How we are seen from outside

[Bonsai]

This is a bit extreme, but it's a good example on what's the perception we can expect to get if we confess our secret to a shrink:

If you're lucky, our "special" side would be seen as a source of "disturbances of later interpersonal life", so as something to be erased.

Otherwise, it's pedo...

http://www.familytherapy.org/documents/ParaphiliaCase.PDF

[Elfy]

To be honest, I'm sure not all therapists would react the same. I've heard others have been a lot more open to the idea.

[DLdapper]

Most therapists will never give the same opinion twice. So you can't really make a judgement like that from previous cases like that.

[BabyGizmo]

I am from Calgary, and grew up in group homes since the age of 7. i have lived in homes all across Alberta, including Phoenix. and let me tell you this.

[Midwest Babygirl]

My therapist was very open minded.

[Drillers]

A very interesting read, as children we have a tendency to push against things that we don't agree and tend to do things that we aren't supposed to, this being a more so extreme case of "acting out". Provided the correct situation any one of us could have become like this instead of internalizing our feelings and acting them out in private. From what I read it seems as though oppression of his A(/T)B side was not part of the goal but instead to curb explicit in inappropriate public and not consensual actions.

[LittleMattyMoo]

I think that was more to do with the fact that he was a danger to other people.

I told my therapist and she said that it sounds like it gives me a great deal of comfort. She also said that as long as it isn't stopping me from achieving the things that I want to achieve then it's not a problem

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

It CAN be a sign of disturbance but not necessarily. I think it is when a person uses it to hide from life's problems. In that case it is just a tool of evasion to avoid confronting and dealing with the problem(s)

Here is a classic case of that. from my Psych of Personality class. A young girl (I take it she was between 18 and 20) lost her BF in 'Nam and she started dressing and acting like a 5 year old girl. She had lost her dad in a war. The instructor then threw it open to the class for comment and since there was none for about a minute, I said "Lemme guess: she was 5 when her dad was killed" and the instructor verified my comment

Now, the problem involved with using ABDL to "cope" is that, like drugs or anything else, you need more and more of it to get less and less out of it and you are not really enjoying it, you are just using it to keep the Monster at bay for the moment

That does not mean that it IS bad, just being misused to some other end

It can also be a result of "behavioral training". For an example of that, read my blog entry "The Making of a Little Girl". While I had some girlish interests, the parameters of my life were such that those would be reinforced to a very much higher degree than for other boys. So the only thing to be done was to manage it and keep it from growing into a monster most of whcih was me knowing that this was exotic and knowing "when" and with those stipulations, it was OK and maybe even had a beneficial side to it

[Rachel Emily]

I think that was more to do with the fact that he was a danger to other people.

I told my therapist and she said that it sounds like it gives me a great deal of comfort. She also said that as long as it isn't stopping me from achieving the things that I want to achieve then it's not a problem

[Rachel Emily]

It CAN be a sign of disturbance but not necessarily. I think it is when a person uses it to hide from life's problems. In that case it is just a tool of evasion to avoid confronting and dealing with the problem(s)

Here is a classic case of that. from my Psych of Personality class. A young girl (I take it she was between 18 and 20) lost her BF in 'Nam and she started dressing and acting like a 5 year old girl. She had lost her dad in a war. The instructor then threw it open to the class for comment and since there was none for about a minute, I said "Lemme guess: she was 5 when her dad was killed" and the instructor verified my comment

Now, the problem involved with using ABDL to "cope" is that, like drugs or anything else, you need more and more of it to get less and less out of it and you are not really enjoying it, you are just using it to keep the Monster at bay for the moment

That does not mean that it IS bad, just being misused to some other end

It can also be a result of "behavioral training". For an example of that, read my blog entry "The Making of a Little Girl". While I had some girlish interests, the parameters of my life were such that those would be reinforced to a very much higher degree than for other boys. So the only thing to be done was to manage it and keep it from growing into a monster most of whcih was me knowing that this was exotic and knowing "when" and with those stipulations, it was OK and maybe even had a beneficial side to it

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

You are probably more typical than I was, If you read my story. My "dark side" is very military and gung-ho and I am comfortable with both sides of me. The only issues were meeting all my needs and keeping them compartmentalized. Remember, I said I could put together an LB thing as good as any and am willing to assist in such behind scenes. BTW: I have not heard from you since I sent the last email. I hope you are all right

[BabyGizmo]

It IS a healthy way to cope with stress.

[BriBri360]

I have told my therapist about it in the past and I told her I had started indulging more in it, and she said that it's great I have found something that brings me relaxation.