In life, all good comes with a little bad. Life is about balance, am I right? After intense play a person is likely to experience subdrop. Subdrop is an intense emotional decline due to the expense of certain hormones. It can happen a few hours or a few days after the scene. The more intense the play, the more dopamine, ephedrine, enkephalins and endorphins the body produces. When the body floods itself with a mass amount of these hormones it may take a few days to replenish them.
Subdrop is experienced by the submissive partner, hence the name “subdrop”. Top partners can experience their own drop, just as intense but it is due to different mental and physical expenses.
Ephedrine- is adrenaline. When we are under any type of pain or physical stress the body is going to produce adrenaline as a means of protection. Even if we are not under mental duress, the body is still going to respond as such
Dopamine- this is part of our brains natural reward system. When people use drugs, such as opiates, have a sexual climax, or feel pleasure associated with accomplishment, the body produces dopamine. Not all people experience dopamine release during pain, that is why some people do not enjoy impact scenes or BDSM at all. However, for those of us that do, we experience a much different pleasure from the pain.
Endorphines- The reason we go into “subspace” is mostly from the mass amount of endorphins being produced during the scene. I am not a doctor, however I have noticed that people like myself, who have past substance abuse issues, tend to go into a quicker and deeper subspace than my non addict friends. Endorphins allow our brain to manage the pain and create the high known as “subspace”. There are other contributing factors, however the main chemical causing the “high” is in fact the endorphins.
You may feel irritable, depressed and hopeless. It’s imperative to remind yourself this is a temporary state. The body has expended key hormones and they don’t replenish immediately. It’s something to be aware of and prepared for. More than likely, the heavier the play the more intense the drop. The more chemicals we are forcing our body to produce the more time it will need to catch up. It can feel overwhelming and like life is meaningless. Just remember it is a temporary imbalance of the brain’s chemistry. I know it is easier said than done.
Things to avoid
During this temporary imbalance I would recommend avoiding making any stressful decisions. Work may require you make certain choices. In this event, think with your logic and reasoning, not your emotions.
Avoid stress as a whole. Added stress can trigger subdrop and extend the length.
Some people want to be alone during this time. For others it may make the depressed emotional state more intense and feel more hopeless. Even though this is a temporary state, it can be difficult for even the most logical thinkers to get a grasp on. In the midst of imbalanced chemicals the temporary state may feel absolute. Being alone also makes it much harder to distract from these feelings. If you are able to be around friends and loved ones, you should.
Take care of yourself
Things may not always be available in life, so make sure you take care of yourself. In the end, that’s all we have, right?
Candy is always helpful. Chocolate and caffeine give the body a wave of dopamine. Plus, who doesn’t love chocolate. It’s not a cure, but it is comforting.
If you are able to exercise or go to the gym, that’s another great way to naturally replenish missing chemicals. After intense scenes, you may not be able to. However if you can, it helps
Don’t forget
Again, try to remember this is a temporary state due to chemicals in your brain. I know it may feel like it’s never going to end and the world is falling apart, but it will end and the world is still spinning.
All Things Kink 