Taking the Plunge.....Again

Danya (imported)
Articles: 0
Posts: 1971
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:28 pm

Posting Rank

Re: Taking the Plunge.....Again

Post by Danya (imported) »

....
plix (imported) wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:37 am Gone are the days when I believed hormones don't affect me mentally/emotionally. The bad moods have been unpleasant, but the good moods have been great! There have been many times where I have felt simply ecstatic about life. I am hoping to increase these moods by switching to a stable dose of E.

I recall things you wrote here, and directly to me, when you first tried E. Then you stopped E and I was stunned by the difference that made in your writing style. At that time, I told someone here that I missed the 'you' on E. :) In an earlier post on this thread, you wrote something like you were not certain if you were trying to write in a more feminine style back then. You are a very good writer, but I did not think you could pull that off.
plix (imported)
Articles: 0
Posts: 888
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 8:43 pm

Posting Rank

Re: Taking the Plunge.....Again

Post by plix (imported) »

My moodiness has been especially intense lately. The ecstatic moods I mentioned in my previous post rarely make an appearance these days. Depressive episodes have become more intense and last longer.

I am wondering if perhaps I reduced the E dose too much. I am taking 2 mg daily, which based on previous lab work should place my levels around 75 pg/ml. This would be near the trough of a woman's cycle.

There is also the possibility that E itself could be the culprit, and that adding more would make these issues worse. Whether my moods were any better on T could certainly enjoy a good debate, but they were more stable. Some have mentioned in the past that I may need a combination of both E and T, and I also wonder if this may be true. Women tend to have more T than a castrated man.

Is it the hormones, winter, the job, the overwhelming financial problems I am burdened with, some combination of these, or something else entirely? Discovering the cause of my troubles is perhaps the most perplexing challenge of all.

Much of my presently pessimistic nature derives from fears over whether I have a future. Goodness knows I am unhappy with my job, but I do not know what to do about it. Obviously I need a source of income to pay the bills. But I do not know what I am supposed to do with the rest of my life. Some people can be content with a job provided it supplies enough money to do what they please in their free time. I, however, need personal fulfillment in a job in order to be happy.

If I were honest with myself, I would admit that what I want to do with my life is to be a professional writer. This is what I have always dreamed of from an early age. I haven't actually written much of anything lately (minus a short story I wrote for a college creative writing class, not since high school), but the dream has always lingered. I've thought about it many times throughout the years and have mentioned it to many people. I am not sure why I stopped writing, but I am disappointed in myself for having done so. Back when I did write, I wrote frequently, and I loved it. I still have most of what I wrote back then. I was not a great writer, but I almost certainly would be a better writer had I stuck with it all these years. I have mentioned thinking about writing since stopping, but this time is probably one of the most intense tries to motivate myself to do it seriously again.

On a brighter note, I am preparing for a cross-country journey this weekend. I depart on Saturday for California, my original home. I am especially excited about this trip. I have been trying to find a way to make it home for some time now, and I am glad to finally have an opportunity. I have to decided to drive because one of the major reasons for my visit will be to haul most of what remains at my grandmother's back home with me. I have a small car and may not be able to take as much as I hope, but I will certainly be able to take more than I would had I flown or chosen some other method of transportation :)

I do have concerns about my car given its mileage of 113,000. But the car has always been reliable. Before I hit the road, I plan on having it tuned up. Wish me luck! :)
nullorchis (imported)
Articles: 0
Posts: 1050
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 5:03 am

Posting Rank

Re: Taking the Plunge.....Again

Post by nullorchis (imported) »

Sometimes when we have problems spending a little time play acting provides some occasional relief. It is nothing more than pretending, which almost all of us did when we were kids. When we grow up we think pretending is kids stuff. But if we are having bad times, and we pretend that those problems belong to someone else, not us, and we pretend all is well, all is fine, just for awhile, it helps lighten our load.

I'm not talking about living a sham of a life in unreal fantasy; problems do need to be dealt with, managed, solved. But just now and then, stepping out of character, going on stage, looking at us and our problems as though we were someone else, can be a temporary relief, and sometimes even put things into a better perspective.

The mind games we can play for the benefit of our own self are free of charge, no psych couch, no lies, secrets remains safe as we tell no one what we are thinking or doing.

Just a thought.
mrt (imported)
Articles: 0
Posts: 1657
Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:00 pm

Posting Rank

Re: Taking the Plunge.....Again

Post by mrt (imported) »

Hormones are indeed the wiring that helps make us who we are and many people who are thought to be "depressed" are simply having hormone issues. However its totally possible to have both hormone problems and some kind of mental health issue as well.

I'm probably the guy who suggested that women typically have a fair amount of testosterone. Its just that they have a much larger amount of estrogen. And that our transexual friends who undergo orchiectomy and then go on estrogen alone are missing part of the female mix. I totally get how they equate testosterone with being "male" but being female is about having Testosterone as well. Trust me Mrs T is dealing with Menopause and Testosterone IS a vital part of her sanity AND MINE!!! 😄

Anyway, avoiding "riting" etc maybe hormones. It maybe mental health. It maybe both! Don't be afraid to ask your doctor(s) for help and get it figured out.

Good luck on the big road trip!

- MrT
plix (imported) wrote: Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:37 am My moodiness has been especially intense lately. The ecstatic moods I mentioned in my previous post rarely make an appearance these days. Depressive episodes have become more intense and last longer.

I am wondering if perhaps I reduced the E dose too much. I am taking 2 mg daily, which based on previous lab work should place my levels around 75 pg/ml. This would be near the trough of a woman's cycle.

There is also the possibility that E itself could be the culprit, and that adding more would make these issues worse. Whether my moods were any better on T could certainly enjoy a good debate, but they were more stable. Some have mentioned in the past that I may need a combination of both E and T, and I also wonder if this may be true. Women tend to have more T than a castrated man.

Is it the hormones, winter, the job, the overwhelming financial problems I am burdened with, some combination of these, or something else entirely? Discovering the cause of my troubles is perhaps the most perplexing challenge of all.

Much of my presently pessimistic nature derives from fears over whether I have a future. Goodness knows I am unhappy with my job, but I do not know what to do about it. Obviously I need a source of income to pay the bills. But I do not know what I am supposed to do with the rest of my life. Some people can be content with a job provided it supplies enough money to do what they please in their free time. I, however, need personal fulfillment in a job in order to be happy.

If I were honest with myself, I would admit that what I want to do with my life is to be a professional writer. This is what I have always dreamed of from an early age. I haven't actually written much of anything lately (minus a short story I wrote for a college creative writing class, not since high school), but the dream has always lingered. I've thought about it many times throughout the years and have mentioned it to many people. I am not sure why I stopped writing, but I am disappointed in myself for having done so. Back when I did write, I wrote frequently, and I loved it. I still have most of what I wrote back then. I was not a great writer, but I almost certainly would be a better writer had I stuck with it all these years. I have mentioned thinking about writing since stopping, but this time is probably one of the most intense tries to motivate myself to do it seriously again.

On a brighter note, I am preparing for a cross-country journey this weekend. I depart on Saturday for California, my original home. I am especially excited about this trip. I have been trying to find a way to make it home for some time now, and I am glad to finally have an opportunity. I have to decided to drive because one of the major reasons for my visit will be to haul most of what remains at my grandmother's back home with me. I have a small car and may not be able to take as much as I hope, but I will certainly be able to take more than I would had I flown or chosen some other method of transportation :)

I do have concerns about my car given its mileage of 113,000. But the car has always been reliable. Before I hit the road, I plan on having it tuned up. Wish me luck! :)
tugon (imported)
Articles: 0
Posts: 2958
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:55 am

Posting Rank

Re: Taking the Plunge.....Again

Post by tugon (imported) »

Plix your trip is fast approaching. I want you to have a safe and easy travel. I wish you a good visit with family and friends.
tugon (imported)
Articles: 0
Posts: 2958
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:55 am

Posting Rank

Re: Taking the Plunge.....Again

Post by tugon (imported) »

I wanted to comment on the hormonal issues. My only advice is to choose the hormones or lack of that has made you the happiest and most functional. As you know I am happiest without T. We all have to find our own way. Look within yourself for the answer.
plix (imported)
Articles: 0
Posts: 888
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 8:43 pm

Posting Rank

Re: Taking the Plunge.....Again

Post by plix (imported) »

tugon (imported) wrote: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:44 am Plix your trip is fast approaching. I want you to have a safe and easy travel. I wish you a good visit with family and friends.

Thanks so much for your wishes :) I do appreciate you helping me out by changing my spark plugs and air filter :)
tugon (imported)
Articles: 0
Posts: 2958
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:55 am

Posting Rank

Re: Taking the Plunge.....Again

Post by tugon (imported) »

Plix I was glad to hear you made it to Joplin. What a great adventure driving almost cross country. I hope all continues to go well. I look forward to hearing about the trip when you get back to Ohio.
MacTheWolf (imported)
Articles: 0
Posts: 4186
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2003 9:22 pm

Posting Rank

Re: Taking the Plunge.....Again

Post by MacTheWolf (imported) »

plix - I look forward to seeing you :)
tugon (imported)
Articles: 0
Posts: 2958
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:55 am

Posting Rank

Re: Taking the Plunge.....Again

Post by tugon (imported) »

MacTheWolf (imported) wrote: Mon Feb 28, 2011 1:27 am plix - I look forward to seeing you :)

MacTheWolf, Plix is in Albuquerque New Mexico so he is 2/3rds of the way there. What an adventure driving all that way and the country he is seeing.
Post Reply

Return to “Blogs & Life Stories”