Having a fetish can be an uncomfortable experience. It’s often seen as embarrassing and something that may impede on personal psychological development.
While fetishes come in many different forms, there is one common symptom: uncontrollable urges to seek out these activities or objects.
Fortunately, there are various strategies for managing this issue and beginning the journey towards regaining control of your life.
The first step is to recognize what it is you’re dealing with, an understanding of the substance and type of fetish you have will help provide a better framework for exploring solutions.
Another useful tool is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which has been proven effective in treating problem behaviors related to fetishes.
CBT teaches patients how their thoughts influence feelings and behaviors, providing invaluable insight that can be used to take action against urges associated with their particular fetish bias.
Through recognizing unhelpful thought patterns, individuals gain greater awareness over their impulses and learn more effective ways in which they cope when confronted by triggers or temptations linked to their affinity for certain stimulus or experiences with inappropriate behavior.
Talking through issues raised by having a fetish with others who understand its significance provides comfort too – creating healthy habits around support networks allows individuals to maintain realistic expectations while still giving them access to validating resources whenever necessary.
At times like these, people tend not to judge another’s choices, carrying empathy rather than criticism. This gives rise for honest conversations where progress towards addressing problematic behaviors, related or connected, with sexual fantasies or activities arises straight away naturally.
Finally consulting medical experts such as therapists and psychiatrists might prove helpful. Cognitive reconfiguration techniques along with familiar settings contribute to help make better decisions overall.
Online vs Traditional Therapy
In today’s progressively digital world, many are now considering whether to sign up for traditional or online therapy to lose a fetish. While both offer their respective advantages and disadvantages, which type of service is ultimately right for an individual depends on how they view their own mental health and what kind of lifestyle they live.
To start with, those who prefer traditional psychotherapy may find comfort in its intimate setting with a qualified therapist. In-person appointments provide the autonomy and privacy needed to feel safe while discussing personal problems in detail.
On the other hand, online therapies have become increasingly popular for people unable or unwilling to attend an offline meeting. Faceless interaction allows one more freedom when it comes divulging sensitive issues that they fear disclosing face-to-face.
Moreover there’s no agonizing wait time from scheduling an appointment till your turn eventually arrives since most apps come integrated with dedicated therapists available round the clock at any day of week.
Additionally users can also avail multiple professional services all under same roof available 24/7 when compared against finding therapists one by one in real life.
Given this conundrum between physical versus web based consultation means only you can decide which approach suits your needs best. Whichever platform you choose remember open communication is imperative in order sound advice — so make sure you speak candidly about yourself without hesitation.
What is a Fetish?
A fetish is a strong craving, often of a sexual nature, that is directed towards particular objects or activities.
It can be an obsession with something inanimate such as an item of clothing, or animate such as body parts.
Generally speaking, it exists when the person feels compelled to seek out experiences and interactions involving the object of their desire.
In some cases this compulsion may become so powerful that they are willing to disregard social boundaries and even risk serious consequences just to satisfy their need for those objects or behaviors.
In psychology, fetishes are considered to be part of paraphilia which involves sexual arousal from unusual sources – typically relating to body parts or specific scenarios rather than traditional methods like penetrative sex acts.
Aside from the clinical definition there are also colloquial descriptions used by non-psychologists; many talking about ‘fetish culture’ being any form of alternate expression related to sexuality and gender identity disorder (GID).
Etymologically speaking, fetish has its roots originating from Portuguese traders who brought back carved effigies called fetissoes in West Africa during the 17th century before becoming more popularized by Sigmund Freud’s works describing psychosexual development in 1920s Vienna.
The term was further popularized throughout history by various artists and intellectuals who embraced the concept including Jean Paul Gautier‘s fashion designs featuring crucifixes along French catwalks in 1980s Paris, or the late 20th century San Fransisco rave goers idolizing rubber suits, and also up until today where you’ll find celebrities accessorizing their clothing with obscure items curiosities gathered all over world during their travels abroad – demonstrating how fetishes have become increasingly accepted within mainstream society for people of all ages regardless socio-economic class background.
What Causes a Fetish?
Many individuals suffer from fetishes, yet the causative factors of these can be enigmatic. In order to grasp a better understanding of this phenomenon, let us delve into what conditions may lead to such aberrant behavior.
Recent research has speculated that neurological components and cognitive distortions are key driving forces of fetish development.
Instances where environmental cues or traumatic memories conjoin with physiological quandaries could also augment an individual’s vulnerability. Social constructs also play a part in influencing how someone may perceive sexual desires and behaviors over time.
Given their nuanced nature, it is tough to succinctly ascertain what really triggers the development of odd sexual preferences for some people.
A combination of biological predispositions and learned experiences have been postulated as likely influences on the formation and reinforcement of proclivities towards particular objects or situations that leads to fetishism being manifested in various ways among individuals.
The current consensus is that there are innumerable possible cofactors which might explain abnormal fixation with ‘things’ outside traditional parameters associated with typical human mating habits.
Can You Get Rid of a Fetish with Therapy?
Fetishism is a condition that can cause distress or difficulty, leading an individual to become preoccupied with a defined object.
This particular fascination may be inanimate, such as clothing items or materials, animals or plants, body parts and acts.
The often interpersonally disruptive behavior has long been considered incurable. However, recent psychological therapy and counseling advances have given hope to sufferers.
In the past decade a specialized branch of psychology identified as “Impulse Control Therapy” (ICT) has been developed for dealing with fetishism.
ICT seeks to engage the patient into delving into their emotional issues at hand and provide individuals insight on how specific triggers can stimulate their fetishes.
Such understanding helps patients slowly identify patterns in their behavior so they can construct coping mechanisms when feeling overwhelmed by urges deemed socially unacceptable due to cultural norms.
ICT challenges common beliefs around treatment for fetishism being ineffective. However some psychologists are hesitant about positively affirming this form of therapy’s efficacy due to limited empirical data available from research studies conducted thus far on the topic matter.
How to Search for the Right Sex Therapist
Searching for a qualified sex therapist can be a daunting task. The field of sexual health has seen exorbitant growth in recent years, with many practitioners offering services such as counseling and psychotherapy for couples or individuals dealing with issues related to sexuality and relationships.
However, it pays to do your homework before selecting the right sex therapist for you. Having an understanding of the credentials necessary to practice psychotherapy is essential, as well as a familiarity with different approaches and strategies used by specialists in this area.
When choosing a sex therapist, it’s important to understand that each individual practitioner may have their own style of working. It’s also vital that they adhere to ethical standards set forth by professional organizations like Sex Therapist International (STI).
Knowing these qualifications will help ensure you get appropriate treatment according to established protocols and practices in the field.
Also, checking online reviews from clients who might have undergone similar treatments can serve as effective guides on which professionals are suitable contenders.
We selected the best sex therapist online with all these aspects in mind to make it easier for you to decide to start therapy as soon as possible. We researched, interviewed patients via email to understand which online therapy service is the best for different particular needs and concerns surrounding relationship and sexual issues.
References
- “Fetishism in clinical practice: an overview of the literature and a case report.” Kafka, M. P. (1994). Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 20(2), 119-126.
- “Fetishism: a review of the literature.” Lawrence, A. A. (2009). Journal of Sex Research, 46(1), 1-13.
- “Fetishism and BDSM subcultures: a sociological analysis.” Erich, N., & Ross, M. L. (2017). Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 32(4), 394-410.
