Wat de psychiatrie zegt: Hickey (2006) has written extensively on paraphilia. There are numerous manifestations of paraphilia. Rape can fall within the psychiatric definition of a paraphilia, which involves obsession with sexual intercourse with an unwilling partner (Alvarado, 2006). And, hybristophilia involves the obsession with having sexual intercourse with a convicted criminal. And, if such compulsions cause one distress or impairs one in any way, it could be that what is described here is in some ways analogous, and may be classifiable as a Paraphilia Not Otherwise Specified, as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2000).
Paraphiliacs may not have much choice in their selection of what turns them on sexually, as with homosexuals. Theories indicate prenatal hormonal exposure is a predominant cause of homosexuality; however, it seems logical to believe it is also affected by exposure to stimulation at critical developmental periods (as in paraphilia). If one can become fixated on arousal by inanimate objects (as in paraphilia/fetishism), one can surely fixate on someone of the same sex.
From the study of criminal profiling and forensic psychology, I know that there is first an interest (usually formed in early childhood when there is no recognition of meaning), that interest is reinforced by thoughts and fantasies, which is further reinforced and rewarded by self-stimulation. One theory of paraphilia is that sexual arousal accidentally coincides with some behavior or item, locking them together in neurological brain connections (“Hebb’s Law”).
In 1949, Hebb published theorization on the neurological process of thought, and also produced theorization, later designated the Hebb repetition effect, wherein evidence concerning task learning and unlearning has been studied (as cited in Couture, Lafond, & Tremblay, 2008). Hebb's theorization centered on three postulates: 1) That neurological connections increase in proportion to their correlated synaptic activity (neurons that fire together wire together); 2) The activity of neurons firing as a group after a triggering event tends to persist and represents that event (persistence is increased by repitition); and, 3) Thinking consists of the sequential activation of these groups of firing neurons, or sets of cell assemblies (as cited in Klein, 1999).
If fantasy, pornography, and self-stimulation continue, there is likely to be the compulsion to act out sexually in the way fantasized. This compulsion can be overwhelming. The only way to avoid that happening is to stop the progression of fantasy to behavior at the earliest time possible.
One cannot control what arouses one sexually, one can only control their behavior. If this is troubling, one should not fantasize, and should not view “deviant” pornography. There are some indications that neurological connections that are not activated by behavior and thought will eventually disconnect, lessening the compulsion to act on those compulsions. And, sexual desires normally decline with age; however, one may never totally overcome their desires.
Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
Gandhi
If one is at a point where they are concerned about where their desires are taking them, they need psychological counseling. When seeking help from a psychiatrist or psychologist, it may take some time to identify the best source. And, not just any counselor will be able to understand the problem and be able to help. It would be best to identify a psychologist or psychiatrist that works with sexual offenders. They would be best prepared to help, even though there is nothing criminal involved. Some psychologists know more about what makes people tick mentally than psychiatrists, but psychiatrists can prescribe medication. A forensic psychiatrist who treats sex offenders would probably be my choice, if I were in need of guidance on how to eliminate an unwanted sexual compulsion.
Source(s):
Alvarado, J. (2006). Coerced sex and rape paraphilia. In E. W. Hickey, (Ed.), Sex crimes and paraphilia pp. 409-418. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, Prentice Hall.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.) (text revision). Washington, D.C.: Author.
Couture, M., Lafond, D, & Tremblay, S. (2008). Learning correct responses and errors in the Hebb Repetition Effect: Two faces of the same coin. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 34(3), 528-547.
Hickey, E. W. (Ed.). (2006). Sex crimes and paraphilia. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, Prentice Hall.Klein, R. M. (1999). The Hebb legacy. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 53(1), 1-3.
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