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I have read many posts here on CDH about how many of us while dressed are in that "Pink Fog" and find dressing not only a great stress reliver in general but how dressing has helped some of us cope with stressful situations. This is one such story.
The background story to all this happened 4 years ago when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was no surprise as my older brother had it too and was dealing with the side effects of his treatment. The two big side effects of prostate cancer treatment that can happen are being impotent and incontinent. The other alternative is no treatment and a much shorter time on this earth. This was the one time there was an advantage to being the youngest as knowing of brother's diagnosis they were testing me every few months and caught it in it's very early stages. On being diagnosed I had three choices. Have it removed now before it could spread and with a reasonable chance of minimal permanent side effects. Or wait and see and down the track have it removed but that would mean likely radiation or other treatment. Or I had probably around 10 years. I chose option 1 and had it removed straight away and have been extremely lucky not to have either of the two side affects that generally come with prostate cancer treatment.
Step forward to a few weeks ago when after 4 years of blood tests showed zero trace of any cancer I had a result that showed a tiny amount of prostate cancer was present. To say it rocked my whole world was an understatement. I thought I had beaten it but now I hadn't. I spent three days moping around almost in a trance I was so depressed.
The following day was I had an opportunity to spend the day as Olivia. I decided to get dressed up in femme and see what I felt like doing. Once I looked in the mirror doing my makeup and what I saw looked more female than male my demeanor started to change and my focus switched from thinking about my test result to making myself look nice and where was I going to venture to today as the woman I saw in the mirror. While I was out at the shops I had a lovely encounter with a sales lady talking about what we both do with our makeup and where we get our makeup. She told me about a where a few good makeup tutorials were on YouTube and TikTok. It was one of those encounters that just make you feel good where you were treated 100% as if you were any other woman. After that I felt so happy and totally shrouded in "The Pink Fog." After changing back to male mode I was not anywhere near as down as I was before. I was able to look logically without panicking at what my situation was. I had been asked to take a second test as the result was so unexpected and this was the first time I had considered the test may have not been correct in some way and that if it was there it had been caught early again.
The good news is the second test showed no sign of cancer and while I will be monitored closely there is a chance there was something funny with the first test to give that result. SO TO MY THEORY.
When I am dressed as Olivia and in the "Pink Fog" the only thing in my mind is being the best woman I can be and what that entails. Getting my walk right, makeup right and being alert to someone staring at me a bit funny. This is similar to when I ride my motorbike. When I am riding my motorbike there is nothing else going on in the world but me, my bike and the road. I get the same effects as I do when I am dressed. After a ride I feel less stressed and more able to tackle the problems of the world.
I had a psych once introduce me to mindfulness. The idea is we only worry about what may happen in the future and what has happened in the past. Almost never about what is happening right now. So if we can bring ourself to think only about right now we shouldn't be worried and at the least it will give us a break from our worries so we can better deal with them. My theory is this is why when we dress and are in the "Pink Fog" we destress and relax because the only think we are thinking of is being that beautiful woman that is in us all. My example above showed a day as Olivia gave me a break that let me come to terms with what I had to face. So there it is. My theory on why getting carried away in a pink fog dressing as the female we want to be is so good for us all.
Is there some truth to this or am I just full of it? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Congratulations Olivia on your second test results. As Valentina says a positive mind set does help. Like the pink fog one gets uplifted and the positive attitude is so much better.
Alice
Congratulations on your second test results that must have been quite a scare. By the way I think you might be on to something with your theory.
Lacy
My theory is this is why when we dress and are in the "Pink Fog" we destress and relax because the only think we are thinking of is being that beautiful woman that is in us all.
I think there's some truth to that on a generic level. I don't think of it as a 'pink fog' but I think I understand what people mean by it. For me the dressing relieves that feeling, it doesn't generate or amplify it.
I'd also note that, for myself, getting dolled up has the side effect of not really having to be guy-me: Melodee has no mortgage or job or worries, really. Effectively a me vacation. I experience this in other ways in guy-mode, but being dolled up really takes the Life Stress -O-Meter down to zero.
My 2¢
Anything that takes your mind away from the issue and gives you a sense of relaxation and comfort is good for the soul. Being in that little bubble of euphoria recharges yourself and sense of wellbeing.
Being dressed gives you a purpose and knowing what you want in the fuyure helps overcome all.
I hope you stay clear and seek more euphoria as Olivia.
There is a recognised mental state called "flow state" and it seems to be what you are describing.
I'm really interested in the idea that people crossdress to destress and relax. I've heard that numerous times and I wonder if it is actually the other way around? Perhaps one of the things that is causing some stress, perhaps subconsciously, is what we are having to perform a "male" role and deny our true selves and that part of our stresses goes away when we dress.
So its presenting male that causes stress and being our true selves is the natural, stress free state.
Thank you for sharing your story. I have been dressing a lot more since my test came back more concerning than it was in the past. I will soon be having surgery to remove mine and hopefully never have to deal with the more severe aspects of the disease or treatment side effects.
For me there is definitely a different state of mind when I'm dressed vs when I'm not. I use the analogy of a wooden plank with a natural bend. I see myself as such. When I'm dressed the plank is in its natural comfortable bent state. When I'm not dressed I feel like I'm having to straighten the plank to fit in with all the others. The more opportunities I get to dress the more calm and centered I feel. If I don't get to dress for a few days I can sense my stress building.