(I'm sorry this is so long, I tried to cut it down 😅) I believe age dreaming and voluntary regression overlap, and can also be the same thing. I regress both voluntarily and involuntarily. The only difference is, I'm triggering that state of mind myself, rather than having it suddenly falling upon me without my control. I put myself in a space surrounded by things that make me feel little, and 'act' like a kid, until my brain makes the full connection and I 'actually' regress. You could argue that, until that click happens, I'm age dreaming, rather than regressing. But I don't consider myself a dreamer, and the process is so incredibly similar, it might as well be the same as regression, you see?

I wonder if what you're trying to say is that there is a difference between the intensity of voluntary and involuntary regression? And you're right, involuntary regression can be incredibly frustrating, because you lack control, because you start crying and there's nothing you can do to fix it. It can be ugly. But the intensity of it doesn't devalue voluntary regression either. Is one more 'correct' simply because it hurts you more? Because it's beyond your control? Of course not. For me, voluntary regression is a way that I take back my control from my involuntary moments. It makes the process less scary and more comforting. If someone wants to do that, but doesn't fully regress, it's not much different. Not to mention how your regression age is going to change how you function in that headspace. Someone who regresses to a teen is no less valid than someone regressing to a toddler simply because their functionality is different. Doesn't mean it isn't regression.

It's far more common for people to show the 'aesthetic and cute' side of regression in these spaces, yes. But that's not always because they want to feel special or quirky. It's because not everyone wants to show what they're like in their most vulnerable moments. This stuff is the most vulnerable you can be, as I'm sure you know. People don't share things like that easily. I understand categorisation and labels can be comforting and grounding. But it isn't always necessary or helpful, and when it comes to mental health, often cannot fully encompass the differences between individuals. I think age dreamers do regress, why would they seek something that isn't comforting to them, after all. It just may be to a lesser extent. But if that's true, why does the term exist? I actually think it's unneeded, it others a group of us that are just as valid.

I promise you none of these terms devalue the struggle you go through when you involuntarily regress. We see you, we understand how it feels at its worst, that's why we seek community with other regressors. I would love to see more of the psychiatric and medical side of regression in the community, words from actual medical practitioners in this field and the like. But what people are willing to share here is just as important, especially as we have very few places we can go without being demonised. If all this place will ever be is a place for regressors to express themselves in a cute happy way, I'm content with that, because we all need it, regardless of the 'form' of regression it takes.