The euphoria is the main fuel of my transition. To be THAT girl when I catch glimpses of her in the mirror, or maybe just in my heart, or when I am interacting with others who see me as a girl…is what truly makes me feel trans and to want to transition.

The dysphoria is not constant at all. It is not a requirement for being trans anymore than needing to starve yourself is a requirement to be able to eat food your body needs. Dysphoria is the effect of not being able to feel like you can achieve who you are in this moment. But it is not the source of being trans anymore than starvation is the source of eating well.

And I will add that my dysphoria usually hits me hardest right after some of my biggest times of gender dysphoria. But that’s because I grew up being told that being the way I want is selfish. So, I get dysphoria about being born AMAB, but it is combined with crazy intense self-doubt because to accept my true gender and pursue it is probably the biggest act of self-love in my life…an act that those who raised me call being majorly selfish. How ironic.

You don’t need the negative or lacking symptom to be who you are. The source of who you are is desiring to be THAT PERSON. Dysphoria is just the natural negative byproduct of not feeling like you can fully express being that person, whether physically, socially, etc.

And I will add, on the flip side, you don’t have to walk around 24/7 feeling gender euphoria or even gender desire or gender thoughts at all to still be trans.