Yes, absolutely. However, it will continue to be a stigma if we don't talk about it.

If you, or anyone else, is afraid of how a Domme might react to any mental illness you may have, you can tell her that. Or you could do a temperate check first. Maybe something like, "Are you okay playing with people who have mental health issues?" And how she reacts can act as a way for you to vet if she's the right Domme for you.

No correlation? You sure about that? I don't have any studies on-hand to cite, and though you may be correct (especially when it comes to unknown triggers), this doesn't mean it isn't useful to tell your Domme about what you know about your own mental health. Knowing someone has PTSD or Panic Disorder is very helpful for me. So, if someone does have an episode during our session, I'm going to be more prepared for it.

Yes, you're right: not everyone's illness manifests the same, in terms of symptoms or intensity of those symptoms. It still gives us an idea of what they may be dealing with.

I prefer to ask about diagnoses probably because I've been trained to be a psychotherapist and it quickly identifies the kind of a challenge the client may be dealing with, and then I can go top-down from there.

If asking specifics first works more for you, then cool.

The thing I love most about forums like this is hearing everyone's different approaches and perspectives on things, especially important topics like the mental health of our clients.

Thank you for starting this discussion!

Now we're talking...

Sorry Mistress Tissa, not what I said or meant... The point I was trying to make in response to Kneel4Her, rather than your original post, was that snapping in a session can occur regardless of whether a sub is mentally stable or has some diagnosed condition. Mental issues does not necessarily mean someone will snap in a session and stability doesn't mean they won't... that is what I meant when I used the term "direct correlation".

I don't suffer from any diagnosed mental condition, including claustrophobia, but that doesn't mean that I didn't snap once when I was put in a sleepsack and shoved under the bed where my Domme was going to sleep for the night because my nose was literally 6 inches away from the bedframe. I was incredibly excited at the opportunity, but almost as soon as I was under there I was telling her to get me out and the panic from that moment was too much for me to be in any kind of bondage that night (or to even stay in the room).

I completely agree that if someone has PTSD or suffers from panic attacks based on specific known triggers, that is incredibly important information to share. Just like my own phobia related to needles is directly reflected in my limits list. So, there is definitely a correlation between a specific condition (and trigger) and a sub snapping if a Domme hits too close to home. However, my comment was meant to be read as "snapping" in a session occurs based on a lot of factors (some that may be circumstantial in that given moment only) and is not necessarily based solely on some diagnosed condition, rather than an argument against your original point about communication.

Sorry, Asp, I misread you!

Yes, anyone could snap regardless of diagnosed issues or no issues. What I meant is, if you DO know you have a trigger or something that sets you off it is probably in everyone's best interest to disclose that information given how intense sessions can be. Even if talking about mental health is uncomfortable.

I grew up with someone with BPD. She would become angry/rageful/violent when certain things were said or certain things happened. I learned very quickly what those triggers were and avoided them.

Life in general can be completely unpredictable, but I still want to be prepared whenever possible.

Thank you Sister. My sentiments exactly!