Reassurance for autistic age regressors/age dreamers!
You are not feeding into a stereotype by regressing. You are not helping to infantalize the autism community. Your regression is beautiful, and you do it as a healthy way to cope.
You are not any less valid of a regressor if you have a mature special interest. (A gorey videogame, something of the horror genre, whatever else.) Just because some littles don't like those things doesn't mean they can't be a part of your regression! All little ones are different, and that's okay! It's up to decide makes you feel comfortable when you regress.
Regressing to prevent/provide escapism from sensory overload to feel safe is a great way to reposition your attention somewhere else. There's nothing wrong with wanting/needing to do that.
Using your little gear outside of headspace (for example, using a pacifier to orally stim) is fine! It's much better than chewing on skin, fingernails, etc. I'm proud of you for finding a better alternative!
Not wanting to eat things that are more common in the agere community (like chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, etc) because of texture issues is okay! You can eat whatever makes you feel comfortable when you regress.
Don't worry about being too sensitive, or your hyperempathy being more present than usual when you regress. I promise you, any one who may help you regress would understand that. Don't be afraid to talk about your feelings, and anything you may need differently/want to change about your regression.
I don't see many people talk about this, but I want to say if you don't feel like you deserve to regress because you've had a bad period of executive dysfunction and you have too much to do. Please throw that meanie thought out the window! All littles deserve to regress, and it makes perfect sense why you'd want to after that. Executive dysfunction is very stressful.
Bottom line, all littles are different, and not everything works the same for everyone, and that's perfectly fine! The age regression community can seem like a one size fits all thing from the outside looking in, but I promise, no matter how you regress, it's beautiful!
That's the end of my first post here! Thank you for making healthy choices today. Please remember to drink water, and eat something if you haven't already. I hope today is a happy day! Please remember, you're valid, and you're loved!
