Explaining Age Regression

[TwilightSparklez]

Hi everyone. So I met a potential someone who has formerly taken on the Daddy role with a little who didn't regress. I am trying to find a way to explain what regression is and how that differs from someone who is a little and doesn't regress. I am not so great at explaining things these days as my head is going in three other directions so any help would be appreciated. 

[switch_ddlg]

Littlespace for someone who doesn't regress is a form of extensive, in-depth roleplay-esque act. While someone who actually regresses will mentally return to a former or less developed state. Littlespace without regression is more of a headspace or roleplay or for lack of better words an 'act' (not trying to offend anyone). While regression actually involves your mental state regressing, or going back to, a child-like state of mind/manor. Hopefully, that makes sense. 

[ohwells]

No disrespect to what switch_ddlg said but I disagree, although I may be wrong myself. I'm not 100% sure as to what regression mean if I'm being honest, but I don't agree with what switch_ddlg said, at least not completely.

 

I don't think it's as simple as saying those that don't regress are more or less role-playing while those that do regress are effectivelt regressing to their little space. The reason I don't believe this is that by those two definitions, I neither regress, nor do I not regress, which doesn't make sense!

 

I can't tell you if I regress or not because I don't have a full understanding of the term myself, let alone a way to explain it in words, but for me, little space just means I allow myself to let go of the societal pressures that have been put on me as a 20 year old. I let go of the real world a little bit. But im not role playing, no necessarily regressing to a younger mental state. I'm simply letting go of the barriers I usually hold up. And also letting go of the "big" part of my personality, because I use that more often in my every day life than I do my "little" side. But for me I don't even have to regress completely in order to be little. A lot of it is my natural perosnality.

 

Again, maybe I'm just uninformed on the subject of regression and I do in fact fit in to one of switch_ddlg's categories, but I think rather than explaining the difference or trying to ascertain the difference you'd be better off trying to explain to this potential Daddy what little space entails for you. Explaining your regression and how it works should more than adequately portray the difference for him. Or at least I believe it would.

[TwilightSparklez]

I understand what you are both saying and thank you both @switch_ddlg that helped loads and @ohwells I think switch-ddlg was just using words that best fit their description no offense meant I am sure. If I were to explain regression. it is not simply letting go of the pressures of life and being in a younger place that's how I am in my littlespace. When I regress my mindset literally switches to anywhere between 4-7 and at that moment I don't remember how to be an adult until I am out of that headspace. I do have a therapist and we have talked about it so yes it is healthy, safe and encouraged. I eventually explained it like this:

 

Regression is a state of being in a younger mindset not just roleplaying it or letting go of worldly pressures and daily life. It's therapeutic and can be a conscious choice and sometimes an unconscious one. It's a place where a little is at their most vulnerable childlike state and will strongly exhibit a younger mindset depending on their age range. This space is usually non-sexual and requires the Dom to take on the caregiver role. Yanking a little out of this space, telling them to grow up or act their age can me emotionally scaring. My age range is 3-7ish and I can be really quiet one minute, spouting the word no the next coloring and having tea parties at another time but essentially big me goes bye bye. It's a very carefree place.

[Little Illy]

Regression is a state of being in a younger mindset not just roleplaying it or letting go of worldly pressures and daily life. It's therapeutic and can be a conscious choice and sometimes an unconscious one. It's a place where a little is at their most vulnerable childlike state and will strongly exhibit a younger mindset depending on their age range. This space is usually non-sexual and requires the Dom to take on the caregiver role. Yanking a little out of this space, telling them to grow up or act their age can me emotionally scaring. My age range is 3-7ish and I can be really quiet one minute, spouting the word no the next coloring and having tea parties at another time but essentially big me goes bye bye. It's a very carefree place.

 

 

I'd be very, very careful with how you have explained everything, If this man has never experienced regression before, you have just tailored what "regression" is to him, in a way that suits you best. If that makes sense. You have hit a lot of good points, however, also guided some things that aren't necessarily true. 

 

"Regression is a state of being in a younger mindset not just roleplaying it or letting go of worldly pressures and daily life. " -  This is what regression is for you. This is not nearly true as a collective. Regression is like littlespace - it depends on the little. To say that "roleplaying it," or "just letting go of wordly pressures and daily life" is false, even for you. Letting go of pressures and life is why regression can be theraputic for someone - and when you regress and take on this mindset of a 4-7yo you are literally letting go of the pressures of life. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to regress to a child-like state. And that is what regression is.

 

"This space is usually non-sexual and requires the Dom to take on the caregiver role." -  This is incorrect, and now if you and your partner break up, he may be tripped up if a little is sexual when regressing. Or what if you change your mind down the road and want that intimacy during your regressing. To say it is "usually" not sexual, you are forming a heavy bias on what regression can mean. The sexual component is VERY important for some regressors and that shouldn't be ignored. It needs to be clear that being sexual during any headspace (little, regressed, submissive, etc) is a GOOD thing, even if someone doesn't prefer it. It is good because it fulfills some need those individuals require. This can be said for "requires the Dom to take on a CG role." Regression doesn't require a CG and sometimes a little wants to regress and be left alone (theraputic reasons) and so on. I know it seems like I am splitting hairs, but if you read what some people expect out of these dynamics, you will see just how important wording is. 

 

"Yanking a little out of this space" -  One sec, are you using 'regression' and 'little space' synnomously? Because to a lot of people they are VASTLY different. Daddy and I share my little space, yet I rarely, if ever actually regress. I can be in little space while at work or out with my family, but that doens't mean I have regressed (which has been true to my past experiences). And vice versa, a person can regress to that 4-7yo mentallity but not really consider it little space, they may find it to be kink-play (age play) and be a completely different trigger. People can use regression as a tool to get into little space, maybe not a requirement to be in little space. 

 

You are absolutely right about a lot of stuff up there (not yanking a person out of the space, it can be peaceful and theraputic, it can be etc). I would just realize that the above explanation is geared more towards what you believe regression to be, what it means for you personally. However, it is completely false for a lot of other people. And for the sake of educating a fellow community member, we all must be very careful to not let our own personal preferences to overshadow the reality. Because this Dom may go and try to give advice to his fellow Dom friend only for that friend to tell him he is completely wrong about everything (because they both prefer, or know, compeletely different things).

 

Here is something I threw together to help explain somethings and in it is a section on Little Space: https://www.ddlgforum.com/topic/12897-ddlg-the-serious-end-of-things/ (SFW)

 

Long story short - I think provided the above explaination of regression is perfect, but only if you are explaining what it means to you. If you are trying to teach someone what regression is, you need to incorporate the things you don't agree with at all. It sounds like you use regression and little space interchangeably (and I could be wrong), and if that is true, I would explore "Little Space" togehter. You can show him what appeals to you and he can be exposed to things he may never thought of. Explore together.

Edited March 31, 2018 by Little Illy

[switch_ddlg]

No disrespect to what switch_ddlg said but I disagree, although I may be wrong myself. I'm not 100% sure as to what regression mean if I'm being honest, but I don't agree with what switch_ddlg said, at least not completely.

 

I don't think it's as simple as saying those that don't regress are more or less role-playing while those that do regress are effectivelt regressing to their little space. The reason I don't believe this is that by those two definitions, I neither regress, nor do I not regress, which doesn't make sense!

 

I can't tell you if I regress or not because I don't have a full understanding of the term myself, let alone a way to explain it in words, but for me, little space just means I allow myself to let go of the societal pressures that have been put on me as a 20 year old. I let go of the real world a little bit. But im not role playing, no necessarily regressing to a younger mental state. I'm simply letting go of the barriers I usually hold up. And also letting go of the "big" part of my personality, because I use that more often in my every day life than I do my "little" side. But for me I don't even have to regress completely in order to be little. A lot of it is my natural perosnality.

 

Again, maybe I'm just uninformed on the subject of regression and I do in fact fit in to one of switch_ddlg's categories, but I think rather than explaining the difference or trying to ascertain the difference you'd be better off trying to explain to this potential Daddy what little space entails for you. Explaining your regression and how it works should more than adequately portray the difference for him. Or at least I believe it would.

I believe there are differences in regression-based littlespace and non-regressed littlespace, and yes there may or may not be other definitions that you 'fit' into, although what you said does fit into the regression-based definition, even if you don't fully regress. I myself started off as a non-regression little but eventually turned it into a regression-based littlespace.

 

I understand what you are both saying and thank you both @switch_ddlg that helped loads and @ohwells I think switch-ddlg was just using words that best fit their description no offense meant I am sure. If I were to explain regression. it is not simply letting go of the pressures of life and being in a younger place that's how I am in my littlespace. When I regress my mindset literally switches to anywhere between 4-7 and at that moment I don't remember how to be an adult until I am out of that headspace. I do have a therapist and we have talked about it so yes it is healthy, safe and encouraged. I eventually explained it like this:

 

Regression is a state of being in a younger mindset not just roleplaying it or letting go of worldly pressures and daily life. It's therapeutic and can be a conscious choice and sometimes an unconscious one. It's a place where a little is at their most vulnerable childlike state and will strongly exhibit a younger mindset depending on their age range. This space is usually non-sexual and requires the Dom to take on the caregiver role. Yanking a little out of this space, telling them to grow up or act their age can me emotionally scaring. My age range is 3-7ish and I can be really quiet one minute, spouting the word no the next coloring and having tea parties at another time but essentially big me goes bye bye. It's a very carefree place.

I didn't mean offense to it, I took the question in and explained in a professional sense. I just so happen to not be good at explaining things without coming off snarky or rude. I have terrible people skills. See, what you experience by mentally regressing to that of a 4-7 year old is the textbook definition of age regression. It is healthy and is used as a therapeutic practice by many and even encouraged by several therapists. 

[TwilightSparklez]

 

I'd be very, very careful with how you have explained everything, If this man has never experienced regression before, you have just tailored what "regression" is to him, in a way that suits you best. If that makes sense. You have hit a lot of good points, however, also guided some things that aren't necessarily true. 

 

"Regression is a state of being in a younger mindset not just roleplaying it or letting go of worldly pressures and daily life. " -  This is what regression is for you. This is not nearly true as a collective. Regression is like littlespace - it depends on the little. To say that "roleplaying it," or "just letting go of wordly pressures and daily life" is false, even for you. Letting go of pressures and life is why regression can be theraputic for someone - and when you regress and take on this mindset of a 4-7yo you are literally letting go of the pressures of life. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to regress to a child-like state. And that is what regression is.

 

"This space is usually non-sexual and requires the Dom to take on the caregiver role." -  This is incorrect, and now if you and your partner break up, he may be tripped up if a little is sexual when regressing. Or what if you change your mind down the road and want that intimacy during your regressing. To say it is "usually" not sexual, you are forming a heavy bias on what regression can mean. The sexual component is VERY important for some regressors and that shouldn't be ignored. It needs to be clear that being sexual during any headspace (little, regressed, submissive, etc) is a GOOD thing, even if someone doesn't prefer it. It is good because it fulfills some need those individuals require. This can be said for "requires the Dom to take on a CG role." Regression doesn't require a CG and sometimes a little wants to regress and be left alone (theraputic reasons) and so on. I know it seems like I am splitting hairs, but if you read what some people expect out of these dynamics, you will see just how important wording is. 

 

"Yanking a little out of this space" -  One sec, are you using 'regression' and 'little space' synnomously? Because to a lot of people they are VASTLY different. Daddy and I share my little space, yet I rarely, if ever actually regress. I can be in little space while at work or out with my family, but that doens't mean I have regressed (which has been true to my past experiences). And vice versa, a person can regress to that 4-7yo mentallity but not really consider it little space, they may find it to be kink-play (age play) and be a completely different trigger. People can use regression as a tool to get into little space, maybe not a requirement to be in little space. 

 

You are absolutely right about a lot of stuff up there (not yanking a person out of the space, it can be peaceful and theraputic, it can be etc). I would just realize that the above explanation is geared more towards what you believe regression to be, what it means for you personally. However, it is completely false for a lot of other people. And for the sake of educating a fellow community member, we all must be very careful to not let our own personal preferences to overshadow the reality. Because this Dom may go and try to give advice to his fellow Dom friend only for that friend to tell him he is completely wrong about everything (because they both prefer, or know, compeletely different things).

 

Here is something I threw together to help explain somethings and in it is a section on Little Space: https://www.ddlgforum.com/topic/12897-ddlg-the-serious-end-of-things/ (SFW)

 

Long story short - I think provided the above explaination of regression is perfect, but only if you are explaining what it means to you. If you are trying to teach someone what regression is, you need to incorporate the things you don't agree with at all. It sounds like you use regression and little space interchangeably (and I could be wrong), and if that is true, I would explore "Little Space" togehter. You can show him what appeals to you and he can be exposed to things he may never thought of. Explore together.

 

Thank you for adding definition to my above definition, I appreciate the clarity. Now I just got to make that all nice and cohesive sounding