Ok so a short thread on some of the things that helped me as a trans guy with a large chest (pre surgery) https://twitter.com/itsjacksonbbz/status/1264606854832885762

So firstly, I want to acknowledge that much of the time I didn't cope. It's really fucking hard and there's no getting around that. In times when I was overwhelmed, I came home and cocooned in my room until I felt strong enough to leave the house again. Be kind to yourself

Much of my dysphoria comes from how others perceive me, rather than internalised stuff. So as you can imagine, being a trans guy with a 38H chest, where binding could only do so much and didn't make me flat - being in public was rough af.

I wore a GC2B binder which I found pretty comfortable. Unfortunately Spectrum - the UK binder store - didn't go up to my size back then.

One of the first and most helpful things I did was look up and write a list of gender affirmations for myself. I'd say them to myself each day as I got ready. I even recorded them and would play them through my headphones as I went about the day.

It felt really important to affirm my value and worth and dignity in a world that sought to undermine me. It was important to affirm to myself that my chest didn't erase my manhood.

The other thing I did which ***really*** helped was... I made a pinterest board of cis men with large chests. Seeing cis dudes with a chest comparable to mine helped me reaffirm my masculinity. I was just like one of those cis dudes with a visible chest you know?

If I was having a tough moment while out, I'd quickly flick to the Pinterest board on my phone and take comfort from those images.

*Worth mentioning these were pics of larger cis dudes who were celebrating & loving their bodies online (as they should). Not snaps of strangers lol

The other thing that helped in the darkest times was being around trans friends who saw me for me. And affirmed my identity and gender without question. Shout out to pals like @heartstarlet @MichelleOToolee and many others including @Genderintell 18-30 who did this for me!