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BDSM Dictionary : Paraphilia : ICcode
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{{Wikipedia|Paraphilia}}
[b]Paraphilia[/b] (in Greek 'para' παρά = beside and
'philia' φιλία = love) is a mental health
term recently used to indicate [about=sexual arousal]sexual
arousal[/about] in response to sexual objects or situations that are not
part of societally normative arousal/activity patterns, or which may
interfere with the capacity for reciprocal affectionate sexual activity.
[heading]Definition
The word is used differently by different groups. Used in psychology
or sexology, it is a neutral umbrella term used to cover a wide
variety of non-typical sexual interests such as:
[item] [about=Exhibitionism]Exhibitionism[/about] and
[about=voyeurism]voyeurism[/about] which (within moderation) are
actually felt to be a healthy component of an active sex life for many
people
[item] [about=Transvestic fetishism]Transvestic fetishism[/about],
[about=fetishism]fetishism[/about], [about=urolagnia]urolagnia[/about]
(water sports), or unusual partners (such as amputees), which are
essentially felt to be harmless and clinically acceptable in the West
(though possibly still a matter preferred kept private), provided the
person is not reporting experiencing dysfunction or mental suffering,
and nobody is getting hurt
[item] [about=Sadism and Masochism]Sexual sadism[/about] which can be
either harmless and mutual, or harmful or dangerous, depending on limits
and whether consent is given
[item] [about=Pedophilia]Pedophilia[/about], which is universally taboo
in Western societies and prosecuted by the law.
A paraphilic interest is not normally considered important by clinicians
unless it is "also" causing suffering of some kind, or strongly
inhibiting a "normal" sex life (according to the subjective standards of
the culture and times).
Paraphilia is sometimes used by laypeople in a more judgemental or
prejudicial sense, to categorize [about=sexual desire]sexual
desire[/about]s or [about=sexual activities]activities[/about] lying
well outside the societal norm. Many sexual activities now considered
harmless or even beneficial (such as
[about=masturbation]masturbation[/about]) have often been considered
[about=perversion]perversion[/about]s or psychosexual disorders in
various societies, and how to regard these behaviors has at times been a
[about=controversial]controversial[/about] matter.
The term "paraphilia" is rarely used in general English, reference to
the actual interest being more common. Some see the term as helping
aid objectivity when discussing taboo behaviors or those meeting
public disapproval, but which may not in fact be a problem. Others
interpret the term more perjoratively as rare conditions or serious
disorders that meet with societal disapproval and are (or should be)
criminalized or seriously require treatment.
It is worth noting typical clinical warnings given against improper
assumptions about paraphilias:
[item] "Paraphilias are ... sexual fantasies, urges and behaviors that
are considered deviant with respect to cultural norms..."
[item] "Although several of these disorders can be associated with
aggression or harm, others are neither inherently violent nor aggressive"
[item] "The boundary for social as well as sexual deviance is largely
determined by cultural and historical context. As such, sexual disorders
once considered paraphilias (e.g., homosexuality) are now regarded as
variants of normal sexuality; so too, sexual behaviors currently
considered normal (e.g., masturbation) were once culturally proscribed"
(Source: [url=http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/p960627.html]Psychiatric
Times[/url])
What is considered to be a "[about=perversion]perversion[/about]" or
"[about=wikipedia:deviation]deviation[/about]" varies from society to
society. Some paraphilias fall into the kinds of activities often called
'sexual perversions' or 'sexual deviancy' with negative connotations or
'kinky sex' with more positive connotations. Some specific paraphilias
have been or are currently crimes in some jurisdictions. In some
religions certain sexual interests are forbidden, and this has led to
some people believing that all paraphilias must be sins. Since the
development of psychology, attempts have been made to characterize them
in terms of their etiology and in terms of the ways they change the
functioning of individuals in social situations. Some behaviours that
might be classified as paraphilias by some subsets of society may be
viewed as harmless eccentricities by other subsets of society, or
entirely normal behaviour within other societies.
Due to the somewhat subjective nature of their definition, the specific
acts included under the umbrella of "paraphilia" vary from time to time
and from place to place, and indeed from edition to edition of such
works as the "[about=Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders]Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders[/about]"
(DSM).
[heading]Behavioral imprinting
Observation of paraphiliac behavior has provided valuable scientific
information on the mechanisms of [about=sexual attraction]sexual
attraction[/about] and [about=sexual desire]desire[/about], such as
behavioral imprinting. Careful investigation has also led to the
tentative conclusions that normal biological processes may sometimes be
manifested in idiosyncratic ways in at least some of the paraphilias,
and that these unusual manifestations are frequently associated with
unusual (and especially traumatic) events associated with early sexual
experience.
[heading]History of the term
The term was coined by Viennese psychotherapist Wilhelm Stekel (in his
book "Sexual Aberrations") in 1925, from the Greek "para-" (beside) +
"philos" (loving), and first used in English in Stekel's translated
works. It was not in widespread use until the 1950s, and was first used
in the "[about=Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders]Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders[/about]"
(DSM) in 1980. It was used by [about=Sigmund Freud]Sigmund
Freud[/about], as well as by the sexologist John Money.
[heading]Common paraphilias
The following paraphilias are sufficiently common in the general
population to be frequently observed in clinical literature, as well as
being able to support entire sub-genres of mainstream commercial
pornography.
[item][about=algolagnia]algolagnia[/about]: sexual pleasure from
[about=pain]pain[/about]
[item][about=exhibitionism]exhibitionism[/about]: sexual arousal through
displaying genitals in public
[item][about=sexual fetishism]fetishism[/about]: sexual attraction to a
physical object or non-sexual body part, with common examples being
[item]*[about=wikipedia:balloon fetishism]balloon fetishism[/about]
[item]*[about=fur fetishism]fur fetishism[/about]
[item]*[about=leather fetishism]leather fetishism[/about]
[item]*[about=panty fetishism]panty fetishism[/about]
[item]*[about=wikipedia:foot fetishism]podophilia[/about]: sexual
arousal from feet, the most common philia for non-sexual objects or body
parts.
[item]*[about=robot fetishism]robot fetishism[/about]
[item]*[about=rubber fetishism]rubber fetishism[/about]
[item]*[about=shoe fetishism]shoe fetishism[/about] (retifism)
[item]*[about=smoking fetishism]smoking fetishism[/about]
[item]*[about=spandex fetishism]spandex fetishism[/about]
[item]*[about=transvestic fetishism]transvestic fetishism[/about]
[item][about=mechaphilia]mechaphilia[/about]: sexual attraction to
inanimate objects, machines, [about=robot fetishism ] robots[/about], etc.
[item][about=sadomasochism]sadomasochism[/about]: taking sexual pleasure
in inflicting pain, or having pain inflicted upon one's self. (See also
"[about=BDSM]BDSM[/about]" and [about=algolagnia]algolagnia[/about])
[item][about=urolagnia]urolagnia[/about]: sexual attraction to urine
[item][about=voyeurism]voyeurism[/about]: sexual arousal through
watching others having sex
[about=Homosexuality]Homosexuality[/about] was previously listed as a
paraphilia in the DSM-I and DSM-II, but was removed in 1973 and does not
appear in further editions, consistent with the change of attitude among
psychiatrists that homosexuality is no longer considered a disorder. It
was also listed in the International Classification of Diseases,
published by the World Health Organization, until it was removed in 1992.
Likewise [about=Zoophilia]Zoophilia[/about] was clinically re-evaluated
between DSM-III and DSM-IV. As of 2004, [about=Transvestic
Fetishism]Transvestic Fetishism[/about] was still listed as a paraphilia
in the DSM-IV-TR.
Note that "non-consensual" sadomasochistic acts may constitute assault,
and therefore belong in the list below. Some jurisdictions criminalize
some or all sadomasochistic acts, regardless of consent.
"Non-consensual" exhibitionism in public places, where people who have
not previously consented to watch are exposed to sexual display, is also
an offence in most jurisdictions. (See [about=wikipedia:indecent
exposure]indecent exposure[/about]).
[heading]Non-consensual and criminal paraphilias
The paraphilias listed below are either non-consensual or, if acted out,
criminal in most jurisdictions.
[item] biastophilia: sexual pleasure from committing unconsenual
assault, especially towards a stranger
[item] [about=frottage (sexology)]frotteurism[/about]: sexual arousal
through rubbing one's self against a non-consenting stranger in public
[item] lust murder: sexual arousal through committing murder
[item] [about=necrophilia]necrophilia[/about]: sexual attraction to corpses
[item] [about=necrozoophilia]necrozoophilia[/about]: sexual attraction
to the corpses or killings of animals, or necrobestiality."
[item] [about=pedophilia]pedophilia[/about]: sexual attraction to
pre-pubescents
[item] raptophilia: sexual pleasure from committing [about=rape]rape[/about]
[item] telephone scatologia: being sexually aroused by making obscene
telephone calls
[item] [about=zoophilia]zoophilia[/about]: sexual attraction to animals,
commonly known as bestiality
[heading]Other paraphilias
The paraphilias listed below are less common.
[item]acrotomophilia: sexual attraction to amputees
[item]agalmatophilia: sexual attraction to statues or mannequins
[item]amaurophilia: sexual arousal by a partner who is unable to see one
due to artificial means, such as being blindfolded or having sex in
total darkness.
[item]apotemnophilia: sexual arousal from having an appendage (limb,
digit, or male genitals) amputated
[item][about=aretifism]aretifism[/about]: sexual attraction to people
without shoes
[item]asphyxiophilia: sexual attraction to
[about=asphyxia]asphyxia[/about]; also called breath control play;
including [about=autoerotic asphyxiation]autoerotic
asphyxiation[/about]; see http://members.aol.com/Oldrope/breath.htm
about the danger
[item]automobilophilia: recent term to describe folks who are sexually
aroused by cars or other vehicles. Either by driving, or by making love
somehow to the
vehicle.[about=How_to_make_love_to_a_car]How to make love to a car[/about]
[item]claustrophilia: sexual arousal from being enclosed in confined
spaces;coffins/caskets, boxes, boots of cars, lockers, chests and
sometimes burial.
[item][about=coprophilia]coprophilia[/about]: sexual attraction to
[about=faeces]faeces[/about]
[item][about=dacryphilia]dacryphilia[/about]: sexual arousal from tears
and crying, commonly from others, but also from one's own tears.
[item]dendrophilia: sexual arousal from trees
[item]diaper fetishism: sexual arousal from [about=diaper]diaper[/about]s
[item][about=emetophilia]emetophilia[/about]: sexual attraction to vomit
[item]ephebophilia: sexual attraction to adolescents (commonly those
aged 15 to 19)
[item][about=frotteurism]frotteurism[/about]: deriving sexual pleasure
from rubbing against other people
[item]galactophilia: sexual attraction to human milk or lactating women.
See [about=milk fetishism]milk fetishism[/about]
[item]gerontophilia: sexual attraction to the aged
[item]harpaxophilia: sexual attraction to being a robbery victim
[item]hematolagnia: sexual attraction to blood
[item]hybristophilia: sexual arousal by people who have committed
crimes, in particular cruel or outrageous crimes*
[item]incestophilia: sexual attraction to one's own family
[item][about=infantilism]infantilism[/about]: sexual pleasure from
dressing, acting, or being treated as a baby
[item]klismaphilia: sexual pleasure from [about=enema]enema[/about]s
[item]maiesiophilia: sexual attraction to childbirth or pregnant women
[item]mysophilia: sexual attraction to foul or decaying material
[item]pictophilia: inability to become sexually aroused except through
the use of pictorial [about=pornography]pornography[/about]
[item][about=Plushophile]plushophilia[/about]: sexual attraction to
stuffed toys
[item]scotophilia: sexual attraction to darkness
[item]sitophilia: sexual arousal from food
[item][about=somnophilia]somnophilia[/about]: sexual arousal from being
intimate with someone who is (or pretending to be) asleep, or waking
someone by being intimate with them
[item]transformation fetish: sexual attraction to transformations
[item]vorarephilia: sexual attraction to being eaten by or eating
another person.
[item][about=xenophilia]xenophilia[/about]: sexual attraction to
foreigners (in science-fiction, can also mean sexual attraction to aliens)
[item]xylophilia: sexual attraction to wood
There are also many other rare paraphilias.
The supposed paraphilia of
[about=wikipedia:autogynephilia]autogynephilia[/about], or sexual
pleasure from perceiving oneself as a woman, has been proposed as a
motivation for [about=transgender]transgender[/about] behaviour, but is
generally regarded as theoretical in nature. It is not well accepted.
[heading]Controversy
The definition of various sexual practices as paraphilias has been met
with opposition. Advocates for changing these definitions stress that,
aside from "paraphilias" with a criminal element, there is nothing
inherently pathological about these practices; they are undeserving of
the stigmatism associated with being "singled out" as such. Those who
profess such a view hope that, much as with the removal of
[about=homosexuality]homosexuality[/about] from the DSM ("see"
homosexuality and psychology), future psychiatric definitions will not
include most of these practices.
[heading]Religious views of paraphilia
Some religious conservatives view various paraphilias as deviations from
their conception of God's original plan for human sexuality, or from
their religious laws. Depending in part on the nature of the paraphilia
in question, judgements can differ as to whether religiously it should
be considered a case of sexual sin, or of mental illness.
[heading]External links
[item][url=http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/paraphilias.htm]DSM-IV
and DSM-IV-TR list of paraphilias[/url]
(This entry in the BDSM Dictionary incorporates text from the
[url=http://www.londonfetishscene.com/wipi/index.php/Paraphilia]Paraphilia[/url]
article in Wipipedia.)
This entry is published under the terms of the GFDL. People with profiles on Informed Consent can improve this entry: see the BDSM Dictionary help page for details.
