Skip to main content

Exhibitionistic Disorder: Behavior and Its Causes


Exhibitionistic Disorder is a type of paraphilia that involves recurrent and intense sexual arousal from exposing one's genitals to an unsuspecting person. This disorder can be distressing for both the individual with the condition and their victims. In this blog post, we will discuss the causes of exhibitionistic disorder, its signs and symptoms, and its subtypes.

Definition of Exhibitionistic Disorder

According to the DSM-V, exhibitionistic disorder involves a pattern of recurrent and intense sexual arousal from exposing one's genitals to an unsuspecting person. The exhibitionist must have acted on these impulses with a non-consenting individual or someone they've never met. The exhibitionist condition subtypes are based on the age or physical maturity of the non-consenting individuals to whom the person wishes to reveal their genitals.

Subtypes of Exhibitionistic Disorder

There are three subtypes of exhibitionistic disorder:
  1. Sexually aroused by exposing genitals to prepubertal children
  2. Sexually aroused by exposing genitals to physically mature individuals
  3. Sexually aroused by exposing genitals to prepubertal children and to physically mature individuals
Most exhibitionists are men, and the disorder usually begins in late adolescence or early adulthood. The frequent targets of exhibitionists are infants, teenagers, and women. The act of exposing oneself is usually planned, and some exhibitionists seek out victims who may react with fear or disgust, further isolating themselves socially.

Causes of Exhibitionistic Disorder

Several factors can contribute to the development of exhibitionistic disorder, including:
  • Comorbid psychiatric disorders like depression, bipolar or anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders
  • Antisocial personality disorders
  • Other Paraphilic disorders like voyeurism and interest in pedophilia
  • Environmental factors like sexual and emotional abuse during childhood, being consumed with sexual thoughts in childhood, hyper-sexuality, and sexual impulsivity
  • Neuropsychiatric conditions like a history of trauma, medications, and substance use
  • Subjective distress (guilt, shame, intense sexual frustration, loneliness)
  • Psychosocial impairment
Signs and Symptoms of Exhibitionism

The following are signs and symptoms of exhibitionistic disorder:
  • The behaviors occur over a time period of six months.
  • The behavior is repeated, and the result is extreme sexual arousal when showing the genitals to strangers.
  • Compulsive masturbation
  • Compulsive use of pornography
  • Illegal or atypical sexual behavior and fantasy
  • Urges and propensity to act out sexually
Conclusion

Exhibitionistic disorder is a type of paraphilia that can cause distress to both the individual with the condition and their victims. Understanding the causes and symptoms of this disorder is essential to provide appropriate treatment and support to those affected by it. If you or someone you know is experiencing exhibitionistic disorder, it's important to seek professional help.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding the Theory of Subculture: How Delinquent Subcultures Form and Function

Subculture refers to an organized set of values, norms, beliefs, and attitudes that have become a traditional way of life among certain segments of a population. Delinquent subcultures, on the other hand, are those where anti-social behavior is required by the norms of the group. In 1955, Albert Cohen proposed a theory of delinquency in his book "Delinquent Boys," which sought to explain the origin and functions of delinquent subcultures. According to Cohen's theory, delinquency is not inborn or something the individual contrives on their own. Instead, individuals learn to become delinquent by interacting with others who share this pattern. Delinquent patterns are acquired by becoming a member of a group where delinquency is already an established pattern and is required by the norms of the group. Cohen believed that the delinquent subculture develops as a response and solution to the problem of "status frustration," which occurs because of socialization. Social...

Magic Mushrooms: Effects, History, and Risks

Magic mushrooms, also known as Psilocybin, are a type of psychedelic drug that contains a natural psychoactive and hallucinogenic compound. They are categorized as serotonergic hallucinogens, which change an individual's perception and mood by affecting cognitive processes. Magic mushrooms are classified by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as a Schedule I drug, which means they have a high potential for abuse, have no currently accepted medical treatment in the US, and have a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. Some common names for magic mushrooms include Shrooms, Mushies, Blue Meanies, Golden Tops, Liberty Caps, Philosopher's Stones, Liberties, Amani, and Agaric. Magic mushrooms are usually prepared by drying, although they can also be eaten freshly picked or mixed with food or drink. They can even be smoked, mixed with cannabis or tobacco. They can also be found in dried capsules or liquid. When psilocybin is taken, it is converted in th...

Political Background Toward Crimes in Sri Lanka (1948 – 1970)

Historical background of a country is totally originated from economic, social, cultural, ethnic, educational and criminal background of the country. Political background, in relation to the other fields, is more important, as it can design or influence the nature of those fields. It can be confirmed according to the studies carried out regarding the historical background of Sri Lanka. D. S. Senanayake was appointed as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1947 from United National Party (UNP). This is when many things started to change. Indian Tamil plantation workers lost their franchise rights because of government policies.  After the death of the Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake, his son, Dudley Senanayake was appointed as the Prime Minister in 1952 (1st time). He resigned from the position in 1953 as a result of massive Hartal conducted by Left parties against UNP.  His uncle, Sir John Kotelawala then became the Prime Minister, but was not as successful as previous leaders...