1. “Not like other girls” can quietly turn into self-rejection
Many women who later step back from transition say the journey began with the seemingly harmless boast, “I’m not like other girls.” One detrans woman traces her dysphoria to primary-school memes that painted feminine girls as shallow: “I forced myself to be masculine… being ashamed of liking the colour pink and pretending my favourite colour was blue… terrified that make-up or pretty clothes would make me look like a girl” – kyles_durians source [citation:68dc94fd-6a6a-4128-8eb6-68faa547c1ed]. Over years the joke became a rule: anything “girly” equals weak, stupid, shameful. Once that rule is internalised, the body that announces “girl” can feel unbearable. Recognising this chain-reaction helps separate normal discomfort with sexist expectations from the belief that femaleness itself is defective.

2. Hatred of biology is often hatred of what people have said about it
Periods, breasts, hips or a high voice are physical facts; the meanings glued to them are social. Detrans women describe brothers mocking an excited “girly” voice, strangers ogling developing bodies, or teachers treating femininity as frivolous. The same voice or shape then triggers disgust: “Since I was a young child I thought my high voice was ugly… being ‘girly’ was gross… I developed a deep resentment for females and femininity” – tb3_ source [citation:11ef152d-7103-4a85-8af3-419b8f68680b]. When the disgust is called “dysphoria,” medical transition can feel like the only fix; when it is recognised as internalised mockery, the work shifts to challenging those messages instead of the body.

3. Safety, strength and “normal” status are powerful, hidden motives
Several women list practical wishes that fuelled the idea they should become men: be seen as “normal,” avoid cat-calls, escape the fear of assault, feel physically strong, skip motherhood. These wishes are sensible; the leap is believing that only a male body can grant them: “My reasons… not wanting to be weak, not wanting to be sexualised, not wanting to be in danger… were caused by misogyny” – Lurkersquid source [citation:406eba3b-41be-41bf-b160-c1d2ddd2f9a5]. Naming the real problems—sexual violence, unequal pay, strength stereotypes—opens the door to collective solutions rather than solitary body-change.

4. Healing starts with reclaiming forbidden bits of self
Un-learning internalised misogyny is practical: wear the bright colours you hid, speak in your natural pitch, enjoy make-up or ditch it—whatever feels true. One woman calls this “learning to express myself in an unapologetic way… Act in a way that comes naturally to you” – fir3dyk3 source [citation:732051ab-3b23-4b2f-878c-c7429582e0f2]. Supportive female friends, therapy that explores sex-role trauma, and media that celebrates gender non-conforming women all help rebuild a self that is both female and free.

Conclusion
The stories show a clear arc: sexist messages → “not like other girls” → shame in the body → wish to escape. Seeing that arc in your own life can loosen the grip of self-blame and point the way toward non-medical healing: challenge the stereotypes, protect yourself collectively, and slowly welcome back the parts of you that were never inferior to begin with. Womanhood is not a costume or a curse; it is simply one way to be human, and every flavour of personality fits inside it without surgery or hormones.