There are many wonderful ways that the world of kink can provide many beneficial things to many different people. Exploration, fantasy, fulfillment and so forth. One misnomer that I am correcting lately is that somehow Kink or BDSM can be a substitute for actual therapeutic practices.
This cannot be further from the truth. Currently, kink nor BDSM are recognized by any such organization such as American Psychological Association (APA), Association for Psychological Sciences (APS), or National Alliance of Professional Psychology Providers (NAPPP) as a therapeutic treatment for any mental health issues. Like many coping strategies and techniques that are created and established during the creation of the therapeutic bond, it is one of the potential tools someone can use to aid with issues along the way.
it is not a replacement for therapies such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and so on. These, and many others, are actually researched, tried and conducted, data gathered, results checked and rechecked forms of therapy.
During a discussion I had with someone, I had to explain that the aforementioned can be tested over a wide range, and have, with scientific research done and able to be repeated. The same cannot be said for those practices we do here. While someone may find some trauma relief learning how to renegotiate a scene, someone else may find it re-traumatizing talking with a member of the same or opposite sex that may have hurt them.
What does kink do as a tool?
It provides someone with another tool in their coping arsenal to deal with issues that may arise. BDSM practices are not a substitute.
I will stress that again, BDSM practices are not a substitute for mental health issues. If you are not working a professional and believe you can solve your issues in the kink world you may be setting yourself up for more emotional turmoil, which in turn can further exacerbate the issues you are facing.
What kink does do is allow us to face some of the issues we may be having in a safe and controlled environment, teach us how to safely negotiate our emotional needs, and potentially help us explore our sexuality, to name a few.
What kink cannot do…
1. Help you recover from trauma
2. Cure you of Depression
3. Cure you of being bipolar
4. Cure you from anxiety disorders
5. Treat you for Schizophrenia
6. Treat you for eating disorders
7. Treat you for antisocial behavior
8. Treat you for OCD, treat you for OCD (see what I did there?)
9. Treat you for Psychotic disorders
10. Treat you for dementia
This is just a short list; of a very long conversation I have had this week with varied people that I have had to explain this to. Please understand, yes there are beneficial things kink and the BDSM community can provide for those with mental health issues, but as of now, none of those are actually treatments.
I am not saying this because I think I know everything; I do read a lot. I look at current trends through research, and hardly any, if any at all, have ever contemplated beating someone for the good of their health. Masochists may disagree.
Please stop using or saying BDSM is a recognized therapeutic practice. It is not. It is not helpful to those that are looking or needing help and you may end up getting someone hurt or worse along the way.