Chelsea Attonley is a transgender woman who has suffered from a severe case of gender dysphoria for the majority of her life. For years, Attonley dreamed of normalcy, hoping that she could one day live a life where she felt comfortable being who she really is. But, unfortunately, that’s a question she’s had trouble answering for quite some time. Even after undergoing surgery for a sex change, Attonley still failed to find happiness and still wasn’t pleased with her appearance. Now, after three sex change surgeries, she’s opted to share her experience with the world and her story has gone viral.

According to Mirror Online, Attonley was born a male with the name Matthew. She underwent her first sex change surgery to become a woman at the age of 18, spending $7,589 on breast implants.

During an interview on ITV’s This Morning, she recalled how the operation and first transition afforded her the opportunity to live the life she’d always dreamed of. “When I was 18 I read an article about girls who had been born in male bodies,” Attonley said. “It was like a light had been switched on in my head. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and eventually I went to my GP. I broke down in the surgery as I explained I thought I was a woman.”

“For the first time in my life, I felt like a million dollars,” she said. “As I walked down the street in short skirts, men would stare and beep their horns. Some women might find such attention annoying, but I loved every minute of it.”

For years, she lived as a woman and even became a drag queen in her twenties, emulating the look and style of glamour model Katie Price, according to the Daily Mail. After having a doctor turn down her initial request for a full sex change, she fell into a deep depression, but that still didn’t stop her from fulfilling her dream.

Chelsea #Attonley who was born a man DOES want to be female after all http://t.co/ALfA88sFzD #ZippedNews http://t.co/VJDhOUlGSl — News in Summary (@news_in_summary) October 5, 2015

In 2008. Attonley underwent gender reassignment surgery to have her penis removed. The surgery reportedly cost more than $11,000. But, after years of living as a woman, a number of life changes made her question the decision she’d made. Her mother’s death in 2013, along with her struggle to find love and build lasting relationships, led to her decision to have another gender reassignment surgery.

According to Opposing Views, Attonley decided to have a third sex change operation – which the British government paid for – because her efforts to look femininely authentic were futile. Attonley explained that people would always see her as a man regardless of how much makeup she’d put on to embellish her appearance. “I didn’t know where to turn. I craved affection but was ­worried that no one would love me in the body I was in,” she said. “I have a lot of mates who are gay men and I couldn’t help but feel jealous when I saw them in happy relationships. I thought it might be easier to become Matthew again.”

Follow me @ChelseaAttonley, my trans account! Matthew Attonley account no longer active! pic.twitter.com/1YmCgsIXsX — Fabsea Fan's (@FabseaFans) August 22, 2015

“It was draining to constantly think about how to walk and speak like a girl. I was fighting a losing battle. When people found out about my past, they treated me like a liar and a fake. I suffered from anxiety and depression. I could not keep up the act of pretending to be a woman anymore. It was making me miserable. I had to go back to living as Matthew.”

She reportedly wants to have the third surgery to reduce the size of her breasts and reattach her penis, in hopes that the changes would bring her happiness. It has been reported that she’s now having testosterone to begin her transition back to a male.

[Image via YouTube Screen Capture]