Hi there,
I feel like an interloper by joining this forum, but I did so because I feel the need to share my story and didn't know where else to go. I hope this is an open and safe environment for me to do so.
I am a cis male. But three years ago my body suddenly (over a period of about 6 months) grew fully-developed breasts. I know that cis-guys can develop pseudo-breasts ("man boobs") due to a variety of reasons—weight gain and steroid use being the chief culprits—but none of those reasons applied to me. I was a slim, fit, non-drug-using, non-heavy-drinking guy.
Nevertheless, at the age of 27, due to *some* quirk in biology/hormones, my body revolted against me and I developed very prominent breasts.
This sudden change destroyed my confidence, plunged me into a deep, long-lasting, suicidal depression. I felt as if my body was this poisonous thing, separate to myself, and that my chest was this pair of tumours that existed solely to destroy my life. I would slouch and round my shoulders to try to hide the problem, but nevertheless I knew people could tell.
I desperately scoured the Internet trying to find some explanation for what was going on, both with my body and inside my head. And that's how I found the trans* community. The day I found a YouTube video of a trans* guys describe his chest-related dysphoria, I couldn't stop sobbing, because he was articulating what I felt.
I’m not trying to equate my experience of body dysphoria to the experience of a trans* guy, because I fully-appreciate that—despite how awful my experience felt—what I went through is a drop in the ocean to what trans* guys have to deal with.
But I nevertheless felt liberated, because the trans* community gave me the language to articulate the horror I was feeling towards my body. The trans* community also empowered me with the confidence to seek medical help and to ultimately choose a surgical option to correct the problem.
I am now happy again. Despite my scars, I feel like I am now living in a body that is mine. I no longer fear stares when I walk down the street and I no longer spend every waking moment obsessing over these things growing on my chest.
So, this rambling message is basically a thank you to the trans* community and to forums like this, for providing such amazing resources to help guys through the dark times to become the men they’re meant to be.
I feel like an interloper by joining this forum, but I did so because I feel the need to share my story and didn't know where else to go. I hope this is an open and safe environment for me to do so.
I am a cis male. But three years ago my body suddenly (over a period of about 6 months) grew fully-developed breasts. I know that cis-guys can develop pseudo-breasts ("man boobs") due to a variety of reasons—weight gain and steroid use being the chief culprits—but none of those reasons applied to me. I was a slim, fit, non-drug-using, non-heavy-drinking guy.
Nevertheless, at the age of 27, due to *some* quirk in biology/hormones, my body revolted against me and I developed very prominent breasts.
This sudden change destroyed my confidence, plunged me into a deep, long-lasting, suicidal depression. I felt as if my body was this poisonous thing, separate to myself, and that my chest was this pair of tumours that existed solely to destroy my life. I would slouch and round my shoulders to try to hide the problem, but nevertheless I knew people could tell.
I desperately scoured the Internet trying to find some explanation for what was going on, both with my body and inside my head. And that's how I found the trans* community. The day I found a YouTube video of a trans* guys describe his chest-related dysphoria, I couldn't stop sobbing, because he was articulating what I felt.
I’m not trying to equate my experience of body dysphoria to the experience of a trans* guy, because I fully-appreciate that—despite how awful my experience felt—what I went through is a drop in the ocean to what trans* guys have to deal with.
But I nevertheless felt liberated, because the trans* community gave me the language to articulate the horror I was feeling towards my body. The trans* community also empowered me with the confidence to seek medical help and to ultimately choose a surgical option to correct the problem.
I am now happy again. Despite my scars, I feel like I am now living in a body that is mine. I no longer fear stares when I walk down the street and I no longer spend every waking moment obsessing over these things growing on my chest.
So, this rambling message is basically a thank you to the trans* community and to forums like this, for providing such amazing resources to help guys through the dark times to become the men they’re meant to be.
Hey, thank you for posting this! Your experience, while different, mirrors what a lot of trans men go through. Ultimately, gender presentation is something that impacts every one, not just trans people, and I'm happy to hear that you found some commonality and refuge by reaching out to trans folks.
Did you wind up having surgery with a surgeon who specializes in gynecomastia or FTM top surgery?
Did you wind up having surgery with a surgeon who specializes in gynecomastia or FTM top surgery?
Joshua