What’s your experience with a power exchange or D/s dynamic where the main purpose is for keeping on track of your goals?
Obviously there are a ton of different ways to have an accountability buddy, but I would like to hear about people’s experience with it as a dynamic.
I am personally somewhat interested, but my neurospicey has it so that whenever anyone tries to tell me what to do or to keep me on track I suddenly find the task absolutely loathsome. So when my partner (and Dom) and I tried to add this accountability (like them making sure I made doctor appointments, took time for writing, or other things) to our dynamic, I quickly found it too irritating. The idea of it however, still sounds interesting… but maybe just not with a romantic partner???
I would love to hear from those who are also neurospicy or are with someone who is and if they were able to find such a dynamic helpful/ enjoyable.
It’s a bit tough to have this discussion in such an abstract manner, but a lot of the same day to day rules of engagement for ND partners are also going to apply for kink interactions. I can only speak authoritatively regarding ADHD and what may work for myself.
As OP mentioned in their response to you, a physical reminder that you constantly feel is going to be very important for transitions (I also quite like the idea that tightness is an unspoken indication of expected intensity). Living with ADHD is living without ever having developed object permanence as a child; if something is not directly in front of you or you are not actively being made to think about it, it doesn’t exist and you need to work around that.
Keep instructions shorter and simpler. If you have long term goals, make sure you have some way to break it up over time so that there is clear and visible progress or else you’re setting yourself up for failure. In general, rewards will garner more motivation than punishments so make sure you always know what the carrot on the stick will be before you start a scene.
For ASD I can only speculate, but traditional power dynamics are going to be tough. Unless you know the sub deeply and I intimately you’re going to need to cede more agency in what’s happening to them than you’re probably used to for a scene. It also might seem strange, but stop using subtext - just be clear and say exactly what you want to do. If you want to transition into a scene or for them to perform something, just clearly and explicitly state so. You may also find it helpful to sit down and establish written guidelines and expectations even for more casual play so that they fully know what you expect of them.
Au/DHD is a normalized term already however it refers to someone with both a combination of ASD and ADHD and is not a generalized descriptor.
Love that * stop using subtext*!
Subtext hits differently day to day. Like what might seem coy or domineering (in a good way), may seem obtuse or bullying the next. Many people with ADHD struggle with Rejection Sensitivity Disorder (RSD) and if it’s particularly nasty one day it can negativity color all interactions.
So what can also be helpful are reassurances to both top and bottom. “Yes, I love you and your authority, I’m just being a brat.” Or “No, you aren’t annoying me and I’m not actually upset/ disappointed, I’m just emphasizing my authority.”
I don’t know that I would go so far as to say constant reassurance is necessary as a general ADHD rule. For example with myself, if I receive unnecessary reassurance I’ll interpret it as patronizing and insincere, push back, and anxiety spiral. Everyone is different though and in the usual BDSM mantra, communication is the key element.