I have long been intrigued by not just the physical aspect of BDSM but the spiritual and psychological elements as well. As the proud owner of a brand new Complex PTSD diagnosis, always been an overachiever, I am curious to know from the wisdom of those on this board if BDSM could become a viable part of my treatment plan? I know that in my limited experiences thus far I have found the humiliation and degradation scenes to be quite cathartic, especially coupled with some sort of physical play be it flogging, etc. The marks allow me to "see" my sickness in some way and the humiliation/degradation coupled with aftercare from the Domme have proven to be quite beneficial for me.
Do any of you have any insight into this? Also, any of the amazing Dominant Women on this board have experience in this sort of play?
I sincerely appreciate any and all feedback.
I believe it goes both ways, so as a domina I also relieve stress by inflicting your punishment it is a beautiful exchange of energy. I only get pleasure from causing you pain if you enjoy it too!
BDSM play certainly has a great deal of physical, psychological and spiritual aspects to it, and it can be extremely cathartic and beneficial to your well-being and personal development if done by a caring play partner, but the common refrain among almost all experienced lifestyle players is that BDSM is most definitely NOT a substitute for therapy when therapy is needed. Many of the more experienced dommes that I know would probably insist that you not attempt BDSM until you have worked through some of those issues with a trained professional.
If you do decide to play, please be aware that you ethically have a duty to disclose your PTSD issues with your play partners as part of pre-scene negotiations, just like someone else would want to tell them about a bad back or asthma. I'm sorry that you've gone through this rough patch, and you have my every sympathy and well-wishes for a recovery, but someone could really open up the floodgates of emotion when they play with you, and they need to be forewarned.
I'm hoping that this link might provide additional insight that will help . . .
Fabulous reply LeChiffre !!
Since I am pursuing my Doctorate in psychology, and am kinky, I have long been interested in using BDSM as a therapy tool. I find that, as a Disciplinarian, behavior modification is possible, and I have also considered research into use of BDSM, within a lifestyle relationship, as a tool for fighting depression. PTSD is super tricky to work with, as it can manifest itself in many dofferent ways, including violence on the part of the sufferer. I would suggest that the OP find one Domme to work with, who is willing to put in the time to really get to know him and his disorder as well as the aftercare necessary, on a long term basis, so he can get his kink on with someone who knows him well, rather than move from Domme to Domme.