Skip to main content

Fetishistic Disorder: Understanding the Fascination


Human sexuality is a complex and diverse phenomenon. It involves a wide range of sexual preferences, fantasies, and behaviors. One such behavior is fetishism. According to the DSM-V, fetishistic disorder is defined as an intense and recurrent sexual arousal from non-living objects or a highly specific focus on non-genital body parts. This article aims to shed some light on fetishistic disorder, its causes, and symptoms.

Origin of the Term "Fetishism"

The term fetishism originates from the Portuguese word ‘feitico,’ which means “obsessive fascination.” Fetish objects may not necessarily be clothing products used in cross-dressing or equipment designed for tactile genital stimulation purposes. A person may have a fetishistic condition associated with an inanimate object, such as female undergarments, or an exclusive focus on an extremely eroticized body part, such as feet or hair. A fetishistic interest may even meet criteria for different combinations of these specifiers, such as socks, shoes, and feet.

Multisensory Experience

Fetishistic condition can be a multisensory experience, including holding, tasting, rubbing, inserting, or smelling the fetish object while masturbating. Some people may acquire comprehensive collections of highly desired fetish objects. People with fetishistic disorder may also prefer that a sexual partner wear or use a fetish object throughout sexual experiences.

Prevalence

There has been no systematic report of the fetishistic condition in females. Fetishistic disorder is identified almost exclusively in males in clinical studies. Males with fetishistic disorder will steal and collect their specific objects of desire from fetishism and are therefore driven to non-sexual antisocial behaviors, such as theft and burglary.

Causes of Fetishistic Disorder

Fetishistic disorder may be caused by various factors, including doubts about one’s own masculinity, potency, or fear of rejection and humiliation. It may also co-occur with other paraphilic disorders, especially "sadomasochism" and transvestic disorder, as well as hypersexuality. Rarely, fetishistic disorder may be associated with neurological conditions.

Symptoms of Fetishistic Disorder

The behaviors associated with fetishistic disorder occur over a time period of six months. People with fetishistic disorder characteristically focus almost exclusively on the fetish object or body part. They can only become sexually aroused and reach orgasm when the fetish is being used. Often, they feel intense shame or distress about their inability to become aroused using typical stimuli. Masturbating while holding, rubbing, looking at, or smelling the fetish object is common.

Conclusion

Fetishistic disorder appears to have an ongoing pattern that fluctuates in severity and frequency of impulses or actions. It is essential to seek help from a mental health professional if you or someone you know is struggling with this disorder. Therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes may help manage the symptoms and improve the quality of life. Remember, fetishistic disorder is a treatable condition, and with the right support and guidance, individuals can lead fulfilling and satisfying lives.

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...

What is it meant by “Drugs”?

It is needless to say that the term ‘drug’ is a conversational topic in current society. It is because of the unavoidable disaster happening to the society due to illicit drugs.  Geetanjali Nagpal ,  Amy Winehouse ,  Whitney Houston ,  Matthew Perry  like celebrities can be taken as instance to prove this. Simply, drug is any substance that, when inhaled, injected, smoked, consumed, absorbed via a patch on the skin, or dissolved under the tongue causes a physiological and often psychological change in the body. Unfortunately, there is a common misinterpretation among society that drugs mean only illegal substances that intoxicate people. In order to solve this issue, it is useful to clarify what really drugs are. According to the WHO, “A drug is any substance or product that is used or intended to be used to modify or explore physiological systems or pathological states for the benefit of the patient” . This definition mentions three characteristics of ...

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: Sexually aroused by exposing genitals to prepu...