What it is? The word is derived from the Portuguese feiticao, which means magic. But is it really? What is it – a feature of a person or a mental disorder? In the article we will consider the concept itself, the types of fetishes, the reasons, the development of this drive, ways to deal with it.
First meaning
The word has two main meanings.
What is fetishism? One of the varieties of religious activities. Namely – the worship of inanimate objects that are endowed with magical powers and properties. These objects, in fact, are called fetishes. In this understanding, fetishism is an element of archaic beliefs and ancient religions.
Second meaning
What else is fetishism? This is the name of one of the types of deviation in sexual behavior. Several definitions can be found in dictionaries:
Sexual perversion – a person’s sexual attraction is directed at any inanimate objects that are not in themselves exciting, erotic, at objects that can only symbolize a sexual partner.
A type of sexual behavior in which attraction arises and develops during contact with some inanimate object, which can be clothes, shoes, certain household items, as well as specific parts of the body of another person, or even his discharge. One of the types of fetishes here will be your own body.
Sexual deviation, sexual attraction to items of clothing, shoes, inanimate things, specific areas of the human body, certain human behavior, features of the partner’s appearance. The choice of fetish here can be strange, unexpected or immoral for the average person.
Synonyms, varieties of the concept in the second interpretation are sexual idolism, partialism.
Origin of the word
As we mentioned above, the word is translated from Portuguese as “magic”. In French it is “talisman”, “amulet”, “idol”.
Such meanings are given to the word due to the fact that initially it was considered only in the context of religious and anthropological teachings. Psychologists began to use the term to describe sexual pathology only in the 19th century. All cases of sexual arousal arising from contact with certain inanimate objects were called fetishism.
Today, the attitude towards fetishism has changed somewhat. He is not uniquely perverted. Pathological fetishism includes only those manifestations that may include unacceptable, dangerous for normal sexual life actions.
In terms of statistics, the data is rather vague here, as many cases go unreported. Are female fetishes common? As psychological practice shows, men suffer more from pathological fetishism than women.
Pathology or feature?
Depending on the adherence to a certain type of fetishism, a person can be called both special and suffering from psychological pathology. Fetishism that does not go beyond normal sexual behavior is considered acceptable.
Pathological distorts sexual relations, poses a certain danger to the health of partners. To get rid of it, you need the help of a sexologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist. The main diagnostic method here is clinical conversation.
the main methods of treatment are psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Is fetish normal or pathological? Some elements of fetishism are inherent in normal sex life. But it is important to understand that here objects that evoke a complex of erotic feelings are not perceived as autonomous, independent objects of excitement. They are only part of the image of a real partner, a reminder of him.
Who are the fetishists – perverts? Fetishism is considered pathological if an inanimate object is for a person an independent object of attraction, sexual desire, replaces a real sexual partner or the owner of this thing. At the same time, both emotional ties and love relationships with another person are destroyed. Namely, the object becomes a triggering mechanism for erotic fantasies and sensations.
