Where would you place your diaper fetish in Maslow's Pyramid?

[cathdiap]

The theory behind the model is that you need to have fulfilled all the needs of a certain level before you can start fulfilling those in the level above. If this is true at what level would your diaper fetish be? Where would your personal growth stop if it wasn't for your fetish? 

 

My fetish replaces sexual intimacy and makes me feel like I belong in diapers, which helps me move up the pyramid. But at the same time, this fetish sometimes affects my self-esteem, causing me to fall back to a level below. I alternate between levels three and four, but I can never seem to reach the top. This is literally what is going on in my life right now. I know I have the gift of musicianship, but the constant inner battle surrounding my fetish is keeping me from getting there. 

[Little Sam]

1 hour ago, cathdiap said:

My fetish replaces sexual intimacy and makes me feel like I belong in diapers, which helps me move up the pyramid. But at the same time, this fetish sometimes affects my self-esteem, causing me to fall back to a level below. I alternate between levels three and four, but I can never seem to reach the top.

 

That sounds about right, level three would mean you wouldn't be willing to give it up, if it threatened your friendships / relationships with family / sexual intimacy etc. but you would if it was threatening your health, employment, home, income, general safety.

That probably puts me a level higher, because for the right person, I'd give it up, if they really wanted me to. Buuuuut that's cos I'd do almost anything for the right person.

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

I have not seen that in years

As for my answer, Nowehere. I know the difference between a need and awant. Also, for me, diapers is just a PART of the story, albeit a big part, but only a part. I am a far more complex being than just that, and I am not a DL

[Little Sherri]

This is probably one of the more interesting survey questions I have seen. I really had to think about this for a while, and I'm still not sure if I came up with the right answer. I think the correct answer for me is the top level - self-actualization. Diapers tick boxes for me on the lower tiers as well, but in terms of my theory as to why I do this, and what I get from it, it comes down to living the best life that I can live, and that falls into the top tier. 

I'm thinking about this more in terms of what I get from it, rather than what I would have to give up - obviously, if my plastic underpants fascination threatened my personal security or my job or ability to access food, for example, well, those things come first. But I think of my diapers as enabling, not hindering, my ability to be concerned with the higher tiers, rather than the lower ones. 

For example, back when "this" was a secretive "when I get time to myself" pastime, I used to try to create time away from my family, either by sending them places, or, going away myself, just to have a precious night or two living the way I wanted to live. At a certain point, I realized that "this" was coming between us - that sending my family on vacation for two weeks, and only going for one week myself "because of work", was costing me irreplaceable moments - BUT - I also knew that if I didn't create time for "this", my overall outlook wouldn't be as positive. "This" was therapeutic and helped me be the best me I could be. Living 24/7 allows me to have both - I no longer strive to create moments away from my loved ones. I'm generally a happier, more positive person, and that fits my definition of self-actualization. 

[WeaselDiaperBoy]

3 hours ago, cathdiap said:

The theory behind the model is that you need to have fulfilled all the needs of a certain level before you can start fulfilling those in the level above. If this is true at what level would your diaper fetish be? Where would your personal growth stop if it wasn't for your fetish? 

 

My fetish replaces sexual intimacy and makes me feel like I belong in diapers, which helps me move up the pyramid. But at the same time, this fetish sometimes affects my self-esteem, causing me to fall back to a level below. I alternate between levels three and four, but I can never seem to reach the top. This is literally what is going on in my life right now. I know I have the gift of musicianship, but the constant inner battle surrounding my fetish is keeping me from getting there. 

Old Maslow and his dog.  

This was a joke in one of my classes while in the military. We were learning about the hierarchy, and while discussing it in the cafeteria line, one of the cafeteria workers mentioned that he remembered learning about "Old Maslow and his dog." We commented that eventually, when you ring the bell, the dog self-actualized.

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

This question confuses two things. categories and festishes. Categories are overarching ideas based on human attributes. A fetish is a kind of habit that is implemented by the rules of behavior. A thing you like to do or have. a category need or even a category want, is based on species and individual properties. The difference is fetish is what you do. If it fit on the Maaslw Pyramid. Then everyone would have a psychological need for diapers  and therefore, a diaper fetish

Maaslow and Rogers were part of a reaction to Psychoanalysis aka Freudianism. Maaslow and Rogers were part of the "Non-Directive" school of therapy. The paryamid was to define what areas a client is deficient in to achieve self-actualization and to strengthen that area

Another schhol of psycho-therapy meight interpret a diaper fetish as a result of an unmet need that occurred during the diaper-wearing phase. Yet another would see it as a regression to an earlier time when one was the center of attention until replaced by a younger sipling or co-dweller in the house getting more attention. part of which was having  diapers changed

ONe must understand, though, these are all schools of psycho-therapy and interpret "needs" in that context. I do not think a fetish is a matter for therapy until it interferes with one's functionality. At that point I would go with some form of behavior therapy

[ValentinesStuff]

5 hours ago, cathdiap said:

The theory behind the model is that you need to have fulfilled all the needs of a certain level before you can start fulfilling those in the level above. If this is true at what level would your diaper fetish be? Where would your personal growth stop if it wasn't for your fetish? 

 

My fetish replaces sexual intimacy and makes me feel like I belong in diapers, which helps me move up the pyramid. But at the same time, this fetish sometimes affects my self-esteem, causing me to fall back to a level below. I alternate between levels three and four, but I can never seem to reach the top. This is literally what is going on in my life right now. I know I have the gift of musicianship, but the constant inner battle surrounding my fetish is keeping me from getting there. 

 

I'm stuck in the bottom "physiological" stage. I'm a 57 year old asexual virgin. So I'm sorry, but sex is NOT a physiological need. I do find it interesting that sex is at the bottom, but sexual intimacy is in the middle. Oh well, I don't understand either.

[Little Sam]

32 minutes ago, ValentinesStuff said:

 

I'm stuck in the bottom "physiological" stage. I'm a 57 year old asexual virgin. So I'm sorry, but sex is NOT a physiological need. I do find it interesting that sex is at the bottom, but sexual intimacy is in the middle. Oh well, I don't understand either.

By "sex" it means the urge to reproduce, that most people feel, and consider to be a need. "Sexual intimacy" IMO means like having a partner, it's just a little normative-biased in its choice of language. I would like to have some sort of relationship, with one or more persons, with whom I can be intimate. For me, that doesn't require sex, although wouldn't specifically preclude it either.

[FretaBWet]

I put my level at belonging. My use of diapers fills a physical need on the bottom tier of the pyramid as I have always had a need for diapers even though I was forced to live without them for much of my life. They also provide a sexual outlet also. They fulfill a need for safety on the second tier because they prevent my wetting from being obvious and they allow me to sleep better at night which is a health benefit. Diapers meet needs on the third tier because my wife wears too so they add to our intimacy together. I also have personal friends from attending the Littles munch in Kansas City that share the love of wearing diapers. I think the other two tiers probably fit too but I'm not sure how so I didn't put that down.

Hugs,

Freta

[Moochie]

At the bottom...on my bottom!!

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

If you want to find a system, though none of them addressed fetishes or ABDL, You might try, IIRC, Erickson's stages of personality development. It was used sort of as the basis for CHARLOTTE'S WEB