Too much and not enough

We can read too much or not enough into our desire to express gender variance and honestly assessing our motivation can often be the hardest part.

In the past many transgender people tended to downplay their dysphoria because they had made life decisions which could be greatly impacted by becoming their true selves. Conversely today we are more in danger of overstating what it all means when all gender variance is lumped under the same moniker of "trans".

If you are able to understand your motivation plus keep an even keel on your life then you are to be congratulated. However the presence of distress, depression and anxiety are signs that more work needs to be done. I think it's fair to say that the more gender dysphoric a person is, the more is at stake which is why it pays to put the hard work in. It is also my humble opinion that suppression of identity should not form part of our solution.

This is not to say that everyone should transition, only that they should be able to organically express authenticity without fear of repercussion.