Most of what I have to say is just signal boosting everyone else here.
- Get your hormones tested, and note what point in your cycle the levels were recorded.
- Birth control measures can affect hormones, so switching measures might change things for you, for better or worse.
- Tell the doctor about any major life changes or potential stressors that could trigger a hormone imbalance. My (cisgendered) sister ended up with low progesterone in her 30s due to a stressful divorce.
- Be prepared for the doc to hear "hormone problems" and prescribe "weight loss." This is a common cop-out for overworked doctors in the USA who don't want to actually understand the problem.
- If you're in the UK, don't tell the doc you relate to trans women, or that you took advice from us. Nothing good will come from that.
Since you identify as cisgendered, it's a good idea to speak with a therapist about your self-image and feelings of worth, as those may either be caused by or be the cause of the wrongness you're experiencing. Ask the therapist about body dysmorphia, not gender dysphoria. They're similar, but not identical. And finally, a few things that we trans girls do to help ourselves through the bad days:
- Try to remind yourself that in the modern world, almost all women have similar feelings of self-loathing to one degree or another. We're all taught to feel like our faces and hair and bodies need fixing, because it makes us better consumers for cosmetics, media, surgeries, clothing, you name it. It's just like men "negging." Desperation gives them leverage. (Sorry, you're on a trans server, you have to sit through at least one anticapitalist rant.)
- Try to remember that your worth is not defined by your appearance. Beauty is temporary, courage is forever. Anyone who can't see that doesn't deserve you.
- Go on a detox from Instagram, Tik-Tok, magazines, or anywhere that you might see highly curated, highly filtered, and carefully lit pictures of models. They're unrealistic and will wreck your self-image.
- Try taking some flattering pictures of yourself on the days when you feel good. It helps save the feeling for later. I recommend a ring light.
- On the days you feel awful, something performatively feminine can really hit the spot. For me, nail polish is great because it helps me feel pretty and decorated without looking in a mirror.