasons why transition is not a magic pill.

#1 GENDER TRANSITION TAKES TIME

Gender transition does not happen overnight.
Nor does it happen within a few months.
That’s because the transition is a process. Both external and internal. And that takes time.
And believe me, time is your best friend as you need it to help your mind digest, process, and integrate changes that are taking place.
It also takes time for your body to partially or fully feminize or masculinize, depending on your goals.
This is especially important for trans women who want to get breast augmentation because you need to allow time to ensure optimum breast growth, which will enable you to have extra skin to stretch around breast implants. Resulting in a more natural breast appearance.
Taking your time with gender transition helps you adjust psychologically to the ups and downs of hormone levels, especially when they drop or reach their peak.
Not rushing through gender transition helps you recognize that transition, in many ways, is a lifelong quest. As you wrap up issues related to gender dysphoria, often issues of social dysphoria come up.
This recognition prepares you psychologically for realistic expectations ahead and helps you confront potential challenges in a responsive vs. reactive way.

#2 GENDER TRANSITION WON’T SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS

OK! While going through gender transition will alleviate and, in some people, get rid of gender dysphoria altogether, it won’t fix the problems you had before starting the transition.
If you have financial problems, chances are they will follow you into transition, and if you don’t start managing your finances, it will add more issues to an already existent financial dilemma.
Problems at work won’t go away with transition, especially if you don’t like what you do for a living.
Relationship issues such as marital problems will still be there.
And while coming out to your partner can shed light on many things and ultimately help you have a stronger relationship (depending on the state of it), it won’t solve all the problems.
If you maintain an unhealthy lifestyle, it will remain there once you start the transition.
You may feel more motivated to improve your lifestyle once you start the transition, but it won't magically go away on its own.

Can you see now how the transition is anything but a magic pill?

What transition is, is a medical treatment with the help of psychotherapy to help you to: