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Transitioning can be a stepping-stone for grappling with mental illnesses.



While there's a lot of joy that comes from transitioning, many people find that there are new levels of distress and discomfort that they have to navigate, Hoffman-Fox says. "A lot of times 'the transgender question' can be one of the big ones that needs to be addressed first before some other questions can be answered about their mental health and happiness in general," Hoffman-Fox says. Once they're able to address the stress of gender, they can figure out what else in addition to being transgender still remains, Hoffman-Fox says.



In Sallans's case, he says transitioning did help his mental health, but he still struggled with anorexia. "How I take things out on myself wasn’t changed because of my transition, I just have a better quality of life because of my transition," he says. Some people build up how they're going to feel in their head after transitioning, but then end up frustrated when their feelings are still the same, he says. "There's always going to be more there left to discover about ourselves," Hoffman-Fox says.