Press review: do fetishists suffer from pathologies?
Actu's article investigates the medical community's perception of fetishes
In April 2024, I discovered an article from the local newspaper website Actu, which is oriented towards the far-right. This first one was an investigation into fetishes, as part of a series. So, are sexual practices like spanking consequences of pathologies?
In the first part of the article, the author discusses the definitions of fetishism, but also the notion of pathology and when a fetish can be considered pathological.
Then comes the testimony of a young dominatrix who shares her experience and the clientele she frequents.
Next, the article's author interviews a sexologist who explains how many fetishes are linked to a particular traumatic memory, most often dating back to childhood. The emotional memory is so ingrained in the fetishist that they need to reproduce it in adulthood.
Then comes the time for treatments to heal from these fetishes, when they are considered pathological. Therapies exist.
Finally, the author distinguishes between fetishism and kink sex, these curious sexual beings who don't resemble us.
My Opinion on This Article
It is very rare to come across articles in the press that do not judge fetishists from above. In this case, I fully agree with the entire article. It's very rare for that to happen to me. Lina Tran did a fantastic job, maybe she's concerned, you'll tell me ;).
I simply invite you to read it. Everything is said in it.
or in photo:
How Grok Summarizes It
Summary of the Article: BDSM, Panties, Feet… Do Fetishists Suffer from Pathologies?
This article, the second installment in an investigation into sexual fetishism, examines the boundary line between consensual practices and psychological disorders. It addresses concrete examples such as domination, the purchase of used panties or foot photos, distinguishing pathological fetishism (an addictive paraphilia recognized in psychiatry) from "kink sex" (playful and non-addictive sexuality), provided that the practices are consensual, safe, and respectful.
Key Points and Arguments
Fetishism becomes a pathology when it turns into a dominant obsession, preventing emotional connections or normal romantic relationships. Sexologists remind us that in the absence of addiction, it is simply a harmless preference. Historically, Alfred Binet coined the term in 1886 to describe "bizarre" attractions, differentiating "light" fetishism (normal) from "great" fetishism (pathological). The article argues that pathologizing these desires is common but contested if they are consensual; the limit is crossed when they are imposed or addictive, affecting professional, social, romantic, or financial life. The DSM-5 specifies that many fetishists show no clinical disturbance and are not diagnosed.
Testimonies
- Emyy C., a 27-year-old Lyonnaise dominatrix, describes a "real suffering" among her submissive clients, often single because their fetishes ruin their relationships. They see psychologists, feel abnormal, and apologize for their desires. She notes extreme addictions: clients, including students, skip meals to fund sessions, which she refuses to avoid vital deprivations.
- Candice D., a Parisian psychologist and sexologist, cites cases: a foot fetishist patient unable to have relationships without this element, obsessed with the object rather than the emotion; a sadomasochistic patient seeking the shame of a humiliating childhood spanking in front of her family.
Experts' Conclusions
Specialists like Vincent D. (Rouen sex therapist) and Candice D. emphasize consent as the essential criterion: "If the people are consenting, what's the problem?", but there is pathology if it is obsessive and imposed. D. often links these fetishes to childhood traumas (sexual or not), activating intense emotions like shame through sensory associations. For treatment, she uses cognitive and behavioral therapy, hypnosis, and anti-addiction methods (similar to those for alcohol or anorexia), aiming not to eradicate the fetish but to master it and redirect it toward less destructive alternatives. Melainya (ambassador for JOYclub.fr) tempers: an indispensable fetish can block, but with information and support, a fulfilling sex life remains possible. In summary, the experts conclude that there are no rigid rules for healthy sexuality, as long as there is neither suffering nor danger to oneself or others.
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