Autonepiophilia, why are there adults who dress like babies?

The world of paraphilias is very diverse. Up to 549 types of paraphilias have been described. Among them, some are very well known, such as exhibitionism, voyeurism or fetishism, and other more unknown ones such as chlysmaphilia or autonepiophilia, which we are going to talk about in this article.

A paraphilia is a pattern of sexual behavior that involves sexual excitement and pleasure in unusual situations, objects, or individuals. It may involve obtaining sexual pleasure from non-human objects, from suffering or humiliation (one’s own or that of one’s partner), or from children or non-consenting people.

What is autonepiophilia or paraphilic infantilism?

Autonepiophilia or paraphilic infantilism consists of the sexual arousal derived from wearing diapers, other baby accessories and from behaving and being treated as such. They even have specialized babysitters and daycare centers. It is also known as adult baby syndrome or adult baby (AB).

It is not limited to carrying diapers and a pacifier, it goes much further. The people who suffer from it They can end up spending a lot of money to set up their house as a nursery, on diapers, on baby bottles… They may want their partner to get involved in their fantasy, holding them in their arms, “breastfeeding” them, giving them baby food, changing their diaper or playing with them.

We should not confuse it with diaper fetishism, in which the pleasure is derived simply from the fact of wearing a diaper. Diaper lovers or diaper lovers (DLs) do not behave like babies nor do they want to be treated as such. However, it is common for “adult babies” to also be diaper lovers (AB/DLs, ADult Babies Diaper Lovers).

Another important distinction must be made. Autonepiophilia has nothing to do with pedophilia, since adult babies are not attracted to children nor do they manifest sexual tendencies towards them. They get the excitement from being treated like babies themselves. (in the case of paraphilic infantilism); or the fact of wearing a diaper and having it changed, the touch of the wet diaper on the skin, the humiliation of being forced to wear a diaper, etc. (in the case of diaper fetishism).

How many “adult babies” are there? The figure is surprising

It is estimated that 1 in 1,000 people like to feel like a baby. In fact, in the British documentary 15 Stone Babies It was noted that there are between 200,000 and 500,000 adult babies in the United Kingdom alone! The exact amount is difficult to estimate because autonepiophilia can manifest itself in many ways..

There are adult babies who are openly adult and it is difficult to distinguish them from a real baby (except for physical appearance). On the other hand, others only act this way in contexts of trust or intimacy and, therefore, it would be quite difficult to identify them.

They must not be few, since They have support groups and meetings of followers of this movement frequently form, in which they share experiences, knowledge, ideas, material, etc.

In addition, there are already stores specialized in material for AB/DLs, and parades of products for adult babies are held. In general, They are usually heterosexual men, although, of course, it also occurs in women. The majority, according to research, have a career, a formed family and stable employment.

Causes of paraphilic infantilism

Some psychiatrists relate it to Peter Pan syndrome., people who are not willing to grow up and take responsibility and continue to act like children. This contrasts with what was previously cited that the majority of “adult babies” are adults with families and stable employment. But, as difficult as it is to know all the cases of autonepiophilia, it is also difficult to relate the two things. The only thing that is clear is that there must not be a single cause.

Maybe they are simply people looking for a way to free themselves from all the daily stress, and the best way they find to do so is to regress to a childhood age. The brain is a mystery.

Autonepiophilia in the media

On the Internet you can find a number of articles, although not very informative, because autonepiophilia has not been studied much. Diving, we can find an interview that, under a pseudonym, is given by an “adult baby” to publicize this peculiar “way of life.” But what you can find, above all, are documentaries.

The British channel Channel 4 broadcast 15 Stone – Babies and National Geographic made a documentary about a man who lived like a baby. In Spain, the Cuatro network broadcast an episode of the program Conexión Samanta called Babies Adults in which people with this type of affiliation were made known. And, of course, on YouTube you can find a number of videos related to the topic.

To reflect

Generally, these people They will not go to a professional because they can make their “hobby” compatible with their life.. The problem appears when this philia affects the rest of the areas of a person’s life. For example, they may have great difficulty finding a partner, as they may prefer a “mother” to a partner: a game in which not all, if not most, people are willing to participate.

Many of these adult babies see it as inappropriate for this to be considered a paraphilia, since For them it is simply a way of life. While many others do experience sexual pleasure, sometimes even hiring prostitutes to maintain relationships.

Here The problem may be that the person is incapable of maintaining sexual contacts outside of this area, since it is not socially acceptable to maintain relationships with a person who dresses up and behaves like a baby.

If we go a little further… it is understood, as we have seen, that autonepiophilic people do not experience any type of excitement with children, but what happens with people who do experience said excitement when having relationships with “adult babies”?

It is controversial, since the attraction may only be towards an adult figure who dresses and behaves like a child, and not towards a child as such. But the extent of this distinction can be difficult to perceive and can lead to criticism and judgment. What do you think?

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