Psychological Safety Issues

Control & Trust

Every aspect of BDSM involves one person having at least some control over another. Willingly giving up or receiving control can cause one to think, feel, and act differently than they normally would. Both bottoms and tops may experience an altered frame of mind. See our terminology page for subspace and topspace.

Sleepiness

Rope bondage can make a bottom feel sleepy or "floaty". This is a common aspect of subspace.

Fear or Panic Attacks

A bottom invests a significant amount of trust into a rope bondage scene. This increased trust can intensify emotions, especially if something happens that they did not expect or if they feel that they are in danger of permanent harm. Anxiety and panic are not conscious, and as such may come on quickly and unexpectedly. In this situation, the top needs to remain calm, carefully untie, and take appropriate aftercare methods.

Top Drop & Sub Drop

After a scene has ended, it is time to transition back to a more normal frame of mind. However, sometimes this transition does not occur smoothly. Either the top or the bottom may experience sadness, anxiety, or a feeling of lethargy. These feelings may be caused by a wide variety of factors:

• physical exhaustion
• reduction in endorphins or adrenaline
• sadness at a good experience ending
• stress from other areas of life

It is very difficult to analyze the specific causes of these feelings. It's better to just turn to your scene partner or someone else for aftercare.

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