I am 40 years old and I have always known I was meant to be a girl. But every time my mom and my brother catch me in a dress they try to put me in a psych ward. All I’m trying to do is express myself for who I am. What should I do?
I am aware that there is probably some context I am missing here, but my perspective is that people tend to fear what they don’t understand. People tend to not understand what they can’t relate to. People tend to not be able to relate to something if the thing isn’t communicated in a way that they don’t understand.
It seems to me that your family doesn’t understand your gender identity. I feel that if it’s important to you that they do, then perhaps you need to find a way to communicate how you feel to them.
I would suggest considering meeting with a therapist to find a way for you to communicate your feelings. Therapy can be a wonderful way to find a way to bridge communication/understanding gaps with others. It worked/works for me in a lot of aspects in my life, including my gender identity. I didn’t need to understand who I am, but my therapist’s help with communicating with others about this aspect of myself was, and continues to be very helpful.
Therapy isn’t always about “fixing” ourselves. It can also be about finding a way to talk with others in our lives.
Love, Hannah
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Hannah McKnight 