Dealing with telling your friends and family.

[WishmasterK]

For many the prospect of telling anyone about your gynecomastia is a daunting task. Many fears and worries pop up in your head. You may believe the opinions of the people you express yourself to will be negative. Will they think your a freak? Will they know longer want to associate with you? Questions similar to these may plague you.

When I decided to share with people that I had gynecomastia, the same type of thoughts almost stopped me from telling anyone...

The first person I told was a close female friend of mine. Her response was typical of the responses I would receive from people as I went threw my list. "You have gynecomastia, and it makes you have breasts, Oh, ok."  It hadn't occurred to me that my loved ones would take it so easily. They were not taking it lightly but they wanted me to feel comfortable. To say, its not such a big deal, and we we love you. It also hadn't occurred to me that it would be so easy after the first person. And even easier after the second and the third.

The point is, after my own experiences and listening to the experiences of other is, IT'S NOT GOING TO AS BAD AS YOU THINK! Now I'm not going to say you wont get the occasional jerk or ass who will say something inappropriate.

True friends will love you for who you are, no matter what your chest looks like. And after gaining there support your whole situation may become easier to deal with.

I welcome those who have told others about there gynecomastia, share your experiences so that you may help others do the same.

signed, Kevin

[outertrial]

I found this site first, then eventually I told my doctor, then my girlfriend.  Never told anyone else, hopefully now ive had the surgery ill never have to either.

[merle]

I think that you have missed the point of this section.

Merle

[Teflon]

The subject here is about ACCEPTING your gyne and just talking openly to your friends and family about your condition.
NOT about telling them about your surgery plans.

This is a living with it / no surgery forum.

Having said that,ultimately other people won't care as much as you, or even notice. Whether you tell them or not. Even if you had something as obvious and "in your face" as a nose job, you'd for the most part just go about your life. You wouldn't be agonizing over who you might or might not tell. Same with Lasik. People really don't care.

If you do it. Do it and move on.

If you don't, or until you do... this is the Acceptance area.
Accept yourself as you are and don't agonize over that either.

Other people ("those people" "them") ...they don't care so much either way.

Your kids noticing is awful for you, but that is easily explained and when you tell them "bodies come in all shapes and sizes" and that "you'll probably be exactly the same some day when you grow up"... that should quiet them.

BTW how large are you - if I might ask.