Natalie:
Glad that you are with us and I hope it will be beneficial as your journey continues!
Rest assumed that many others have felt, or are feeling, similar emotions to what you describe. For all of us, coming out to ourselves is the first step. That is the foundation upon which everything else is built. It requires that we be honest with ourselves and begin to internalize what we know is true. Further, it is not the work of a minute. Trying to rush through this gains no points.
The Introduction is pretty straightforward. Probably the vast majority of us never met any of the other members before joining, so the question is how do we begin to get a sense of the story and path of others? Since we are unlikely to meet physically, how do we let people know our histories, how we feel about the idea of gender identity, where things sit for us now and where do we want to be headed in the future? Having a sense of the other members is a step towards building community.
Now, there are 2 parts to this and they are not really interchangeable. One is posting here in the Introductions forum and the other is the Profile page. You can include much of the same information about yourself, but know that eventually all threads sink to the bottom of the pile and get archived. You can still search for them, but it takes a bit. Posts are usually intended for more immediate interactions with folks. The Profile page asks some fairly specific questions along with areas to just write. The page will always be readily available and can be updated at any time if something changes for you. Think of it as a reference that helps others get up to speed as far as what is happening for you.
Anyway, after a while the anxiety will subside as you interact more with the members. Part of the reason this site was created was to counteract the isolation that many trans folks feel. That is understandable if you live in a remote small town. On the other hand, there are many that feel isolated even though they live in a metropolitan area. The problem is connecting with others in the community and that is very important. It is called “Finding Your Tribe”. It reinforces the idea that we are not twisting in the wind by ourselves.
So, take a deep breath and tell us what is in your heart…
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