Sadie:
Okay, so this is a really, really good ask; I love asks like these.
See, there is no right or wrong way to write ageplay. Sexual, non-sexual, forced, therapeutic regression, de-aged, etc….don’t be afraid of it. Jump into it headfirst and embrace it. Everyone’s experiences are personal to that individual so you really can’t go wrong, but if you’re really stuck on where to get begin, just start with how you would want things to go if this particular even t was happening to you instead of you character. Self insert, basically, at least to springboard.
As for your latter question, I’ve seen this happen in real life, all too often. A lot of AB’s and DL’s will often go through depressive periods when, after not having a partner (either romantic or just for play) or ever having a partner to begin with, they’ll purge all of their ageplay gear. They’ll get rid of everything, toss it, and then try to convince themselves that it wasn’t what they really wanted anyway or that it’ll just never happen for them so they might as well forget it.
And then that urge passes, and they’ll start collecting things again.
It’s a really sad, unfortunate cycle, and I’ve known several people who got trapped in it more than once.
Thanks for the message, anon…I hope this was helpful! Feel free to hit my inbox anytime! 🙂