We will start this blog with the definition of: Fetishism or Fetish. This can refer to Fetishism (anthropology). This is the belief that natural objects have supernatural powers. Sexual fetishism or ordinary fetishism is a form of fetishism in which sexual pleasure is experienced by certain objects or rituals. A fetish is labeled as a paraphilia in the DSM 5.
 

The DSM was developed in the twentieth century and has been an important guide for psychologists and psychiatrists in diagnosing since the 1970s and 1980s. The book is a collection of various disorders and their symptoms. Depression, autism, schizophrenia, for example, are all recorded in the DSM. The latest version of the DSM is the number 5.

According to the DSM, your personality becomes a disorder when "the behavior deviates from the expectations of a person's culture". But what if I don't want to meet those expectations? Do I have a personality disorder or is there something wrong with the culture in which I live?

For example: homosexuality was still seen as a disorder in the DSM-I and DSM-II. That would be unthinkable now. Homosexuality is now largely accepted by society. A gay person no longer has a disorder. This is not because his therapy has worked so well, but because society is "cured" of her homophobia.

 

A paraphilia (from the Greek para (= beside) and philia (= friendship / love)) is an unusual sexual preference aimed at non-human objects, humiliating or being humiliated. You may have heard about examples such as fetish, exhibitionism, voyeurism and pedophilia. These are all paraphilias. Sometimes the paraphile preference focuses on things that don't seem sexual in principle. For example, think of getting feet excited, nylon stockings, ponyplay (fetish). There is also the showing of the genitals to strangers (the "pencil vendor" or exhibitionist) or sex with a person with an amputation (acrotomophilia).

Having a special sexual preference is of course nothing wrong with that! The former abnormal becomes the new normal anyway. As long as you or others are not bothered by it, it is all fun and good. For example: if a person who likes to be dominated together with someone who likes to dominate, that is a good match and probably promotes the (sex) relationship.

There is only paraphile disorder if a paraphilia causes suffering and / or hurts others. For example, if a paraphilia prevents someone from enjoying sex, that can be a problem. Consider, for example, not being able to get excited during sex with a partner because your paraphilia is not present in your game. Or if paraphilia is the reason why it is not possible to enter into an intimate relationship with another person. Also by denying or suppressing it, because of shame or a lack of self-acceptance, the need can become compulsive.

 

 

• Exhibitionism: Preference to show yourself in a sexual way.

• Fetishes: originally non-sexual objects cause sexual arousal (for example, objects, clothing, a non-sexual part of the body).

• Frotteurism: rub against or touch strangers (without the consent of the person).

• Pedophilia: getting excited about prepubescent children.

• Sexual masochism: getting excited by undergoing humiliation, bondage or pain.

• Sexual sadism: getting excited by humiliating, involving or bonding someone else.

• Voyeurism: Preference to look at a person who is undressing, naked or having sex.

 

Do you think, or are you sure you have a paraphilia? Do you perhaps get excited about hair (chaetophilia), an extreme age difference (chronophilia) or soft materials (hyphophilia)? Pee sex (urophilia), strangle sex (asphyxiophyllia) or being watched during sex (auto-aginistophilia)? What do you think about using obscene language (coprolalia) or telling erotic stories (narratophilia)?

The list is endless. On this site we will describe and treat them all.

 

People often reject what they don't understand. In this way we hope to make many topics more open to understanding.