Having Asperger's and Getting on Testosterone.

Post Reply New Topic

As most of you may know, having obsessions is a common trait in the Autistic Spectrum. The problem, however, is that I am a transman who wants to get on testosterone, but everyone is thinking it is an obsession. My obsessions can last up to 3 years. I came out a little over a year ago, but they think its another obsession. I don't want to wait 3 years to be who I am. Besides, I know its not an obsession because I don't talk about it, and I usually talk a lot about my obsessions which annoy people. If anyone else experienced this problem and got on testosterone or any hormonal treatment, how did you convince people that it's not an obsession?

you came out a year ago, but let the doc know how long you've been feeling this way. if it's been your whole life, it's not an obsession.

if they won't take you seriously, you might want to change doctors.

Last edited by cathylynn on 12 Mar 2013, 7:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I have the exact same problem you do, but I came out a couple years ago (when I was about 16/17 years old). Everyone, including my behavioral therapist, thinks it's just another obsession. I asked my behavioral therapist for a referral to someone who specialized in gender identity issues, but she said it was unnecessary because this is probably just another one of my obsessions.
At my next appointment with my GP, I'm going to ask about starting testosterone. I'm 19 so my parents can't stop me.

I transitioned before I was diagnosed as autistic and, although I wish I had known earlier, I sometimes think I was lucky in terms of transitioning without my mental health being in question. ASDs and transgenderism can actually look pretty similar - difficulty fitting in, finding a social role, and connecting with people are common to both.

I suggest that you write a life history for yourself (you will probably find at some point in your transition that you will need to supply one of these to the person working with you anyway) about how your feelings about your gender, and your gender-related behaviours, have been throughout your life. That way you have something to show to your doctors and family members, to show them that this isn't something you just came up with one day.

If this actually is something you've only been thinking about for a year or two, you will probably find you need to wait longer - the guidelines for treatment (at least in the UK, and I think also elsewhere) require that the person transitioning has had a consistent gender identity for at least two years, and they may be more cautious with an autistic person, or at least want to make sure they explore things more deeply with you.

Good luck with your transition.

I started my transition before I was diagnosed with AS but it took me quite a while and two psychological evaluations to get testosterone.

It really helps if you look at older photographs of yourself. Maybe you can identify situations or behaviours that have always been there.
After my coming out my mum went through my school pictures and noticed that my poses always resembled those of the other boys more closely than those of the girls (even though I looked anything but masculine at that time).


I'm sometimes wondering if I had done all this if my first diagnosis was AS instead of TS or if my AS diagnosis would have been enough for me to explain my "feeling different". I never really intended to go all the way with surgical ... intervention (I'm not sure how this is called) anyway and whenever I met other TS people I noticed I felt as different from them as from everyone else.

That's interesting, I experienced the exact same thing. I always felt just as out of place in the trans community as everywhere else, too - despite being trans, I feel more at home among autistic people than NT trans people. I felt the same way about surgery too. I wonder if this is because, for autistic people, life tends to be an inner experience, and so things which change the way we feel (hormones, response of others to social role) are more important than things which are purely physical (surgery). That is the way it is for me and I've noticed that most other trans people and also non-trans people talking about transgenderism seem to mostly talk about the physical changes on the outside.

I would go on T as well but I have to do more important things like independent living and completing a two year course at college. Then there is the cost.

I feel I waited 2 decades too long to do something about it.

That is interesting, and a bit, disappointing. *Sigh* There's just not enough of us autistic trans huh?

I'm intersex and my mom tried to make me a girl when I was growing up. I knew all along this wasn't right for me, kids at school teased me (you look like a boy, etc), and my body clearly showed I am not a girl!, but it wasn't until a very kind friend coaxed me into expressing myself honestly that I stopped the charade and began living as third gender. In our binary world, I identify as male, but am really neither. At first, I was deathly afraid that gender was just another obsession, but that was me replaying my parents' words over and over in my head. Once I faced the honest truth, there was NO WAY I could go back to living the lie. I even tried it. Not possible.

Now I feel completely at peace and an empty space I'd had all my life has been filled. It's also brought me closer to my American Indian heritage, which recognizes and embraces Two Spirit people.

Eventually, you will know whether or not it's an obsession. Just allow yourself to explore and be open to all possibilities.

Do your obsessions usually involve possibly-permanent physical alteration to your body?

To me, it seems really screwy to think wanting to transition is an obsession. If you have an obsession, it's still just an interest in a subject. My obsession with blindness at the age of 12 made me walk around with my eyes closed - I didn't try to get my eyes poked out. An obsession with transsexuality or testosterone or whatever would not make you want to transition.