How to Determine if You Are Addicted to Wearing Diapers as an Adult

Co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS

Last Updated: December 20, 2022 References Approved

While many enjoy using diapers for recreation, comfort, security, emotional support, or even sexual satisfaction, there may come a point where your behavior around diapers restricts you or cuts you off from enjoying a balanced life. While you can continue to enjoy using diapers, you may want to create more balance in your life with things that don’t involve diapers.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Assessing Diaper Use

1
Monitor whether your thoughts are consumed by wearing diapers. You may find yourself continuously thinking about diapers and wearing diapers. If you think about diapers and diaper wearing constantly in a way that interferes with daily living, it may signal a problem. Persistent thoughts about obtaining a certain thing can be a marker of addiction.^{[1]
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- You may struggle to get things done because you are thinking about diapers. Has your work productivity declined, or are you finding it harder to get things done around the house?
- You may find your thoughts getting off track due to thinking about diapers or diaper wearing.
2
Ask yourself if your diaper wearing interferes with daily living. If you struggle to engage in normal, functional behavior (such as getting up, going to work, buying groceries, and cleaning) because of your diaper wearing, this also may be a problem.
- Interfering behaviors can be emotionally painful, and it’s important to regain control of behaviors before they spiral out of control.^{[2]
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3
Note if diapers interfere with relationships. If you’ve had difficulty relating to people due to your diaper usage, this may be a problem. You may struggle with family or your partner because of diaper use, yet use diapers despite the problems they cause in your social life. When habits or lifestyles interfere with social functioning, yet you still continue to engage despite the problems they cause, it can indicate an addiction.
- Reflect whether you’ve experienced relationship decline since using diapers regularly. Think about whether your relationships with friends, family, co-workers, and partner have suffered.
- Declining relationships may be limited or no contact, more tension, or difficulty relating.
4
Monitor your behaviors. If you’ve noticed that your behaviors have changed since starting to wear diapers, reflect on their impact on your life. If you’ve noticed that you cannot go without diapers, spend a lot of time in diaper-related activities that detract from daily functioning, and have limited interests due to your diaper fascination, this can be behavioral markers of addiction.
- You may try to cut back on diaper usage, but find yourself unable to limit your diaper usage.
- You may continue to use diapers even when negative outcomes are likely, such as not having enough money to sustain the diapers each week. You may even try to stop wearing diapers altogether and find it too difficult.
5
Examine how the diapers make you feel. If they make you happy and are a satisfying part of your (or you and your partner's) environment there is nothing to fear. Should they make you feel sad, socially isolated or depressed, consider changing your use. If you’ve developed a dysfunctional emotional response to diaper wearing, this may mark a degree of addiction. Examples of dysfunctional responses may include feeling extremely anxious when you run out of diapers or when in situations you cannot wear one, running to diapers as the only thing to soothe you, or feeling emotionally dependent on wearing diapers.
- Think about the way diapers make you feel, both before you wear one and while you wear one. Ask yourself if you have any negative feelings about wearing diapers.
6
Be honest if you isolate yourself by wearing diapers. Wearing diapers at home may create a sense of safety in the home, and a feeling of fear if you leave the home. If you tend to shy away from leaving the house because you are wearing diapers, consider only wearing them in the privacy of your own home.
- Isolation begets more isolation, to the point where social interaction can become awkward and uncomfortable. Before getting to that point, make sure you have plans to be with other people regularly.^{[3]
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- Create a schedule for when you wear diapers and when you do not. Don’t let diaper wearing interfere with you living your life and making time for friends and family.
7
Reach out for help. If you struggle with your relationship to diapers or want to change your diaper habits, talking to a therapist can be helpful. A therapist can help you develop a work-through plan to adjust to the emotions associated with wearing a diaper.
- You can begin moving away from diaper wearing altogether or work on creating a more healthy relationship with diaper wearing if you struggle to balance a healthy life with wearing diapers.
- Seeing a therapist can help with any conflicted feelings you have about having a fetish or telling a partner.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Changing Your Habits

1
Challenge your thoughts. Obsessive thoughts about anything can interfere with daily living and social circles. Don’t let the thoughts take over; instead, learn to challenge them.^{[5]
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- When you find your thoughts distracted by wearing diapers, get back on track. As soon as you acknowledge your wandering thoughts, get back to whatever business is in front of you.
- Practice focused attention meditation. Keep your attention on one object, such as your breath, a photo, or a flower. You’ll find your mind wandering, and when it does, bring it back. With practice, this meditation can help you navigate your thoughts and increase your overall focus.^{[6]
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- If you find your thoughts always on diaper wearing and you can’t seem to refocus, take a break. Get up and drink some water, have something to eat, or take a walk.^{[7]
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2
Ask yourself when you intend to wear diapers. Perhaps you are choosing to cut down on wearing diapers for personal, environmental, or cost-related reasons. You can choose to wear diapers only at home, only to bed, or only in sexual roles. If you are concerned about how wearing diapers may affect you personally or professionally, keeping the diapers at home will lead to fewer worries about diapers affecting your social and work life.
- If you are cutting down on your use, be realistic, both financially and emotionally. Create a plan for when you will wear diapers and how often you will wear and replace them.
3
Determine how many diapers you want to wear over the course of a given week. To keep a balanced life consider the economics of wearing diapers. You can determine when to use a diaper (all day, only at home, only at night) and how to use it (for sexual foreplay, for leisure, to wet). Wetting the diaper will result in the use of 3-5 diapers depending on thickness, wetness at change and consumption of liquids.
4
Use the toilet when possible. If you want to cut down on diaper usage, use the toilet for all elimination. This will cut down on costs and consumption of materials. Using the toilet will also make you appear ‘normal’ at work or at social functions if you are concerned that people will discover your diaper wearing.
- Limit the use of diapers to wetting or just staying dry will limit the negative feedback or embarrassing moments. Consider that other people will be bothered by a smelly diaper.
- If you and your partner enjoy a dirty diaper as a fetish, practice this at home and not in public. Be considerate of other people when wearing diapers in public. While the experience may be pleasant for you, it may be unpleasant for those around you.
5
Be proud. Even if you choose to cut back on your diaper wearing, it’s important not to feel ashamed to wear diapers. If it is your (and possibly your partner's) choice to wear diapers, be proud of it. While you should not intrude on other people's personal space with your diaper choice, there is no need to be ashamed. Enjoy it as part of your life.^{[8]
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Warnings

Some people confuse diaper fetish with a fetish for children. Be calm and prepared to answer if faced with this question, explaining that it is just like some people preferring tight jeans, skirts or latex clothing.

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If you are a parent or sibling and you see someone who lives with you wearing diapers, do not punish them for wearing diapers. Doing this will make matters worse.

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