Transgender Teen Survival Guide

Lee says:

You should stop binding for a while and see if that affects this issue- if you continue to experience the breathing problem, then you’ll know it isn’t binding related. Since you bind every day, you can’t tell whether or not it’s linked to binding or not.

If you’ve gone to multiple doctors and they can’t find a cause, then it’s possible that this is mental and not physical. While it is possible you have an undiagnosed disorder or binding injury, it could also be a symptom of a panic attack.

The Binding FAQ has a Binding when you have anxiety about it link which may also help if it’s anxiety-related, or caused by a panic attack.

We have a Mental health page with a Therapists and therapy link if you need more help than self-help can provide.

Followers say:

whyiswifiawesomeandso[…] said: I kind of get that sometimes. It’s like my rib cage locks up and won’t expand again for my lungs. But never to the point of choking.

rowenduchannesj said: I get something like that cause I used to get panic attacks daily and I was breathing too fast because of anxiety which made me dizzy 24/7, so I started to breathe consciously in a slow pace, which meant contracting the area where the ribs end and now I have a chronic pain there. Then I got a gc2b that ended right there in the point I was hurt, so I tried to not expand that muscle at all and that makes me run out of air sometimes, but never choking. Now I can’t really breathe properly cause I’ve been doing this for more than a year, but what I try to do when I get too out of air is trying to breathe (aka where you contract the muscles) as high up as possible, which makes it a little better cause I’m not contracting the muscle that hurts. Idk if this helps, but I guess it’s worth knowing?

essiefaith69 said: I experience this also.. it is nerves and fear built in and to conquer it is to relax and push forward. Deep breaths. I get them when i dress for outings as a Essie. When i shop and people are staring at me..

delta-syrup said: Something similar happens to me, and for me personally it’s caused by stress/anxiety, which might also be possible for you. I’ve never had it so bad that I felt like I was choking though. So far I haven’t really found anything I can do except to relax and take deep breaths. I think you should def also consider binding less if binding is making the episodes worse/happen more often

isa-isaac said: Yep I get it too

Kii says:

Devon says:

First, try getting to a calm environment and doing breathing exercises if you’re still on the verge of a breakdown. You might also find our mental health resources helpful :)

I am Autistic and trans! And so are some of the other mods! (Check out the meet the mods page for specific info.) Also, it’s actually more likely for Autistic people to be transgender than other people.

It’s possible to have a Special Interest or hyperfixation in trans people or trans identities or something similar. But, having a Special Interest in trans people doesn’t mean that you’re not a trans person yourself!

Of course, you are the only one who can define if being trans is a Special Interest / hyperfixation. It sounds like your family is labeling this as a hyperfixation because they don’t want you to be trans, don’t accept the fact that you’re trans, or have a very narrow view of Autistic folks.

If you feel like you’re FTM, I would say that you’re FTM! Your family, or anybody else, can’t define that for you. If you have further doubts, you could check out our “What Am I?” page and/or our trans masculine resources.

You could show your family videos from Ask An Autistic on youtube or resources from ASAN if they seem to be ignorant about Autistic folks. And we have a For Parents/Guardians page and an Ally Resources page that might be helpful for them, to learn about trans identities.

Our coming out page has tips about coming out in various contexts (including to family members, and what to do if people aren’t supportive after you come out).

Good luck! I hope all goes well, and send another ask if I didn’t entirely answer your question.

Kii says:

You might be experiencing a panic attack in these situations? I would recommend trying to find a breathing exercise that works for you for when this happens.

Thanks!