Subspace and Sub-Drop

Many BDSM players will have heard of "Subspace", which has nothing to do with the Star Trek universe, but is that wonderfully floaty, "without a care" sensation that a submissive or bottom can get in a scene to the extent that even something that would usually cause intense pain can instead become a source of pleasure and arousal.

There is, however, a downside to this, in that someone who is deeply into subspace may not realise that they are actually at risk of injury because their body's normal reactions are being subverted by adrenaline and endorphins which their system is putting out and warning signals can be ignored.

As such, whilst a submissive can use a Safeword to stop a scene, they may not know that they need to use one or, possibly, can be in a incoherent state and simply be unable to Safeword.

In a situation like this, it is the job and the responsibility of the Dominant or Top to keep an eye on their submissive's mental and physical state and, if they think that the sub is too far gone for reasonable safety, to slow things down or even bring the scene to a close.

Of course it's not as simple as just saying "ok, that's it". When you have a sub or bottom who is in this situation, they need proper aftercare and attention to gently bring them out from subspace and slowly return them to the ground from that lovely floaty place they may have been in.

Even then, it's still wise to be aware that there's a phenomenon known as "Sub-Drop". This can take a physical form where your body suddenly stops producing the chemicals it's been putting out, resulting in an almost Cold Turkey state. Coming down from an adrenaline and endorphin high can be a real bitch as the body has been burning up energy (from the adrenaline) and relying on the natural pain killers of endorphins so, when they stop, it may be a sudden shock to the system.

There is also a mental form of Sub-Drop (which may not occur until several days after the session) when the real world suddenly comes crashing back in and the sub may get feelings of lack of self-worth, guilt over society's attitudes to BDSM or simply a reaction of "OMG, what did I *do*?!"

In either case, again it the responsibility of the Top or Dominant to care for the sub or bottom and keep in communication with them, reinforce their self-esteem, praise them for taking what they have been given and checking to ensure that negative effects are ameliorated.

Here is a very good article which deals comprehensively with the effects of Subspace and Sub-Drop and good ways to handle situations which may arise from it and it is well worth a read.