Paraphilia and Paraphilic Disorders: Exploring Unconventional Sexual Behaviors

Sexual desires are an inherent part of the lives of homo sapiens and every individual involves in sexual activities as per their needs and preferences. As some individuals get attracted to people of opposite genders and others get aroused by the same gender, human sexuality is a diverse and multifaceted aspect of human nature that is highly complex and difficult to grasp in one go, encompassing a wide spectrum of behaviors, desires, and preferences. While many individuals engage in sexual activities that are conventional and generally adhere to societal and cultural norms, some people find sexual pleasure and satisfaction in atypical or unconventional ways that are not acceptable in society. This phenomenon of engaging in atypical sexual behaviors or activities is referred to as paraphilia and when these unusual sexual interests cause harm or damage to the individual or others in any way then it is considered a paraphilic disorder.

In this exploration, we will delve deep into the realm of these unconventional sexual activities and discuss what paraphilia and paraphilic disorders actually are, their types, causes, and treatments to get a deeper knowledge about the subject.

Paraphilia VS Paraphilic Disorders

Although used interchangeably nowadays, there’s a thin line between paraphilias and paraphilic disorders. While all paraphilias are not necessarily categorized as paraphilic disorders, all paraphilic disorders are the result of paraphilias which include paraphilic symptoms that cause distress.

Paraphilia: Paraphilia refers to those atypical sexual interests or behaviors that involve a recurrent and intense pattern of sexual arousal or gratification towards inanimate objects, situations, or individuals. These interests vary depending on different variables and can range from relatively common ones like getting aroused by the exposure to certain body parts and non-normative objects to rarer ones like sexual attraction to animals or corpses.

Paraphilic Disorder: While many people experience paraphilic interests they might not be referred to as ‘Paraphilic Disorders’ as long as they do not cause any distress or impairment to the individual. These pursuits are categorized as paraphilic disorders only when they result in severe distress and affect the lives of individuals. In short, paraphilic disorders are a subtype of paraphilias and they become concerning when they involve strong sexual fantasies and desires that are either acted upon or cause distress and impairment.

Types of Paraphilic Disorders

Paraphilic disorders are recognized by mental health professionals and are classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a widely used diagnostic tool. There are 8 types of common paraphilic disorders which are discussed below along with some uncommon ones:

1.?Fetishistic Disorder:

In fetishistic disorder, a person has intense and recurrent sexual arousal from non-living objects or specific body parts that are not generally associated with sexual attraction. Fetishism can be harmless and is not a matter of concern unless its symptoms occur for more than six months and cause any distress or any sort of harm either to the individual or another person. Some common fetishes include feet, undergarments, shoes, rubber, or any leather items.

2.?Frotteuristic Disorder:

In frotteurism, a person attains sexual gratification by rubbing their genitals against another non-consenting party, and the urge to do the same must be recurrent and intense. The aforementioned symptoms must prevail for at least six months and the person must have acted on them, for this paraphilia to be considered as a disorder.

3.?Exhibitionistic Disorder:

People suffering from exhibitionistic disorder, become sexually aroused by exposing their genitals or private-body parts to a non-consenting party. Exhibitionism isn’t necessarily a paraphilic disorder unless the constant urge to expose one’s genitals to others becomes so intense that it causes distress or impairment to the person or has acted on these urges with an unsuspecting person.

4.?Voyeuristic Disorder:

This disorder is more common in men than women and causes an individual to attain sexual gratification by watching people undressing, engaging in sexual activity, or any other private activities without their consent or knowledge.

5.?Pedophilic Disorder:

According to DSM-5, people having pedophilic disorder are sexually attracted to prepubescent children and have the urge to engage in sexual activity with them. It is important to note the difference between having pedophilic fantasies or urges and pedophilic disorder. For someone to be diagnosed with pedophilic disorder he must have had the symptoms for at least six months or must have acted on it, engaging in child sexual abuse.

6.?Sexual Sadism:

Sexual sadism is referred to as a disorder when someone gets sexual satisfaction by inflicting emotional or physical pain on another unsuspecting party. It's critical to distinguish between sadistic sexual behavior, which is not a paraphilic condition, and sexual sadism disorder, which is. Mildly sadistic sexual behavior between consenting individuals is typical. With sexual sadism disorder, the person has acted on their sadistic sexual urges with a non-consenting person for at least six months, causing them considerable distress or disability.

7.?Sexual Masochism:

The antithesis of sexual sadism is sexual masochism in which being assaulted or humiliated will make someone experience sexual excitement. Asphyxiophilia, sometimes considered a subtype of sexual masochism is the desire to get choked or have your breathing restricted while engaging in sexual activity. Sexual sadism and sexual masochism are oftentimes referred to as Sadomasochism.

8.?Transvestic Disorder:

A person may have transvestic disorder if they get sexually aroused by cross-dressing (wearing clothes typically related to the opposite sex). However, those who like to cross-dress may not necessarily be suffering from this disorder unless they experience distress or impaired functioning, and the same craving or behavior persists for at least six months.

9.?Other Uncommon Paraphilic Disorders:

Other than the aforementioned eight most common paraphilic disorders, there are other several disorders that are rarer in nature such as Necrophiliac Disorder (sexual attraction to corpses), Zoophilic Disorder (also known as bestiality, which involves sexual gratification towards animals), Scatological Disorder (making obscene calls usually of sexual nature to non-consenting persons, and Fictophilia (infatuation or sexual attraction towards fictional characters).

Causes behind Paraphilic Disorders

What specifically causes paraphilic diseases is a little uncertain. However, many experts believe that several factors like hereditary fluctuations, hormonal imbalances, neurological disturbances, and behavioral, developmental, and interpersonal elements cause paraphilic disorders to develop in an individual. Researchers found that individuals with paraphilic illnesses have lower levels of the dopamine metabolite dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and higher amounts of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. Following are some of the causes of paraphilic disorders:

1.?Brain Structure and Chemistry:

Different brain structures or neurotransmitter functions may have an impact on sexual preferences and behaviors, according to some studies. The precise brain underpinnings of paraphilic diseases are still unknown.

2.?Puberty and Hormonal Changes:

With the onset of puberty, an individual goes through drastic changes in their hormonal patterns and hormonal imbalances which can also be one of the reasons behind the emergence of paraphilic disorders in many individuals, as infatuation, sexual attraction, and fantasies are often at peak during this period.

3.?Childhood Trauma:

The experience of a child in his primary years highly affects the overall development of the child throughout his life. Children who faced extremely unpleasant experiences in their early years such as neglect, physical abuse, or sexual abuse might get stuck in the trap of paraphilic disorders. These kinds of traumatic experiences might also be one of the factors causing paraphilic disorders.

4.?Peer Influence:

Peer interactions during adolescence and the early stages of adulthood can support or reinforce paraphilic interests, particularly when peer groups support or normalize these behaviors.

Treatments to Paraphilic Disorders

With the help of psychotherapies, pharmacotherapy, and group therapies, paraphilic disorders can be easily treated. Different ways to cure paraphilic disorders are discussed below:

1.?Psychotherapy:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy and Behavioral therapy techniques such as aversion therapy and arousal reconditioning, can be proven to be most effective for treating paraphilic disorders.

2.?Pharmacotherapy:

The use of medications to treat paraphilic disorders may enable sufferers to regulate their sexual arousal or behavior. Men with severe paraphilic illnesses may benefit pharmacologically from antiandrogen therapy. Treatments for antiandrogens act by lowering testosterone, which also lowers sexual arousal. Moreover, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be recommended in minor situations. There isn't yet a drug specifically approved to treat paraphilic disorders.

3.?Group Therapy and Support Groups:

Group therapy sessions can be effective in treating paraphilic disorders as they provide a supportive group of individuals who are facing the same issue and are dealing with the same disorder. By sharing their thoughts, experiences, and specific coping strategies they all can learn from each other and provide encouragement to one another.

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Conclusion

Paraphilia and paraphilic disorders are two distinct terms, and we must understand the difference between the two before diagnosing anyone with these disorders. As having mere sexual fantasies or paraphilic behaviors doesn't signify a 'Paraphilic Disorder', unless and until they have experienced the symptoms for at least six months, they may experience any distress, or have at least once acted on these urges.

Paraphilic behaviors are more common among us than we think but most of the time they go unnoticed as people are afraid to come out as 'paraphilic' because of the shame, guilt, or the prevailing stigma in our society regarding paraphilic disorders. Having paraphilic behaviors is normal and by breaking the stigma we can encourage people to seek therapy and prevent 'paraphilia' from converting into 'paraphilic disorder'.