A woman who was sexually abused as a child says dressing as an adult baby helps her to 'reclaim her childhood'.
Eighteen-year-old Tori Hart drinks from a baby's bottle, uses a dummy and even wears nappies. She's been known to throw temper tantrums when she doesn't get her own way and talks in 'baby-speak'.
She also engages in something called 'age play' - specifically Adult Baby Diaper Lovers (ABDL) and Daddy Dom/Little Girl (DDLG), which is a 'sometimes erotic practice' with links to BDSM. However, Tori herself says she has no sexual interest in her role-playing.
But she does share her life-style with over 2000 followers via her Instagram account @little_tori_baby.
Tori says she was sexually abused as a little girl and 'never had a childhood'. As a result of her abuse she's battled a number of mental health issues including depression, anxiety and an eating disorder.
She finds regressing into being a toddler again 'soothing' and says that it helps her reclaim her infant years.
Although Tori is single at the moment, she does have a 'babysitter' who occasionally acts as her parent, changing nappies and bossing her around. If the 'babysitter' decides that Tori has been bad he will punish her by making her write lines or sit in a naughty corner. If she 'behaves well' she'll be rewarded with sweets or a trip to the cinema.
Tori, who lives in Oregon in the US, says she usually behaves as a three-year-old but can act anywhere between one and 10, depending on how she is feeling.
"It allows me to reclaim my childhood," she said.
"The whole idea is submitting yourself to somebody and giving them the power to be in charge of your wellbeing.
"If I am with a partner I ask them, 'Can I do this?' or 'Can I wear this today?'
"I speak in my 'baby voice' and if I'm upset I will cry or have a temper tantrum. I also crawl and roll.
"I don't have a 'parent' at the moment so normally I do it by myself after work. I will dress in a onesie or outfit and relax and watch TV.
"I use my bottle and eat chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs as well as taking pictures for Instagram.
"I also go to bed every night with a pacifier and it helps me to sleep because I have insomnia. One night I went to a friend's house and I couldn't sleep without it.
"I wear diapers and I do go to the bathroom in them, but only number one.
"There are some people who do more but that's not for me. I don't like that part of it - it just feels like too much.
"It is very soothing and comforting. You feel very snug and like you are completely warm, content and happy. I forget about everything else in the world.
"When I am in that headspace I don't do anything sexual. It definitely can be a sexual thing but I think of it as a way of expressing myself.
"It makes me feel like I get to go through my childhood again and I get to redo everything I didn't get to do the first time around."
She says she first discovered the adult baby community through a friend, and began by calling her then-boyfriend 'daddy'. From there she found a YouTuber who lives as an adult baby and decided to try out the lifestyle for herself; she says it has helped her overcome a number of mental health problems.
"I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression around four years ago," she said. "And I used to take different medications but nothing was helping. I felt like a zombie.
"Then I found the community and the people I love and the thing I love to do. I ended up giving up all the meds.
"It has made me stronger, more confident and happier."
In total, Tori reckons she's probably spent a 'few hundred dollars' on her lifestyle - including toys, outfits and nappies.
Tori lives at her mum's house and says her friends and family have been surportive of her lifestyle.
She said: "One time my mom found a diaper so we talked about it. She said, 'That's fine, just make sure you clean up after yourself.'
"I was worried at the beginning about what people would think. There are a lot of misconceptions and the biggest is that it is pedophilia.
"People say it is weird and gross and that it is not right. A lot of people judge and assume the worst.
"Despite the stereotypes and the stigma that we are creepy paedophiles, we are not. If you get to know us, we are nice, normal people.
"If you still don't like or accept it, that is fine. But you don't find me coming around saying, 'You don't do this, that is weird.'
"I'm just here living my life and doing what I love. I don't deserve hate."
Featured Image Credit: SWNSTopics: Interesting, Community