Mental health and diapers/pull-ups

[Kawaharu]

The one thing I am noticing where I work and I work as a psych tech in a kids unit is that I am seeing kids from 7 to 12 years old who are in pull-ups. The kids I work with all have mental trauma and mental health issues. I am wondering if this is a trend where kids who have mental health issues and mental trauma issues are using pull-ups to cope with all their issues.

[Rachael-Little]

My guess would be yes

[warpiper]

My guess would be no. Likely they have toileting issues related to trauma or their psychiatric condition and use pull ups or diapers to protect their bedding or clothing. The idea that they would be using them as a coping mechanism rather than as a physical aid to contain toileting issues is a bit far fetched IMHO. 

[Kawaharu]

On 2/2/2024 at 8:53 AM, warpiper said:

My guess would be no. Likely they have toileting issues related to trauma or their psychiatric condition and use pull ups or diapers to protect their bedding or clothing. The idea that they would be using them as a coping mechanism rather than as a physical aid to contain toileting issues is a bit far fetched IMHO. 

Well the Psychiatrist and Social workers I work with, all tell me that it's normal for someone with psychiatric or mental health issues to use pull-ups or diapers. They have seen patients who come into the Inpatient units wearing them. Some use it to cope with sexual trauma or the psych meds they are all on, have side effects that make them pee a lot more. I have even seen in some units where psych patients use them to cope with mental health issues and are being treated for ECT.

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

12 minutes ago, Kawaharu said:

Well the Psychiatrist and Social workers I work with, all tell me that it's normal for someone with psychiatric or mental health issues to use pull-ups or diapers. They have seen patients who come into the Inpatient units wearing them. Some use it to cope with sexual trauma or the psych meds they are all on, have side effects that make them pee a lot more. I have even seen in some units where psych patients use them to cope with mental health issues and are being treated for ECT.

Two things:

1. If this is "normal" then they are not doing their job, which is to undo such trauma whereever possible or to eliminate the use of "crutch'es or if not to bring about the use of ones that are not so obvious. If you WANT to indulge in infantialism, then do so, It should not be a crutch. I have heard in my classes stories of regression as a response to trauma, but the attempt was made to cure the situation

2. As a society, we were much happier and well-adjusted before this obsession, fet by the Establishment, with "mental health". Somebody gets something, probably political power, out of it, This was predicted by Dr. Thomas Szasz 56 years ago. If you look at my post on the thread about politicians trying to solve potty training problems, you will see that I, quoting Gene Burns,  posted that a government beureaucracy measures its succes by the number of f"souls over whom they say grace". Well, someone is looking to say grace over more souls, either for power or money in the form of grants (many of my graduate coruses included techniques of "grantsmanship")

[Little Cub Pants]

It wouldn't surprise me if that was the case. An Pull-Up/Diaper can be very comforting especially when you're young, combine that with trauma and it can be very soothing for people with mental issues. Lord knows I could have used a pull-up/diaper around that age too. It probably would have helped me in more ways than one. Anyway, my point is is probably provides them a sense of security they don't get anywhere else, hints why it's so useful. Also I wouldn't be surprised if some counselors use regression therapy along with them wearing Pull-Ups/Diapers. That can be very mentally stimulating as well and provide relief in many different ways.

[Kawaharu]

23 hours ago, Diapee Baby Jesse said:

It wouldn't surprise me if that was the case. An Pull-Up/Diaper can be very comforting especially when you're young, combine that with trauma and it can be very soothing for people with mental issues. Lord knows I could have used a pull-up/diaper around that age too. It probably would have helped me in more ways than one. Anyway, my point is is probably provides them a sense of security they don't get anywhere else, hints why it's so useful. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if some counselors use regression therapy along with them wearing Pull-Ups/Diapers. That can be very mentally stimulating as well and provide relief in many different ways.

if you look at Psychiatry and social work today, they are more accepting of those who wear pull-ups/ Diapers to help cope and deal with their Mental health issues. I even know a few friends of mine who are all Social workers who tell me that pull-ups/Diapers help patients cope and deal with their mental illness and psychological trauma. I have even seen counselors recommend diapers/pull-ups to psych/mental health patients and even in the in-patient psych units, they have diapers/pull-ups on hand that the Psych Nurses give to patients.

[Little Matt]

It probably depends on the person. In most cases, I would think that the diapers are just to deal with toileting issues and, if anything, are a drag on their emotional well-being.

Finding pleasure and/or comfort in diapers is not a universal thing. Like there's a reason we all have to gather in these small communities to talk about it. It's not something most people experience.

[Little Sherri]

26 minutes ago, Little Matt said:

Finding pleasure and/or comfort in diapers is not a universal thing. Like there's a reason we all have to gather in these small communities to talk about it. It's not something most people experience.

I agree. Most people aren't wired "this" way, although I am aware that even in saying that, I'm generalizing all of "us" into one "this." And some of us are DL's, some are ABDL's, some are age players, some are incontinent people trying to find a silver lining, and some are people who really want to be incontinent, plus about 140 other thin wedges this pie can be cut into. It would be interesting to see research into if people with anxiety and/or depression who did not previously show any interest in diapers, could find some relief in their utilization, but I suspect that the results, if such a study could ever be mounted, would end up breaking down along the same dispersal pattern as is found in the population at large. IE, if 0.5% of all people find comfort or alleviation of anxiety/depression/trauma via putting themselves in diapers, then 0.5% of afflicted populations who haven't already gravitated towards them, would have a similar outcome.

What might skew that slightly would be the reality that childhood/parentage is the source of a lot of trauma/anxiety/depression, and obviously, diapers and related paraphernalia are associated with childhood/parenting/immaturity. Further, potty training is a major developmental hurdle, the expected timelines for which are often overemphasized in importance (for lots of reasons - social status among parents, requirements of schools and daycares), and so, for a lot of people, it might be the first real performance anxiety they experienced - the first time they "failed" at something, the first time they were ranked, the first time they felt inadequate. So, IF childhood/parentage experiences play a significant role in the development of mental health conditions, and IF diapers/potty training play a significant role in childhood experiences, THEN, one could speculate that things related to diapers might carry more weight for a populace that is arguably manifesting symptoms of childhood trauma. 

But that knife cuts both ways. Presumably, some of those people would then run towards diapers with open arms (like we have), and, some of them would run away from diapers in stark abhorrence. 

[Kawaharu]

27 minutes ago, Little Sherri said:

What might skew that slightly would be the reality that childhood/parentage is the source of a lot of trauma/anxiety/depression, and obviously, diapers and related paraphernalia are associated with childhood/parenting/immaturity. Further, potty training is a major developmental hurdle, the expected timelines for which are often overemphasized in importance (for lots of reasons - social status among parents, requirements of schools and daycares), and so, for a lot of people, it might be the first real performance anxiety they experienced - the first time they "failed" at something, the first time they were ranked, the first time they felt inadequate. So, IF childhood/parentage experiences play a significant role in the development of mental health conditions, and IF diapers/potty training play a significant role in childhood experiences, THEN, one could speculate that things related to diapers might carry more weight for a populace that is arguably manifesting symptoms of childhood trauma. 

Most of what I have seen stems from childhood trauma, depression, massive anxiety, and even some cases of those who have Bipolar disorders. Everything in mental health nowadays is trauma-informed and trauma-focused care. I have even heard of cases from psychiatrists and social workers where there have been cases of kids who have been through sexual trauma and are in pull-ups and diapers. I'll be you, if you do the research, you can see case studies of those who have mental illness and are in diapers & pull-ups. At the same time, have any of you ever looked at the psych meds people are on and what the side effects are? Some psych meds often times makes people pee alot.

[WetDad]

On 2/8/2024 at 10:34 AM, Kawaharu said:

At the same time, have any of you ever looked at the psych meds people are on and what the side effects are? Some psych meds often times makes people pee alot.

I've been on an anti-depressant for 35 years or so. Also been IC for 25+ years now. Other common side-effects include high blood pressure, weight gain, impotence and more. Very well known side-effects. It will take me more than 2 1/2 years go get off this, and no promise that any of these side-effects will go away.

[superabsorbantpolymer]

What anti depressant are you referring to? How do you know it caused your ic if you started it 10 years before you became ic?

[WetDad]

Effexor (venlafaxine). I've had bouts of ic since I started taking this. It just got steadily worse. I won't know for sure until I come off it.