Paraphilia (from the Greek para "beside" and philia "friendship, love") is a sexual preference which doesn't conform to the social norm. According to the new diagnostic criteria listed in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 2013), a paraphilic disorder is characterized by the suffering of oneself or another person. [1] [2]
Types
Most common paraphilias are: [1] [2] [3] [4]
- Fetishism is a sexual focus on a nonliving object or nongenital body parts, such as underwear, shoes, material like leather, latex...
- Pedophilia is the sexual attraction of an adult to children
- Sadism and masochism is the condition of experiencing sexual arousal in response to the pain, suffering, or humiliation of others
- Frotteurism is the interest in rubbing the body or one's genitals against a non-consenting person, often in a crowd of people, for sexual pleasure
- Voyeurism is the practice of spying on people engaged in sexual activity and intimate behaviors, such as showering, undressing...
- Transvestic fetishism is an excessive sexual or erotic interest in cross-dressing
Treatment
Paraphilias are inherent or conditioned early in life by a defining experience. This disposition cannot be "cured" with a therapy but one can learn to live with it. Certain paraphilic preferences like fetishism or sadism/masochism might become an exciting and enriching experience for those participants who consent to it. [5]
A paraphilic disorder can only be diagnosed in case of suffering from the sexual preference. Often one's own sexual desires are rejected because they are considered abnormal or pathological. One-sided desires might also put a strain on love relationships. Sexual psychotherapy aims at reflecting one's own pleasure, questioning traditional norms and building up sexual skills in order to enable a happy life. [1] [5]
The biggest problem of paraphilic preferences (like pedophilia) is when other people's rights of self-determination are trespassed. Without doubt, assaults and abuse have to be punished but assistance like conversations and consultation over the phone should be provided. It's important that society tries to understand the affected person and his/her individual desires instead of devaluating and stigmatizing him/her. [1] [5] [6] [7]