Just want to note ahead of time, yes Iā€™m in an enormous amount of therapy already

Nothing in particularly spicy detail but topics and possible triggers include: Surgery, breakups, alcoholism, sex, generally poor mental health

Iā€™m having surgery in June which Iā€™m very excited about but also itā€™s a big thing to be going through and Iā€™ve needed a lot of emotional support. I spent the last few years building up my social circle and being in a vibrant polycule. In the last year though Iā€™ve managed to go through 5 breakups, 4 of which were very long term, and now a divorce. This most recent breakup has been so hard on me, I was starting to heal from my paranoia Iā€™d get dumped out of nowhere, the day I finally couldnā€™t hold it in any more and was going to tell them I loved them they broke up with me before I had the chance. I donā€™t have any partners left, Iā€™ve only got a couple friends left one of them is in a different state. I spent years lining up my social circle with a lot of care and now that I need it most itā€™s just crumbles. This recent breakup was kinda my last hope to have a grounding intimate relationship through surgery. They were such a lucky find and everything Iā€™ve been hoping for and missing and I was healing so much pain just being around them but thatā€™s all gone now. Thereā€™s only like 10 weeks before surgery and last time I tried finding anyone it took months of heartbreaking work. I donā€™t do well without physical comfort, Iā€™m back to sleeping only a couple hours a night, Iā€™m losing weight again really quickly, I can feel my body falling apart from the stress

Iā€™m doing what I can to find people, going to bars even though Iā€™ve been sober for almost three years now (Iā€™m getting Shirley Temples so I feel less out of place), Iā€™ve completely gone through multiple dating apps, I even went to a sex club for the first time the other day which was kinda magical but didnā€™t help with a lot of what Iā€™m going through. Iā€™m scared something is going to go wrong with surgery and I feel a major urge to use what Iā€™ve got while it is still here. Iā€™m also not very attracted to other trans women which I feel ostracizes me from the local trans community. Often the expectation is because Iā€™m into women and Iā€™m trans I should make exceptions on my genital preferences for trans women; this has caused a major disconnect with how Iā€™m able to socialize with the local trans community. Itā€™s so difficult to find people I match well with physically and emotionally and Iā€™ve lost everyone I spent years finding. I was really hoping to have an intimate relationship to ground me before and after surgery and to have a trusting relationship be there while Iā€™m learning my new body.

My tranniversary is coming up soon too. The last couple I had were filled with people and they were so special. This one I knew there wouldnā€™t be very many people so I made plans with my now ex, we were going to do something out of town just us so I could get away from the bad feelings. Now I guess I get to celebrate my tranniversary alone, the one a month before surgery.

I donā€™t know how Iā€™m going to keep doing this. After surgery instead of being in a caring environment I get to split finances in the divorce and move into an apartment likely by myself maybe with total strangers. Iā€™m completely burnt out at work, at life, I feel cut off from people and now I have major trust issues. I honestly donā€™t know how Iā€™ve gotten this far without picking up drinking again. Every day I want to nose dive off the wagon.

Iā€™m so hurt and scared and donā€™t think 10 weeks is enough time to figure out how not to be. I know going to clubs and stuff trying to hook up probably isnā€™t good for me but I donā€™t know how to stop this empty pain in me without human comfort