Perversion is a feature of perception or pathology: what is the ambiguity of the term?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

According to the general definition, perversion is a distortion of perception or an anomaly in action, which is an unnatural or painful deviation of a moral, sexual nature from the norms accepted in a society with its culture, moral principles, rules, legislation. The definition of perversion also includes a misunderstanding of generally accepted words, laws.

Perversion refers to manifestations of the human psyche, in which there is an absence or distortion of adequate human feelings inherent in a particular model of behavior. Lack of awareness of good and evil is also characterized as insanity and immorality of the individual.

Sexual perversion: difficult to define

Sexual perversion implies a violation of sexual desire and the way to satisfy it. The manifestation of sexual deviations is characterized by peculiarities of behavior and perception of the surrounding reality, which may be based on mental disorders, interpersonal relationships, as well as physical factors - injuries,the use of stimulant and narcotic substances. Sexual perversion often occurs on the basis of mental illness, for example, due to schizophrenia.

The term "sexual perversion" arose in the process of substantiating deviations requiring treatment by scientists. Causing violations that prevent the implementation of labor activity, social communication, causing suffering. When discussing what a perversion is, it should be taken into account that in medicine it is not always possible to clearly distinguish between the norm of the psyche and pathology. If the individual's behavior is not in line with the cultural and moral criteria of society, one has to speak of medical pathology and a legal crime "against immunity".

However, things are far from clear. For example, age in individual cases can be considered both sexually mature and pre-pubertal. Therefore, in the case of pedophilia, it is impossible to determine only by age whether it is a perversion or not, because desire itself is not a disease in the absence of mental suffering or the realization of attraction in practice.

Causes and symptoms

According to psychoanalysts, the roots of sexual deviation originate in childhood, with repeated repetition of a pattern of sexual behavior that cannot be changed. According to another version, the distortion of sexual perception is the result of psychological trauma inflicted in childhood.

Sexual perversion is the result of several factors, including the following:

• humiliation and punishment from parents;
• sexual abuse;
• fear of sexual activity;
• psychosexual disorders;
• social impact;
• alcohol abuse;
• physiological reasons.

Today, experts have compiled a list of some unusual sexual perversions:

• Narratophilia refers to feeling aroused by hearing vulgar or swear words.
• Pictophilia is a perversion in which an individual enjoys looking at pictures instead of having sex.
• Mechanophilia - sexual attraction to machinery and arousal from speed.
• Pyrophilia - getting sexual pleasure at the sight of fire.
• Podophilia - related to foot fetish, which is characterized by attraction to the soles of the feet.

Is it possible to cure sexual perversions

It should be said that when specialists observe mental abnormalities, the problem is not limited to how to distinguish a perversion from the norm, it is complicated by the careful concealment of the disease by the patient from his environment. He fears disclosure and criminal punishment. This behavior can only make the disease worse.

If the cause of sexual perversion is trauma or pathology, such perception can be corrected with the involvement of a psychotherapist, psychiatrist, sexologist, surgical and other methods of therapy.

Only the patient's exact setting onlong-term and systematic treatment, including psychotherapeutic methods aimed at the manifestation of an adequate libido and the suppression of the unhe althy, can lead to positive results. Unfortunately, tranquilizers suppress the libido itself, but do not eliminate the orientation of the patient. Therapy involves early recognition of mental disorders, prevention of communication disorders, prevention of corruption.

The word "perversion" has a second meaning - to distort (pervert) someone's words, the law, the meaning of what was said. A synonym for this expression can be the phrase - "turn upside down", or deliberately distort.