I believe that people find their way to a group like this traveling a wide variety of paths. While I wish I could speak with some authority about the psychology of it all, I cannot. I am not an expert and am not even a student of the subject. Thus, I am pretty much limited to my own experiences. I do fell, however, that we would all be better off being broadly tolerant, accepting, non-judgmental and even welcoming of gender/sexual differences. As long as we do not harm others, what is there to complain about?
My own path did not begin to emerge until I was perhaps 50 years old. Although for a number of years I wore very long hair, I had had no more than passing thoughts of femininity. However, my nipples and chest began to assume an increasingly important role in my sex life with my wife. Attention to my breasts, typically male as they were, became a regular part of my erotic life, both with my wife and when I was alone. I cannot say for certain that this tied to what transpired thereafter, but I believe breast-focused sexual play did open a door for me. Not finding the male chest attractive while finding the female form very much so, at some point I began to imagine making my own body more appealing along female lines.
Over the same period of time, I became quite interested in wearing women's clothes. Once I donned my first pair of panties, I very quickly realized how much I wanted to wear other female apparel, jewelry, lipstick, etc. I also developed a desire to have my feminine characteristics noticed (although I must admit I also fear the possibility). This, of course, fit hand-in-glove with my desire to develop a more feminine body. I began to search around the internet and found Breast Nexus and a few other sites, and became more-than-tempted by NBE. It took about 5 minutes to decide I wanted to try fenugreek and then peuraria mirifica, but thought I ought to come clean with my wife, who proved surprisingly open-minded about it. So I was off to the races. After a year or more of on-again off-again PM, I got a little more serious about it all and found a way to get prescription HRTs.
Having feminine attributes, both in body and mind, became a big part of my consciousness, both in sexual and normal day-to-day activity. However, it did become a trigger for arousal, although not the only trigger. At the same time, it was not just that, as feeling feminine grew to become a comforting factor tied to personal satisfaction. Although I believe I make a somewhat ridiculous woman, I feel more at home, more at peace, thinking of myself as one. I have no desire to return to my prior state: I like thinking of myself as more female. I am sure I could be characterized in numerous ways, e.g., as aberrant, fetishistic, confused, or any number of other perjoratives, and I am okay with that. I am actually interested in hearing what others think.
My own path did not begin to emerge until I was perhaps 50 years old. Although for a number of years I wore very long hair, I had had no more than passing thoughts of femininity. However, my nipples and chest began to assume an increasingly important role in my sex life with my wife. Attention to my breasts, typically male as they were, became a regular part of my erotic life, both with my wife and when I was alone. I cannot say for certain that this tied to what transpired thereafter, but I believe breast-focused sexual play did open a door for me. Not finding the male chest attractive while finding the female form very much so, at some point I began to imagine making my own body more appealing along female lines.
Over the same period of time, I became quite interested in wearing women's clothes. Once I donned my first pair of panties, I very quickly realized how much I wanted to wear other female apparel, jewelry, lipstick, etc. I also developed a desire to have my feminine characteristics noticed (although I must admit I also fear the possibility). This, of course, fit hand-in-glove with my desire to develop a more feminine body. I began to search around the internet and found Breast Nexus and a few other sites, and became more-than-tempted by NBE. It took about 5 minutes to decide I wanted to try fenugreek and then peuraria mirifica, but thought I ought to come clean with my wife, who proved surprisingly open-minded about it. So I was off to the races. After a year or more of on-again off-again PM, I got a little more serious about it all and found a way to get prescription HRTs.
Having feminine attributes, both in body and mind, became a big part of my consciousness, both in sexual and normal day-to-day activity. However, it did become a trigger for arousal, although not the only trigger. At the same time, it was not just that, as feeling feminine grew to become a comforting factor tied to personal satisfaction. Although I believe I make a somewhat ridiculous woman, I feel more at home, more at peace, thinking of myself as one. I have no desire to return to my prior state: I like thinking of myself as more female. I am sure I could be characterized in numerous ways, e.g., as aberrant, fetishistic, confused, or any number of other perjoratives, and I am okay with that. I am actually interested in hearing what others think.