A fetishist is a person with unusual sexual preferences. To be satisfied with sex, he needs additional objects, usually objects that are in and of themselves arousing - though objectively, they don't have to be. The most popular fetishes are high-heeled shoes, stockings, or handcuffs, but fetishists can also be attracted to specific parts of their partner's body, such as ears or feet. Without their stimulation, the fetishist does not enjoy sex.

Fetishistdoesn't just have sex with her partner. To achieve excitement and satisfaction, he needs an object, most often it is an object, but it can also be specific parts of the other person's body. Forfetishistsexual intercourse without this element is unsatisfactory.

It should be noted that to some extent, each of us needs some attributes to make sex really arousing - such as candles, beautiful lingerie or favorite music. But beware - these are conditions that are useful, but not necessary, for enjoying intimacy with another person at all. After all, sometimes there are situations when the conditions are extremely unfavorable (5 minutes before the child returns from the yard), and we still have fun. Sex is successful because the other person is with us. For a fetishist, the other person is not enough. There must be something else involved in sex. Obligatory. Fetishism is a paraphilia, i.e. a disorder of sexual preferences. And it can be a pathological entity, because it belongs to the same group of disorders as exhibitionism, sadomasochism or pedophilia.

Contents:

  1. What is fetishism?
  2. Fetishism - dangerous or harmless?
  3. Weirdest types of sexual fetishes
  4. Where does fetishism come from?

What is fetishism?

According to the DSM-IV classification ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- classification of mental disorders of the American Psychiatric Association), we speak of fetishism when:

  • for at least 6 months strong, exciting sexual fantasies, impulses or behaviors regarding the use of inanimate objects (e.g. women's underwear) appear and recur;
  • they cause fantasies, impulses or behaviors clinicallysignificant discomfort or impairment in social, occupational or other areas of functioning;
  • fetishes are not limited to items of clothing or devices for mechanical stimulation of organs (e.g. a vibrator).

We distinguish between small fetishism, when a second person equipped with a fetish is required to achieve arousal, and large fetishism, when the other person becomes redundant, and the object alone is sufficient to achieve sexual satisfaction.

The second important classification, ICD-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and He alth Problems), adds to the above criteria that fetishism does not only concern inanimate objects. Such a stimulus for a fetishist can be, for example, certain parts of the partner's body or - usually - the partner. As in the case of other parishes, also fetishism mainly applies to men, although there are also fetish women.

Fetishism - dangerous or harmless?

Fetishism is a gradual disorder. Up to a point, it is completely harmless. Imagine this situation: a man loves a woman's feet. During sex with his partner, he touches them, kisses them, licks them, smells them. If that's all, and the woman is okay with it, it's an acceptable fetishism. Likewise with other fetishes. Red lingerie, handcuffs, perfume - if both partners agree to it, everything is fine.

The problem begins when one of the parties becomes disturbed by this or when a fetishist experiences a dangerous escalation of unusual behavior (e.g. when the spanking becomes stronger). At this point, there is also the question of whether fetishism needs - and can be - treated at all. When a fetishist, in some way, suffers because of his sexual preferences, eg he has feelings of guilt, shame, humiliation; if fetishism leads him to emotional instability, causes rejection (by his partner), makes the man unable to build a normal relationship - he should certainly consult a sexologist, psychologist or psychiatrist. The types of fetishism that are simply dangerous, such as sadomasochism, choking or feederism, i.e. fattening a partner, also require treatment. Therapy in the case of major sexual disorders is usually long, arduous and very hard work involving both the patient and his partner.

Worth knowing

Weirdest types of sexual fetishes

Virtually any thing or situation can become a fetish for a person. There are separate names for the most popular ones:

  • agoraphilia- excitementsexual triggers in public places
  • alvinophilia- sexual arousal causes the navel
  • acrotomophilialubdysmorphophilia- sexual arousal is caused by amputated limbs or deformed body of the partner
  • autonepiophilia- sexual arousal causes pretending to be a baby
  • endtophilia- sexual arousal is caused only by the dressed partner
  • necrophilia- sexual arousal causes sex with a dead man
  • coprophilia- sexual arousal causes feces and related activities
  • apotenophilia- sexual arousal causes self-mutilation, a kind of masochism
  • graviditophilia- sexual arousal causes the belly of a pregnant woman
  • lactaphilia- sexual arousal is caused by breasts of a nursing woman
  • clizmafilia- sexual arousal is caused by enema
  • pigmalionism- sexual arousal causes viewing sculptures, photos, paintings
  • podophilia- feet cause sexual arousal
  • urophilia- urine causes sexual arousal
  • heterochromophilia- sexual arousal causes a different color of the partner's skin
  • sthenolagnia- sexual arousal causes partner's strongly muscled body
  • ozolagnia- sexual arousal causes the partner's smell
  • transvestite fetishism- a special case of fetishism in which a heterosexual man changes into women's clothes and masturbates or has sex with his partner

Where does fetishism come from?

Sexologists are of the opinion that fetishism may come from a person's first erotic experiences. If a young boy masturbated for the first time in the random presence of, for example, women's shoes, it may happen that he will always associate it with pleasure. It happens that an erotic stimulus is also an object associated with the experience of violence in the period of shaping sexual preferences. Fetishism can also develop in people with high complexes.

Category:

Sex problems