Am i experiencing dysphoria or making it up?
hi, im AFAB in my 20s. i have never seriously questioned my gender identity even though i have always been more masc presenting. i am not comfortable with parts of my body that feel very feminine (hair, chest, hips, butt, shoulders), but i havent had very serious dysphoric feelings. when i do have them, it usually kicks in when i see my self naked or wearing something that accentuates those parts of me (sometimes even slightly), or when i am gendered in a specifically feminine way. its kind of the uneasy feeling of being in a costume (like i genuinely feel like i look cartoonish sometimes). im bi, and ive been dating a guy for a while. during sex, ive been feel weirdly disconnected to my body. like my self and body are two different things. it didnt happen from the start but became more and more aparent to a point it makes me cry and really question myself. its nothing to do with trauma or him (hes great). its like whatever dysphoria or disconnection i have to my body intensified, to a point it has me completely confused. ive never been with anyone before guy or girl, so idk if this is something to do with sexuality, gender or just nothing at all. but its been bugging me a lot. i havent ever considered if im transmasc, alsthough i do feel more aligned with a nonbinary identity. i have gender envy only about guys but i dont think that measn anything. im not really from a place of family where being out that way was ever possible. i didnt even know what being queer was till much later into my teens, and took even longer to accept my own queerness. so i guess theres a certain amount of denial, repression, and second guessing i tend to do to this day. if anyone has anything helpful to say, that would be great :,)
@sincereCucumber443
Of course, you are not making it up.
These are valid feelings.
And it's not easy being honest at times.
You deserve to feel comfortable and beautiful in your own skin.
And it can take time to feel like you just fit and are you 💛

@Amanda84 thank you so much! this means a lot🥺
@sincereCucumber443
A pleasure 💜
@sincereCucumber443 Hi! I'm not you, so I can't say anything definitively. It certainly sounds like dysphoria to me, but regardless of whether or not there's a word you can attach to these feelings, they are worthwhile and worth exploring. As @Amanda84 said, you deserve to feel comfortable in your own skin. Plus, having a better understanding of yourself is never a bad thing, wherever you end up on your gender.