Sexual Fetishism Disorder - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Fetishism

Fetishism Information

Fetishistic arousal is a problem when it interferes with normal sexual or social functioning and where sexual arousal is impossible without the fetish object. The fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. The object of a fetish is almost invariably used during masturbation and may also be incorporated into sexual activity with a partner in order to produce sexual excitation.

Causes of Fetishism

The causes of fetishism are not clearly understood. Some learning theorists believe that it develops from early childhood experiences, in which an object was associated with a particularly powerful form of sexual arousal or gratification.

Other learning theorists would not focus on early childhood, but on later childhood and adolescence and the conditioning associated with masturbation activity. Psychoanalytical theories of causality focus on concepts of penis worship and castration anxiety. Researchers have shown that in general fetishists have poorly developed social skills, are quite isolated in their lives and have a diminished capacity for establishing intimacy.

Symptoms of Fetishism

The following symptoms of Fetishism is :

• Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving the use of nonliving objects (e.g., female undergarments).
• The fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
• Early symptoms for a fetish involve touching the object of desire. The amount of time spent thinking about the fetish object may increase.
• Employment or volunteer work to enable fetish behavior, for example, a job in a shoe shop in the case of a shoe fetish.
• The fetish objects are not limited to articles of female clothing used in cross-dressing (as in Transvestic Fetishism) or devices designed for the purpose of tactile genital stimulation (e.g., a vibrator).

Treatment of Fetishism

Treatment typically involves psychotherapy aimed at uncovering and working through the underlying cause of the behavior.

Transvestic Fetishism

Foot Fetishism

Wet and Messy Fetishism

Sexual Fetishism