SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF PARAPHILIC DISORDERS

Paraphilic disorders are a group of mental health conditions that cause recurring and intrusive sexual thoughts, fantasies, and behaviors involving children, non-consenting people, or inanimate objects. They also cause people with these conditions to experience significant personal distress and limited functioning.

Sex is a normal part of life, and having unconventional sexual thoughts and fantasies is not unusual. However, when these urges and thoughts become so intense as to interfere with your daily functioning, it may be a paraphilic disorder. People with paraphilic disorders will sometimes engage in sexual behaviors that can cause harm to themselves or others. Some paraphilias focus explicitly on causing pain and suffering to oneself or others.

Not all paraphilic interests make up a paraphilic disorder. It is important to distinguish between paraphilia and paraphilic disorder. While the first includes unusual sexual urges and behaviors, the second features recurrent and intense unusual sexual urges and behaviors that can cause impaired functioning and harm to yourself or others.

SYMPTOMS OF PARAPHILIC DISORDERS

Symptoms of paraphilic disorders vary, but a common thread if their potential to cause harm. The disruption is often intense and disrupts daily functioning. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) must persist for atleast six months before they can be classified as a disorder.

IDENTIFYING PARAPHILIC DISORDERS

There is an important distinction between paraphilias and paraphilic disorders. Paraphilias can be harmless if they aren’t causing harm or distress to yourself or others. If there is a risk of causing harm, it could be classified as a paraphilic disorder. For a diagnosis to be made with the DSM-5, the following criteria must be met:

·         Feeling personal and not just societal distress as a result of your sexual interest urges, and behaviors.

·         Experiencing sexual desire that could cause physical harm or psychological distress to another person.

·         A willingness to engage in sexual behaviors with non-consenting parties or people who cannot give consent.

CAUSES OF PARAPHILIC DISORDER

While it isn’t clear what causes paraphilic disorders, researchers suspect that a combination of neurobiological, genetic, cognitive, and interpersonal factors contribute. A 2019 study of paraphilic disorders found that people with paraphilic disorders have elevated levels of serotonin and norepinephrine and decreased levels of a chemical messenger called dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid (DOPAC).

TYPES OF PARAPHILIC DISORDERS

According to the DSM-5, there are eight different types of paraphilic disorders.

1.       FETISHISM DISORDER

With fetishism, a person uses inanimate objects to crease sexual pleasure. They may also focus on body parts without genitals to create sexual pleasure. Fetishism can be harmless. It is only classified as a disorder when it causes significant distress or cause some form of harm and occurs for at least six months. Some common fetishes include food, hand, armpit, and leg fetishes.

2.       FROTTEURISTIC DISORDER

A person with frotteurism will rub their genitals against another’s in a sexual manner without the other person’s consent. It’s a rare type of paraphilia. For a person to be diagnosed with frotteurist disorder, they must have experienced an intense and recurrent urge to rub their genitals against a non-consenting party to achieve sexual gratification for atleast six months. They must have also acted up on this urge and experienced significant distress as a result.

3.       SEXUAL SADISM DISORDER

Sexual sadism involves inflicting physical or psychological pain on another person to achieve sexual gratification. It is important to note the distinction between sexual sadism disorder, a paraphilic disorder, and sadistic sexual behavior, which is not. It’s normal for mild sadistic sexual behavior to occur between two adults who consent. With sexual sadism disorder, the sadistic sexual urges cause significant distress. The desires must have been present for atleast six months for it to be classified as a disorder. Sexual sadism disorder can be dangerous as it’s often carried out on non-consenting parties.

4.       EXHIBITIONISTIC DISORDER

People with an exhibitionistic disorder will expose their genitals to non-consenting people and experience sexual excitement. They may become distressed and unable to function properly due to their urges. On the other hand, exhibitionism, which isn’t a paraphilic disorder, is simply the desire to expose your genitalia to a non-consenting party and become sexually excited afterwards.

5.       PEDOPHILIC DISORDER

Pedophilia is sexual attraction to children. According to the DSM-5, a person with pedophilic disorder must have felt intense and recurrent sexual urges, behaviors, and fantasies toward prepubescent children for atleast six months. A vital component of the condition is that it brings significant distress or impairment to the person with it. It’s important to note that while sexual attraction to children isn’t illegal, acting upon this attraction is.

6.       SEXUAL MASOCHISM DISORDER

Sexual masochism may be seen as the flip side of sexual sadism. With sexual masochism, being beaten, humiliated, or abused will bring sexual excitement and gratification. Asphyxiophilia, a desire to have your breathing restricted during sexual activity, is sometimes considered a subtype of sexual masochism.

7.       VOYEURISTIC DISORDER

Voyeuristic disorder causes a person to have intense and recurrent urges to watch non-consenting persons engage in sexual activity. Voyeuristic disorder causes significant distress and can limit a person’s ability to function. Voyeuristic disorder is more common amongst men than women.

8.       TRANSVETSTIC DISORDER

A person who is sexually aroused by cross-dressing may have transvestic disorder. For it to be regarded as a disorder, the urges or behaviors must have been recurrent, intense, and present for atleast six months. While people who cross dress are typically happy and may not experience sexual arousal from doing so, a person with this disorder is experiencing significant distress and limited functioning.

TREATMENT FOR PARAPHILIC DISORDERS

Treatment for paraphilic disorders is highly individualized. It depends on various factors, including which type of paraphilic disorder you have and the personal goals of the person being treated. In general, different forms of therapy and medications are used in treating paraphilic conditions. A combination of psychotherapy and medication is often recommended for the most effective results.