What Is ABDL & Regression?

The cozy version, not the textbook version

ABDL stands for “Adult Baby / Diaper Lover,” but in practice it is a broad umbrella for adults who find comfort, joy, or connection in things that feel “little” or regressive. That might include diapers, bottles, onesies, stuffed animals, bedtime routines, cartoons, or having a caregiver-type person looking after them.

Some people lean more toward the “adult baby” side — roleplaying as very small, being looked after, and engaging in nurturing routines. Others mainly identify as “diaper lovers”, where the focus is on wearing or using diapers themselves as a source of comfort, sensory regulation, or kink.

For some, ABDL has a sexual or kinky element. For others, it is entirely about emotional safety, nostalgia, or coping with stress and trauma. Many people are somewhere in the middle. What matters here is that it is between consenting adults, handled with clear boundaries and care.

Adult babies, littles, middles, caregivers, DLs and switches

Different people use different labels to describe how they relate to ABDL and regression. A few common ones include:

• Adult babies – adults who lean into a very babyish role or headspace, often enjoying things like diapers, bottles, cribs, baby talk, and highly structured caregiving. In furry spaces this can overlap with “babyfur” identities, but underneath it is still about adult-to-adult regression and care.
• Littles – adults who feel mentally or emotionally “small” in certain moments, and may enjoy diapers, pacifiers, stuffies, bedtime routines, and being cared for. People sometimes call this mental state “littlespace.”
• Middles – adults who identify more with an “older kid” or pre-teen type of headspace: playful, independent, sometimes bratty, but still comfort-seeking.
• Caregivers / Mommies / Daddies / Carers – adults who take on nurturing roles: offering structure, comfort, guidance, and support to their littles, middles, or regressive partners. They may help with routines, reminders, rules, and emotional support.
• DLs (Diaper Lovers) – adults who are specifically drawn to diapers themselves, whether for comfort, practicality, sensory reasons, or kink, with or without a “little” headspace.
• Switches – adults who can move between being small, regressed, or cared for and being the caregiver, depending on mood, partner, or context.

These labels are tools to communicate, not tests you have to pass. It is completely normal for people to shift over time, blend multiple labels, or decide that none fit perfectly.

Why are adults drawn to ABDL & regression?

There is no single reason why adults are drawn to ABDL or regression. Some of the more common reasons include:

• Wanting a safe, structured way to feel small, vulnerable, or cared for.
• Needing a break from constant responsibility and “being the adult” all the time.
• Coping with trauma, anxiety, CPTSD, burnout, or chronic stress.
• Finding sensory comfort in soft fabrics, diapers, pacifiers, blankets, and rituals.
• Enjoying the dynamic as part of kink, intimacy, or power exchange.

For some people, regression is light and playful. For others, it connects to deep emotional needs. Both experiences are valid as long as everyone involved is an informed, consenting adult and boundaries are respected.

Age regression, CGL, Furries & nearby spaces

ABDL often overlaps with several neighboring communities and identity spaces. They are not interchangeable, but many people move between them, blend them, or borrow language from each depending on mood, comfort, and personal identity.

• Age regression (agere) – a psychological and emotional shift where an adult moves into a younger, softer headspace.
  Some people regress voluntarily as a coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, trauma, or mental health struggles. Others find it happens more involuntarily when overwhelmed. Regression can involve:
  • Slipping into “littlespace” or similar mindsets.
  • Using child-like objects such as pacifiers, bottles, blankets, toys, or cartoons to feel safe and soothed.
  • Taking a break from adult responsibilities and expectations to reset.
  For some people, agere is strictly non-sexual and part of their mental health coping. Others may also explore regressed headspace in kink contexts as adults. In ABDLCircle, all of this remains 18+ only, and we do not host “minor-safe” or youth-focused agere spaces.
• Caregiver/Little (CGL) – a relationship or dynamic where one adult takes on a nurturing, guiding caregiver role and the other adopts a little, middle, or regressed persona.
  Healthy CGL dynamics are built on:
  • Consent & communication – both partners clearly agree to the roles, talk about limits, and check in regularly.
  • Emotional support – the caregiver offers structure, reassurance, and safety; the little can relax into play, softness, or vulnerability.
  • Shared activities – everything from cartoons and coloring to bedtime routines, rules, and rewards, all tailored to what the people involved actually want.
  Some CGL relationships include diapers and ABDL elements; others do not. The shape of the dynamic varies widely from person to person.
• Furries – the furry community centers around an interest in anthropomorphic animals — animals with human traits like speaking, walking on two legs, or expressing emotions. Many furries create a personal character called a fursona, which they use in art, writing, roleplay, games, or social spaces.
  
  The furry fandom is a creative, expressive subculture filled with artists, writers, gamers, role-players, and community-focused folks. Some furries wear fursuits, but only a small percentage do — most express their furry identity through artwork, stories, online interactions, and conventions. It’s a diverse, inclusive space, with strong LGBTQ+ representation and a big emphasis on belonging and self-expression.
  
  In adult contexts, some furries also explore soft-space themes like regression, babyish comfort, or diapers through their characters. This may overlap with ABDL, adult baby identities, or age regression — but it is still a form of adult roleplay, not childhood.
  
  Being a furry does not automatically mean ABDL, and ABDL does not require being a furry. Where the two overlap inside ABDLCircle, everything is held to strict safety standards: adults only, no minors, no cub content, and no content that resembles or sexualizes real children at all.

None of these labels are required to belong here. You can mix them, change them, keep them separate, or skip them entirely. They are simply tools to describe how you navigate softness, regression, identity, and comfort as an adult.

What ABDL is not

ABDL and regression use words like “little,” “baby,” “caregiver,” and similar language — which can be misunderstood from the outside. Because of that, ABDLCircle is extremely clear about what this community does not allow.

• It is not about real children or real childhood. “Adult baby,” “little,” “middle,” “big,” “caregiver,” and similar terms are adult roles, adult dynamics, and adult comfort identities, even when they reference “younger” feelings.
• It is not a space for minors, minor-coded content, cub content, or anything in the furry community that resembles or implies a real minor.
• It is not a loophole for infantilization of minors or a way to bypass age rules by using OCs, fursonas, or stylized art of underage-seeming characters.
• Regression, ageplay, ABDL, furry regression themes, diaper enjoyment, and caregiver/little dynamics are adult roleplay, adult fantasies, and adult comfort behaviors — never related to real children.
• It is not a free pass to ignore boundaries, consent, tone, emotional impact, or server safety tools.
• It is not a replacement for therapy, crisis services, or medical care, even if it feels comforting, regulating, or healing.

ABDLCircle is an 18+ only space. Protecting survivors, vulnerable members, neurodivergent folks, and the integrity of the community always takes priority over any individual’s access.

How ABDL & regression show up in ABDLCircle

Inside the ABDLCircle Discord server, ABDL and regression are supported through structured, clearly-labeled spaces rather than “anything goes” chaos. For example:

• Dedicated soft-space channels for cuddly, small, or overwhelmed feelings.
• Themed ABDL and regression channels with content tags and clear guidelines.
• Role menus for littles, middles, caregivers, switches, DLs, and “just here for vibes.”
• Support-oriented spaces for decompressing, venting, and asking for gentle check-ins.
• Staff tools (through CircleBot) such as pacify, timeouts, and structured logging to keep the environment as safe and consistent as possible.

The goal is not to restrict the soft parts of you, but to hold them in a container where people can feel safe, respected, and believed.

If you are still figuring yourself out

Many people arrive at ABDL and regression spaces feeling uncertain, ashamed, or confused about what they want. You might be exploring diapers for the first time, realizing you regress under stress, or simply recognizing that you want a caregiver-type relationship.

You are allowed to explore at your own pace. You are allowed to change your mind. You are allowed to want softness, comfort, and care without apologizing for it.

To learn more about how we run the community itself, visit the About ABDLCircle page.