"The Medical Establishment Failed Me"—People Are Coming Out To Share Their Regret In Transitioning, But The Media Claims Trans Regret Is Less Than 1%

There is absolutely nothing wrong with self-expression, embracing yourself, and being vocal about your identity. But when many young people are under the influence of the media, they begin to adopt other peoples’ forms of self-expression and ideas as their own. Their brains are still developing, after all. And the transgender movement, so pervasive in society – to the point where it has even caused gender identity issues in young people who weren’t experiencing gender dysphoria in the first place – has brought up concerns. If young people are making permanent decisions, what are the odds of them regretting their transition later on? Affirmation surgeries are permanent. Blockers halt the natural development of your body, causing physical problems. Lastly, the risk of regret is in both of these decisions, and society can’t continue to pretend that it’s not.

Meanwhile, mainstream studies report that trans regret is incredibly rare – less than 1%, apparently. This surprises me because I’ve seen many people share their stories online who have decided to share their regrets in transitioning; in fact, I can find many examples of this. Judging by the growing amount of detransitioning content on TikTok, Reddit, Instagram, and even Facebook, it doesn’t seem rare at all. If it is, I’m glad. If it’s not, then we’ve got trouble, because there is no reversing gender-affirmation surgery, and the negative effects from years of pubertal blockers are difficult to reverse. If we’re going by anecdotal evidence (which is all we have at the moment), then transition regret seems to be growing.

Reddit’s “Detrans” Subreddit Shows a Different Story

We’re all aware of transgender awareness, but I can’t say the same for detransitioning awareness. Luckily, there’s a subreddit called “detrans” where people who are in the process of stopping or reversing their transition are trying to make their voices heard. The top posts feature previously-trans individuals who showcase their before-and-after pictures from dropping their blockers. Some of the other popular posts are from individuals who decided to share their anger and frustrations against the trans community, and most of them are painful to read. On r/detrans, you’ll find regret, anxiety, and loneliness from making a permanent choice that people once thought was right. “I'm sitting in bed crying because I just miss my breasts so much. I got top surgery when I was 18, I'm 27 now. Even if I get implants they won't actually be mine. I want mine back,” one user writes.

Another user experiencing health issues from years of blockers shares, “I destroyed my life with puberty blockers. With the spotlight on this issue now, all sorts of studies are coming out showing just how dangerous they are. They cause brain swelling and vision loss amongst other things. It all makes sense now why I’m dealing with a myriad of health issues. Doctors are helpless and either doesn’t know what to do with me or tell me it’s all in my head. I’m basically a science experiment at this point. I’m only 24. I can’t imagine suffering another 50 or so years like this. I just wish all this information coming out existed back in 2014 when I made the horrible decision of going on them. It could’ve saved my life.”

"I can’t imagine suffering another 50 or so years like this."

In scrolling through the many pages of r/detrans, I’ve noticed that an incredible number of members shared the same sentiment: That surgery will not cure the feeling of insecurities within. In addition, several members of the group have pointed out that they wished they had more informed consent. A few claim they were groomed by the transgender community and were brainwashed into transitioning. Many are suicidal.

“I'm a 17-year-old girl with a flat chest, a deep voice, a visible Adam’s apple, and some facial hair. There’s no reason for me to continue to live. I destroyed my life and I feel like all hope I have is stupid for me to have. I don’t think any person will ever wanna date me. Before all these people were into me but I destroyed that. Now no one is ever gonna like me. There’s nothing I can really do without getting reminded of my past and how much I miss it. I feel ashamed of what I did. I’m scared people will never let me do decisions on my own anymore. I was just a kid and I would have needed someone to help me accept myself but my therapist didn’t question my 'transness,'” a young woman wrote.

"I don’t think any person will ever wanna date me."

Unsurprisingly, Reddit has banned the group before for "promoting hate" in the past. I don't know what happened, so I can't exactly say they weren't doing just that. However, I wouldn't be surprised if the sub gets banned again in the future. The posts seem endless, and they come in every day, with more people emphasizing their resentment toward the group who allegedly influenced them into making their decision. "I'm mad because I'm a grown-ass man with f*cking tits. I'm mad because I hate myself for getting groomed into the Reddit transcult and f*cking up my body. I'm mad because the medical establishment failed me," a user vented.

"I'm mad because the medical establishment failed me."

If the sub does get deleted at some point, there's still hope for detransitioners looking for support. Believe it or not, the subreddit is not the only place where individuals who are looking to detransition can get support. There are actually numerous detransitioning groups that focus on raising awareness and assisting those who need help. I hope that in writing this article, more people will shed a light on the detransitioning movement so that young people can stay informed on the risks associated with blockers and gender-affirming surgeries. Perhaps instead of pushing young people to make risky decisions, we can teach them about self-love and acceptance first.  As for the rest of those who truly want to transition – let's keep the blockers and surgeries for informed adults – not kids.

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