Barbara G (imported) wrote: Sun Aug 06, 2006 5:04 pm
If I were to be castrated, would the desire/compulsion to cross dress lessen or even disappear?
I welcome speculation, but especially would like to hear about first hand personal experience...
Barbara,
You ask a good question. Yes, I have firsthand experience. If your cross-dressing is libido-driven, the desire will diminsh greatly.
If cross-dressing stems from transgendering, however, you may go "from the frying pan into the fire." While interest in cross-dressing will probably diminish, you may find yourself longing for a feminized body. May even feel female and desire female roles.
When transsexuals begin hormone therapy, they can experience diminished interest in cross-dressing, which may confuse them and make them wonder if they are doing the right thing by transitioning. After all, it's no longer a compulsion.
Be aware testosterone fortifies the male side of a blended gender identity. Lose it, and the female side may become stronger than is comfortable in a male body. Happened to me.
You should explore things with a gender therapist before you take any action. The therapist would also be the place to start if you want to try chemical castration first. Having a gender (or two) doesn't make us experts, so we need the advice of professionals. As part of the process, you should have your hormone levels checked to establish a baseline. Wish I had done that beforehand.
All that may sound expensive, but like an auto-maintenance ad used to say, "You can pay me now [i.e., preventive maintenance], or you pay me later [i.e., major repair]." After $2000 for castration, I'm now paying $125/hr for gender therapy, going thru divorce, contemplating $6000 for electrolysis and $15,000 for SRS someday, not to mention doctor visits and hormones. A little cross-dressing pales in comparison.
Terri
P.S. -- You can read my life story in the Transgendered Forum here at EA, down in the Life Stories section, entitled "Late Onset (Yet Always There)."