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Kinktionary: Sub Drop

March 17th, 2016 Comments off
Joelle Hood All Fours Frame Alt on elaisted.com

Joelle Hood All Fours Frame Alt on elaisted.com

There is a negative in all good things. In consensual BDSM play, that negative is sub drop.

Sub drop is a negative reaction to the end (temporary or permanent) of BDSM play. Often, it presents itself as depression or anxiety, but can also present as anger, feeling lost. How sub drop manifests depends on the person.

Part of the reason BDSM is enjoyed is because it increases endorphin production. Endorphins bind to the same receptors as opioids, which explains why subspace sounds a lot like being high. Your body reacts to endorphins the same way it would heroin.

Sub drop is a direct result of endorphin withdrawal. It can take 24 to 36 hours to notice symptoms. Many believe sub drop can be avoided by implementing aftercare after a play session.

Because sub drop is endorphin withdrawal, it can often be treated with a piece of chocolate, some exercise, or more play.

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Sub Drop: Fact or Fiction?

March 4th, 2010 7 comments

The first time I heard the concept of sub drop (and, eventually, top drop), I sort of scoffed at it.  I mean, it sounds like a bunch of hooey.  How could having your masochistic itch scratched possibly make you feel bad? But being an ex-junkie, an occasional smoker, and a serious adrenaline addict to boot, I should have known the answer to that right away.

Let’s take a look at what sub drop is, first, shall we? This was an interesting hunt because the symptoms of sub drop manifest themselves differently in different people.  Which makes sense.  Withdrawl affects people differently.

Basically, sub drop is endorphin withdrawal.  What does that mean, exactly?

That means, first, that sub drop probably doesn’t illicit the need for its own special name, and second, in the most basic of explanations, I’m sure you’ve all seen movies or television shows that have shown a junkie going through detox.  Endorphins bind with the opioid receptors in your central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract, which makes your body react to these chemicals produced in your brain similarly to the way it would react to heroin or opium.  First you fly high, happy and maybe a little dopey.  Sometimes a little sleepy, but a euphoric sleepiness.  And then the effect starts to wear off and you crash.  And suddenly, you’re weepy, or crampy, or cranky, or downright mean.

While endorphin withdrawal isn’t quite as extreme (So long as you’re not jumping out of planes five times a day, or being beaten noon to night 24/7.)(And to be honest, when I detoxed, while I was constantly nauseous, I didn’t go through most of what junkies on television do.  Maybe I was just lucky.) as a street drug detox, it can cause many of the same symptoms, or, at the very least, leave you a little off kilter.   Read more…

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