Aftercare (BDSM)

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For aftercare in the normal sense of care, treatment, help, or supervision provided after discharge from hospital care, child welfare, prison, or other institutions or forms of care, see those articles or aftercare.

In the context of the sexual practice of BDSM, aftercare is the process of attending to an s-type (submissive, slave, bottom, etc) after intense activities of a physical, and/or psychological nature relating to BDSM activities. Aftercare goes above and beyond any possible necessity to treat and/or clean wounds (contusions, abrasions, punctures, lacerations, etc) from bloodplay or other BDSM practices^{[citation needed]}. Though of course these necessities mustn't be overlooked.

After an intense "session", an s-type may be incapable of, or have real difficulty, moving without assistance, or communicating their needs clearly, thus requiring another to provide for her/his care (blanket, hydration, cleanup, food, rest, etc)^{[citation needed]}. These experiences can be (and usually are) exhausting, depleting the s-type's internal resources (physical, mental, and/or emotional). As a result, frequently the s-type requires emotional support, comfort, reassurances, and/or physical tenderness. Along with this, he/she may experience everything from an exhilaration to traumatization (though every effort should be made to avoid the latter result, not "crossing the line" from sensory stress to actual damage and/or lingering unwanted effects to the s-type). It also includes a review or “debriefing” of the activities from experiences of both the D-type (Dominant, Master, Top, etc) and the s-type. How soon this should occur, after such a “session”, will vary, but should not be ignored, or omitted.

Submissives may report needing to be left alone or other means of processing the experience. While the desire to be left alone could stem from just needing rest, it could also result from she/he no longer feeling safe in the current environment/situation. The person in control of the event should always consider the wisdom of leaving alone a person in any state of exhaustion.