Sexual Fetishes

Overview
First described by Sigmund Freud in 1887, sexual fetishism is a form of paraphilia, a psychological disorder that involves some kind of obsessive sexual desire. Other kinds of paraphilia include voyeurism ("Peeping Toms"), exhibitionism ("flashing" people) and transvestitism ("cross-dressing"). The paraphilia known as fetishism describes a sexual obsession in which the object of affection is a specific inanimate object.

According to Martin P. Kafka, M.D., in his article "Therapy for Sexual Impulsivity: The Paraphilias and Paraphilia-Related Disorders," fetishism is usually a male disorder. Psychiatrists and psychologists don’t generally agree on what causes a fetish or why it is so predominant in males.

Symptoms
Fetishism is called an obsession because the object of obsession must be involved in order to reach sexual satisfaction. Also, the obsession often interferes with your life. It is a compulsion, or something you have to do.

There are fetishes that are more common than others. Some typical fetishes include ones focused on underwear, body piercings, wigs, leather, stockings or bras. There is also a similar form of paraphilia known as partialism. This is when a part of the body is the object of sexual arousal. Partialism is different from sexual fetishism because the object of obsession is not inanimate.

Treatment
Therapy is the only treatment for extreme sexual fetishes. While in some cases, a sexual fetish is not obsessive and may be left untreated, most sexual fetishes are extreme and one cannot reach sexual satisfaction without it. You should seek therapy and possibly take psychoactive medication in this case.

Ask Your Doctor
If you are with someone who has a fetish that is interfering with your relationship, talk to that person or leave.

If a fetish is interfering with your life, see a qualified, licensed professional, preferably a sex therapist. If this is not available to you, find a good psychologist or psychiatrist who you trust. Try to get referred by your own physician or health care provider.

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