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The Progression of Medical Opinion on Sadomasochism
An overview of the history of opinion in the science and psychology community on whether sadomasochism should be defined as a mental health disorder or not.
PRODOMME
7/26/20241 min read
The Progression of Medical Opinion on Sadomasochism
In the DSM-III(1980), sadomasochism was defined as a paraphilia; a sexual disorder, something unhealthy by definition.
In the DSM-IV (1994) for it to be defined as a paraphilia (a sexual disorder), it was required that "the fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors" must "cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning."
The DSM-IV TR (2000) further defines that a diagnosis of paraphilia would only be made if the activity is the sole means of sexual gratification for a period of six (6) months and either the activities be non-consensual or that "the urges, sexual fantasies, or behaviors cause marked distress or interpersonal difficulty."
Source; Is Masochism Addictive, by The Evil Monk (2012)
Terms:
Paraphilia; A condition characterised by abnormal sexual desires typically involving extreme or dangerous activities.
DSM; The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders. A reference handbook that most U.S. mental health professionals use to reach an accurate diagnosis.
Further Reading:
