Littles and Mental Illness

[LittlePupChickpea]

Hello fellow littles! My name is Chickpea and I have autism, which is accompanied by waves of anxiety and depression. I've discussed in another forum that little space can be used as a safe coping mechanism and I've had some positive feedback from it. 

 

So, I'm wondering if there's any other littles on here that deal with mental illnesses and/or use little space as a coping mechanism? I'm curious to hear your stories and thoughts on the topic. 

[Guest PRINCESSE]

Hello Chickpea   ,

 

I have BPD and accompanying disorders. Being in littlespace and in the dynamic is one of the very few things that keeps me truly content and satisfied in the world.

It takes away a lot of my pain and makes me feel mindful. I have noticed quite a few littles with mental health issues and I even read somewhere a while back that someone with BPD's therapist had recommended ddlg.I found that quite fascinating. I'm interested to know others opinions also.

 

 Princesse 

[Guest bxbygirl.Snow]

Hi there! I'm Snow! I have a couple mental illnesses as well.. the ones I am currently struggling with is PTSD, Selective Mutism, and my anxiety. When I get triggered or anything I don't think I use it as a coping mechanism.. I can only go into little space when I feel safe. I'm in little space a lot actually. When I get triggered, or like when my Selective Mutism kicks in I use ASL (American Sign Language).. I have to say I think that is probably my biggest coping skill.. it helps me communicate. I never thought going into little space as a coping mechanism so I think for some it is and some its not. 

[LittlePupChickpea]

Hello Chickpea   ,

 

I have BPD and accompanying disorders. Being in littlespace and in the dynamic is one of the very few things that keeps me truly content and satisfied in the world.

It takes away a lot of my pain and makes me feel mindful. I have noticed quite a few littles with mental health issues and I even read somewhere a while back that someone with BPD's therapist had recommended ddlg.I found that quite fascinating. I'm interested to know others opinions also.

 

 Princesse 

 

Hi there! I'm Snow! I have a couple mental illnesses as well.. the ones I am currently struggling with is PTSD, Selective Mutism, and my anxiety. When I get triggered or anything I don't think I use it as a coping mechanism.. I can only go into little space when I feel safe. I'm in little space a lot actually. When I get triggered, or like when my Selective Mutism kicks in I use ASL (American Sign Language).. I have to say I think that is probably my biggest coping skill.. it helps me communicate. I never thought going into little space as a coping mechanism so I think for some it is and some its not. 

 

I really like these two very different experiences! I relate more to Princesse's pov, but I think you make a good point for others, Snow! I find it interesting that you already need to be relaxed and happy to get into little space and I believe you probably aren't the only one, for sure 

[Guest cottoncandyheart]

I used to suffer very very bad anxiety and panic attacks a few years ago. Luckily, i massively overcame this which took a while but if i ever do feel that way, i feel like coming home and doing little activities like colouring, playing with my stuffies, watching little movies/tv shows and little games (and speaking to daddy ALWAYS helps when hes not busy) usually helps me, but as i said luckily my anxiety is rare now but i still have the odd bad day. i hope little space can help all of you who have mental illnesses and most importantly we should we heard! x

[PrincessAna]

I've suffered with Borderline Personality Disorder and all of those disorders that coincide with it such as depression and anxiety. Little space definitely helps relieve some of the real world crushing down on me a lot of the time. Or even just being big and doing little activities like coloring really helped me to calm down or fix whatever I needed to be dealt with.

[Guest annemarie]

I have...a lot of mental illnesses and I was sexually abused growing up. I see being in Littlespace as me taking back the childhood that was stolen from me. 

[Trixie]

I even read somewhere a while back that someone with BPD's therapist had recommended ddlg.I found that quite fascinating.

 

 Princesse 

do you remember the article? I wonder Elwood want go about finding a therapist as it is sensitive to matters such as dd/lg? The one that knows about it?

[Trixie]

I suffer from anxiety and being in little space helps me. I haven't been able to do so lately although whenever I do get the chance being in such a safe place helps my anxiety.

[Little_Ella]

I have bipolar disorder and anxiety. Little space really helps me cope with my mental health problems and daddy helps me get through the tough times too. I don't know how I'd cope without daddy and little space.

[14400_1655600390]

I have bipolar disorder 2 and anxiety (sometimes). I can get really down and I've noticed getting in my little space (coloring, drawing, holding my pillows, watching funny movies or cartoons) helps me through it. I usually go through it alone, but it helps.

 

I also kind of grew up in an emotionally abusive home. I never really had a childhood and being a little helps me with it. My little and big side hardly meet but I need her to deal with things sometimes. My little takes over sometimes after stressful situations.

[papa'skitten]

i have bad anxiety,PMDD and PTSD and when things get to the point that i guess my brain feels that i cant handle i dissociate  which can be really  scary for my papa,it only happens a few times a year thank god.I find middle space helps huge when im overwhelmed,overworked(Im a workaholic) and or overtired..... as long as im not cranky and refusing to go into middle space even tho deep down i know it would help lol thats the time i stomp my feet and im quite a brat   hehe sorry papa

[Guest LavanderRabbit]

I have depression and social anxiety. There may be a couple other things diagnosed that I am unaware of due to the fact I stopped going to therapy when I was 16 and have never really trusted a therapist or psychiatrist at all during my time as a child. I refused to take antidepressants because they made me feel like a robot. Many of my issues stem from the traumas that occurred for half my life and I am slowly getting over them with less attacks occurring. I still have bouts of insomnia and at one point was dependent on sleeping aids to get through the night. Now that I have been in DDlg for a few years, my life space has helped me open up and become more like my real self. I am still learning who I am as a person as my depression stole a lot from me.

[Guest QueenJellybean]

Hiya, Belle here!

 

I've got pretty severe anxiety myself, as well as a lot of stressors in my daily life including mental health issues in my family and major medical concerns. I am on some medications, but most herbal/holistic alternatives. (I do a lot of meditation, believe it or not, usually near or in bodies of water.)

 

A big part of my treatment is limiting stress, so Little space is great for that! I can't get small when I'm anxious, but if I'm there, I can /avoid/ getting upset. I use Little tools to calm down outside of Little space such as calming bottles and time out jars. Another big part of my self-care is my beauty budget and the rule that I have to leave the house at least once a day. Forcing myself to get up and move is /huge/. As for beauty budget, getting my hair or nails done occasionally severely improves my self-image.

[sirenaophelia]

You're so not alone.

 

My main diagnosis is schizoaffective bipolar type 1 but i have comorbidities that go along with it.. anxiety and bpd being two of them.

 

It's tough. I've had to endure many med changes, so many different med cocktails, I've been in and out of hospitals psych reasons for so long. I have a long history of self harm, too.

 

But you are not alone. And yes... being a little is so... freeing and therapeutic to me.

[MissMunchkin]

Wow, so many anxious littles, nice to know I'm not alone XD

I have a severe anxiety disorder and clinical depression, much better now that I'm seeing a psych and taking medication though. I actually found out about DDLG when I was looking for ways to manage it, so far it really is helping a lot. There's probably no better way to get out of your own head for a bit than roleplaying.

 

Come for the relaxations, stay for the stuffies and glitter.

[sirenaophelia]

I really am not amazed at how much of us have really bad anxiety among other things... Not in a bad way it's just... Little!space is so freeing and just... relaxing... I am surprised that more people haven't explored this and those that don't know about DDlg ... I wish them luck to find it on their path. I feel like any age... ANY AGE... can be into it and find it relaxing and wonderful. I don't think there's an "age cutoff" but underage littles... ehhh give them time to grow into themselves a bit... I support it but is it really what someone not even 18 REALLY want?? Or is it becoming a tad bit of a "fad"?

 

I support and encourage ways to relieve your stress, your anxiety, your worries... Having a Daddy and being able to TRULY be who I am and how I am... and him still love me? It's fantastic. Little!space is amazing. I get overtly stressed or my anxiety gets triggered or my PTSD gets triggered... I know I have a safe, welcoming place to be who I am with Daddy.

 

I'm so much of a free spirit and very stubborn so I'm kind of bratty but REALLY just... love being able to be the ages I feel. I don't always feel 4 or 11 or 16... It varies. I'm sure environmental and situational can trigger it. So it's good to have a CG... I know when Daddy and I go to the store or out to eat or anything in public... I'm his shadow. I quicken my pace to keep up and if my anxiety gets bad... I have him there to soothe and support me... and in those situations... like checking out at a grocery store with three people behind you... I get flustered. I start sweating. My heart pounds. I start to freak out and I regress .. just because I was triggered.

 

And I also believe little!space is fun, too. Not just triggered by bad things but by good. In the same situation... say WALMART or a mall... Daddy has to sometimes basically keep a tight rope on me because I get "OH SHINY!!!!!" and really excited. Also I have the I just want my Daddy and snuggles and stuffs... Cuddling up with my stuffies on the bed.. he's so understanding! It's a relaxed enjoyable fun thing!!! It doesn't always have to be bad things.. there's good, too that trigger it!!!! I find my pacis to be very calming...

 

I hope others feel it's therapeutic as well as I do!!!

 

end ramble! lol

[honeyboy]

It's always good seeing other littles talk about their mental health. It's such a nice reminder that I'm not alone and being little isn't all about being happy and carefree.

 

I suffer from BPD, bipolar, AvPD and bulimia. Mental illness has affected my life for a long time. I dropped out of high school, eventually went back & got into a specialist school for people with mental illnesses as well as things like ME.

 

I've been in psych hospitals and done some very silly things (including impulsively moving to a new city...) and although right now I'm a lot better than I've been at my worst, sometimes I still struggle to see a future for myself.

 

Little space helps a lot. It's so wonderful feeling cared for. It helps with everything, but especially my BPD. It helps me to express my neediness in a healthier way, which in turn actually helps me to limit it a bit. I usually struggle asking for reassurance too so I end up bottling up my feelings until I explode, but littleness helps me to ask my daddy to reassure me that they love me and stuff when I need it. Plus being looked after makes me feel valued. And when we're out it's always nice knowing that daddy will be holding my hand and will guide me if I'm feeling a bit lost or scared. It makes going out a little less scary.

[Guest Zombiecakes420]

Wow..so many littles going through the same stuff I am..I have multiple mental lissnesses that include schizophrenia and boarder line personality disorder. Each personality seems to have its own mental junk but no matter which personality I'm in little mode trumps all. The simplest things make me go little like cute stuffies or sometimes songs from animated movies come on myplaylist and I can't help but instantly be happy. My little space is most days my only happiness. Its such a relif to know that little space helps others the same way. I was always afraid to tell anyone but this forum makes me feel so safe. Thank you all and I hope we can talk sometime chickapea

[Gabrielaa]

I'm so late, but whatever, i was diagnosed whit bipolar disorder and social anxiety, and things have been very bad for me for a long time, i end up in the hospital many times. when i start to develop a little personality i was not sure if it was something good, but whit time being in little space and allowing myself to do little things like playing whit my stuffies or just take a nap whit my paci, help whit my anxiety and whit my panic attacks more than medicines, more than therapy, more than anything that i tried before. being a little i'ts so special for me for that reasons, because i'ts what makes me happy, i'ts what helps me not to fall and be happy in this world.

i't is very comforting to know i'm not the only one.

so much love to you all, thanks for sharing this.

Bye       

[Guest Coffeefarism]

It's really nice to read other people's experiences because sometimes you think you're the only one and that you're just wrong. But no! There are other people going through similar things and working hard to overcome their illnesses, and that's really encouraging.

I have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, and I think I get worse  when I overload myself with work and studies, or when I judge myself and the way I do in life with really high standarts.

I think maybe I started to channel my little as a way to find a stress-free time or place to just enjoy myself and more innocent and simple activies, a place free from all the money/work/college issues where I could just be free and be myself.
I don't use little space a mechanism by itself because I can mostly do it when I'm with my partner. I still don't know how to get into little space all by myself. I haven't talked about this with my therapist... I'm still unsure if it'll be actually a good thing to do or not to help cope with mental illnesses or if it's just some sort of escapism...

[Guest littlemissbri]

For sure. I think a lot of people see it as a good coping mechanism for mental illnesses. I have ADHD, derealization (sometimes it feels like I'm in the middle of a giant movie set and nothing seems real except me), social anxiety and depression. I can't remember things very well, 'properly' process emotions, sit still, deal with lots of people or new people and I get scared and sad very easily.

For me, it makes a lot of sense to be a little. When I'm little my Daddy takes care of the scary parts of 'big' life and I don't have to think about all of the stressful parts of being big. I'm more easily broken out of my depression when I'm little, I don't have to take care of other people and I don't have to think about all the scary stuff in the world 'cause I know Daddy will protect me from it all. It's like a little (heh) vacation whenever I need it.

I even spoke to my last therapist about my being little and he agreed that it seemed like a very healthy way of dealing with everything.

[Guest Coffeefarism]

For sure. I think a lot of people see it as a good coping mechanism for mental illnesses. I have ADHD, derealization (sometimes it feels like I'm in the middle of a giant movie set and nothing seems real except me), social anxiety and depression. I can't remember things very well, 'properly' process emotions, sit still, deal with lots of people or new people and I get scared and sad very easily.

For me, it makes a lot of sense to be a little. When I'm little my Daddy takes care of the scary parts of 'big' life and I don't have to think about all of the stressful parts of being big. I'm more easily broken out of my depression when I'm little, I don't have to take care of other people and I don't have to think about all the scary stuff in the world 'cause I know Daddy will protect me from it all. It's like a little (heh) vacation whenever I need it.

I even spoke to my last therapist about my being little and he agreed that it seemed like a very healthy way of dealing with everything.

 

Wow, that's a relief.

For some reason I thought what I was doing was making an excuse to don't confront reality or something, like, avoiding my problems. But I guess that's because I'm too negative

What you've said: taking a little vacation. That makes a lot of sense! Because it's not like we are going to avoid our problems eternally... it's just taking a little break to feel free and safe. I'm also relieved to hear a professional like your therapyst thinks it's a good way to deal with things. I might speak about it with my own therapyst in a near future.. when I am more comfortable to open up about this topic. It takes me a lot of time to open up, even to my doctors.

[Guest lil-kitten22]

I have...a lot of mental illnesses and I was sexually abused growing up. I see being in Littlespace as me taking back the childhood that was stolen from me.

I completely agree! After suffering childhood abuse being little makes me feel as tho I'm getting some of my childhood back. Also the fact that I know if anything starts to go really bad I can leave that daddy, what couldn't be done in childhood.

[x.call.me.kitten.x]

I'm a little and I suffer with depression and selective mutism, it's quite hard for me being a little with depression as I some times I find it hard to be 'little' with all those thoughts