No regression, what to think of that?

As some of you might know by now, in the past few years I have started to discover the AB part of myself. It raises some questions about the role of regression in this and I am curious about your experiences and feelings.

I have always been DL, mainly the sexual part of it. But as I grow older I increasingly appreciate the comforting feelings it brings me. It makes me feel relaxed, and safe. I can now even wear for days without the sexual part. For me, this is quite a new experience.

I really like pacifiers and drinking from a baby bottle. I have always had plushies. The regressive feelings that can be part of that however are hardly there. Like with wearing, it is mostly comforting and feeling safe and happy than true regression. For the same reason I do not actually play when I am wearing and using my baby things.

In the meanwhile, there is always some desire to be young and innocent again. Not that I would ever want to redo my youth by the way.

I have been thinking about this a lot. It was actually one of the motivations to become a member on ADISC (for which I am very happy that I did!).

It feels like some sort of dissonance that all those important feelings can be there, but that this regression thing is not so much there. Whilst it seems that for most of the people here regression is very much involved. Or is my feeling safe and comfortable and relaxed, and my desire to be a child, a symptom of regression?

And how would you describe yourself if you really like and enjoy the children's things but do not actually regress. Is it still AB?

I think you're overthinking it. Experiences of regression vary from person to person. While some people have described a distinctly different mindset or way of looking at the world when they're pretending to be a young child, not everyone does and it's not required that you have to feel that way. If what you're doing is making you feel safe, warm, and happy, that's just fine and that's all you need to do. You can call it regression, too, if you're sitting there in your diaper sitting on your bottle and feeling all warm and happy. If you're really interested in seeking more and you want to try and change your mindset in a more significant way, you can try practicing a bit (like intentionally playing or speaking in baby talk, or bringing in more little kid things like cartoons or baby foods). But don't do stuff that you're not enjoying or don't want to do.

I don't actually think your feelings are as dissonant as you might think. I personally am pretty much the same way; started off mainly sexual DL, but as I explored I found a bunch of AB stuff relaxing, but I practiacally never really get to the point of "regression" either.
You might be on to something with thinking that your feelings are symptoms of regression, while not being the full on change in mindset, but if that's where your most comfortable then don't sweat it! There's no rule that says you have to achieve "true regression", and if you naturally just feel safe and comfortable where you're at, then there's no reason to force it.
As far as what to call yourself, that's a tough question to answer, and is mainly personal. If you want to still go by AB, there's no problem with that. I personally chose the term "Little" over AB, because I can feel relaxed and safe like you described but without ever feeling like a true baby, so I just describe it as feeling "little". Still, it's really just a personal choice, whatever you're most comfortable with.
Hope that helped!

I'm an AB as well as a DL (ABDL). I like baby things but not in a regressive way. They can be enjoyable all on their own as sensual items but for me, it's usually more powerful as a matter of infantile status.

I'd call someone with an unusual interest in baby things and status an AB, whether that comes with regression or not, and whether or not it is sexual in any sense.

I go by "Little" because I don't go completely Baby when I go into the headspace... But there is doing definitely a headspace.

I don't have all of my triggers nailed down, but there is a time when I just sort of "plop" down into a much smaller frame of my mind, where I feel smaller and happy. I want to play with my plushies, play video games, watch kids TV, and forget everything. Sometimes this happens the instant I put on a diaper — the times it's like this I kinda bounce around my place like a hyper kid for a while before I remember I really ought to be wearing more than just a diaper!

From what I read around places this isn't the typical. But it's definitely real.

What you're doing sounds pretty real to me too.

I agree with the above posters. I think there are degrees of regression and it's something that's hard to quantify. It's also possible that many members who talk about their regression experiences may exaggerate to some degree. It's hard to describe regression accurately in part because it can come in waves. Diaper wearing is a sexual experience for me and I'm also AB. Sometimes deep regression for me will lead to sexual release, the sexual experience driving my regression deeper. Everyone experiences this differently.

I don't think it's something you can force or manufacture. You can find things that trigger regression such as baby bottles, baby clothes and other things associated with being a baby or toddler. Just let go at your own pace and enjoy the experience as it exists for you.

Same as dogboy said, I have levels too and based on that will be how effective they are to relieving my burnout symptoms from a 3 going on 4 year College Death March. I also agree that you can't force yourself to regress, sometimes it happens on a day to day basis. I myself have had times where I lapse into a regressive state without any external stimuli while at other times when I need it, it is not so easy to get it going. I am pretty much on the non-sexual side of the scale, though my body does seem to disobey my convictions about it all. I also am also required to roam around and have a lot of space to play and/or have a caretaker in order to get the most out of it. Without that it can sometimes be outright dangerous to let it out to play as while I am in that form I am vulnerable and also not reserved at all in a professional discussion. If it comes out while I am writing an email I can sometimes write nasty grams and not even know it until after I send it. So while regression does relieve stress, sometimes it does create more problems too. Be careful about it as it could land you out of a job or worse.

Just to dawn a diaper, to me, is a form of regression. I do many things, without wearing, that make me feel abit younger then my age.
I think any thing you do and enjoy, even short term, that is related to a younger you is regression.
Just enjoy those little pleasures you have younger memories of when you get the chance, feel abit younger again.

Makubird said:

As some of you might know by now, in the past few years I have started to discover the AB part of myself. It raises some questions about the role of regression in this and I am curious about your experiences and feelings.

I have always been DL, mainly the sexual part of it. But as I grow older I increasingly appreciate the comforting feelings it brings me. It makes me feel relaxed, and safe. I can now even wear for days without the sexual part. For me, this is quite a new experience.

I really like pacifiers and drinking from a baby bottle. I have always had plushies. The regressive feelings that can be part of that however are hardly there. Like with wearing, it is mostly comforting and feeling safe and happy than true regression. For the same reason I do not actually play when I am wearing and using my baby things.

In the meanwhile, there is always some desire to be young and innocent again. Not that I would ever want to redo my youth by the way.

I have been thinking about this a lot. It was actually one of the motivations to become a member on ADISC (for which I am very happy that I did!).

It feels like some sort of dissonance that all those important feelings can be there, but that this regression thing is not so much there. Whilst it seems that for most of the people here regression is very much involved. Or is my feeling safe and comfortable and relaxed, and my desire to be a child, a symptom of regression?

And how would you describe yourself if you really like and enjoy the children's things but do not actually regress. Is it still AB?

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Hi Makubird,

I echo all of the other sentiments expressed in this thread. I think regression is a personal thing, and it's sort of like when people say they speak with God or commune with nature in that everyone experiences this differently. I don't know that I actually regress when I'm doing ABDL things, but I imagine myself as small and loved. I would agree with dogboy and Trevor in that I consider myself AB but there is a sexual component to it, and like Trevor mentions, the baby stuff sort of signifies the infant status. For me, it's certainly a submissive thing, but in a gentle, loving way not as discipline.

In any case, life is short - if something brings you happiness and it doesn't hurt anyone, enjoy it.

Be well.

Gonna sound like a broken record here, but regression is most definitely something that varies from person to person, I think this might be because regression and AB related activities are all very personal and no two people are the same.

For me regression is a state of mind, going back to being a baby, freeing myself from adult responsibilities and opening myself up enough to feel emotional, youthful, innocent and loved. There are many sounds, sensations and objects that trigger my regression, from putting on a diaper, to shaking a rattle, to buttoning up my onesie to cuddling with my stuffies, sucking on my paci and of course being around Mommy.

Thank you all

Thank you so much for all your help! I have also been reading a lot about all this in the past weeks. Things are suddenly coming very much together for me.

Apparently there are many gradations in regression. I have never considered myself to regress because I do not completely go into another state of mind. After reading your posts I now think that I do regress but in a more subtle way.

However, I think there is more than regression. Many aspects and feelings of my younger self are always there. Maybe that is why nothing really changes when I wear or use my pacifier; I am not becoming little but I was already little. And always have been.

I frequently visit toy stores and, although I do not play with those toys (except for Lego), I feel happy looking around. I am always ‘playful’ in my acting and my thoughts. I like to play children’s songs on the piano. I visited the zoo yesterday and bought myself a season ticket :thumbsup:. When I was with my (now ex) girlfriend I always used to snuggle up against here, not the other way around. I still paint easter eggs and wrap presents for myself at Christmas (a pacifier this year aci: ), even when I am alone. There are plushies everywhere in my house and I still use my rabbit blanket from my childhood. Just to give you an idea...

I always thought that I was not completely grown-up or childish (not child-like), but I did not think of it as an identity, as deeply rooted desires and essential aspects of me. It was so obvious but I have been so blind!

I think I identify with being five-ish or so but not at all with being a baby. The AB in ABDL has never fitted me. I guess ‘little’ is a much better description of what/who I am.

Now that I am writing all this it feels so natural to me. I am so happy and excited! I think I will buy me a present for this breakthrough. Thanks again for all your help. And for reading this very long post

Glad we could help and that you seem to have figured yourself out, I'm happy for you! Enjoy whatever present you get yourself! :biggrin:

Got my present

RompingBulbasaur said:

Glad we could help and that you seem to have figured yourself out, I'm happy for you! Enjoy whatever present you get yourself! :biggrin:

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This is my present RompingBulbasaur:



The left one is a glow-in-the-dark. I modified them both to a Nuk 6.
I love them! aci:

Makubird said:

This is my present RompingBulbasaur:

View attachment 30310

The left one is a glow-in-the-dark. I modified them both to a Nuk 6.
I love them! aci:

Click to expand...

Very cool! Glow in the dark must be a lot of fun!

Nothing is ever “normal”. It varies person to person (much like Soylent Cola) and whatever makes you happiest/least stressed is probably what you need/want. Just my 2 cents...