Adventures in self degradation and humiliation

So it's that time of year when all those new year's resolutions we made start to unravel, so I thought a discussion on punishments might be fitting. If you're on your own, punishment can be one of those hard to balance issues. If you don't take it far enough, you don't really learn your lesson, but if you go too far you can risk breaking your brain more than you wanted.

Why?

So first you should reflect on why you need punishment. Did you break a rule you made or was made for you? Did you disobey an order? Did you not perform to a certain standard? Are you looking for a little fun? How far you structure yourself is up to you, but just keep in mind that punishment's main purpose is to correct bad behavior. If you're looking for the thrill of punishment, do what you like, but if you're serious about correcting behavior then punishment shouldn't be something you enjoy doing.

How?

Now, I'm not an expert or anything, but it's my opinion that punishments fall under one of a few different categories. There is some overlap, and you don't have to strictly stick to one type. You can always add a little discomfort to deprivation and vice versa. Make it however difficult you feel you need it to be to learn a lesson. And again, this is a personalized process. What one person considers punishment, another considers a treat. Make sure it's something that's going to make you think about what was done and that will make you want to behave in the future.

Additionally, after you've selected a method, set as much of a standard as you can. The more clear it is that if you do X bad action, you receive Y punishment action, it becomes easier to stay within what you consider acceptable behavior

Deprivation

These punishments are about taking something away for a time. Like when you're a kid and your parents take away dessert. Now it could be something simple like taking away a sugary treat because you didn't exercise, or it could be taking away permission to use furniture in the house. Whatever it is, it should be either something you really enjoy or crave or something that you'll be embarrassed without. In the theme of the punishment fitting the crime, whenever you reach for it or crave it, think about the lack of it, you should reflect on why you lost it and what you can do to not lose it again. It can be anything, but I'll give a few of the more common examples that I've seen around.

• Orgasm denial
• Denial of clothing (i.e. panties, bra, etc.)
• Restricted use of furniture
• Denial of access to a dominant, friends, or events
• Denial of toys (vibes, dildos, etc.)
• Denial of treats
• Sensory deprivation

Discomfort

The concept behind this type of punishment is that you are put in an uncomfortable or painful situation to think about your actions. It could be physical discomfort like holding a pose or being spanked or it could be mental discomfort.

• Holding a pose or position
• Spanking, caning, whipping, etc.
• Confinement (time in a cage, closet, etc.)
• Leashed outdoors (especially if at night, in rain, in cold, in heat, etc.)
• Public admission/humiliation (i.e. body writing, post of admission on tumblr, etc.)
• Humiliating clothing (i.e. diapers, fishnet, panties/bag on head, whatever your mind dislikes)
• Soap in the mouth
• Add extra discomfort by putting rice or rocks on the ground, adding in ice or ginger somewhere, using clips or clamps or gags, etc.
• Add some extra challenge with some bells to help remind you to stay still

Corrective

These punishments are more about correcting improper behavior and acknowledging mistakes. Things like writing lines of what you did wrong or how to do it right. By themselves, these can be fairly tame, though you can make them more difficult by adding a longer time or more repetitions.

• Corner time/time out
• Writing lines
• Doing chores
• Practice (i.e. X hours dildo practice for using teeth in a BJ)
• Exercise (i.e. jumping jacks, running laps)

Afterwards

Now I've spent a lot of time in perpetual guilt trips, some self inflicted, others put on me. In order for punishment to correct behavior instead of being an ongoing torment then after you complete punishment and learn your lesson, you have to forgive. If you can't move on and become better after a punishment then you should re-evaluate why you are having such issues correcting the behavior or why the punishment isn't helping you to achieve your goals. False starts and stumbles are nothing to be ashamed of, we all have them now and again. Don't forget a small praise for completing the punishment (good girl!) and feeling remorse for the offending action can perk you up to work to do better in the future.   And of course, never forget the physical aftercare. Take care of sore bottoms and any achy muscles and hydrate!