Reliance on special objects in order to achieve sexual arousal. The objects need not have an obvious sexual meaning; they may include shoes, rubber or leather garments, and parts of the body, such as the feet or ears. Fetishism usually has no obvious cause. According to psychoanalysts, the origin may be a childhood fixation of sexual interest upon some aspect of the mother’s appearance. Treatment is necessary only if the behaviour is causing distress or persistent criminal acts.
Fetishism |
|
|