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But It Hurts!
American Psychiatric Association Position.
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There has been some significant movement in the attitude towards BDSM by the practitioners in the psychiatric
and mental health
fields. Twenty five to thirty years ago there was a definite bias against those that practiced BDSM. Today, more
therapists
recognize that one need not have a critical personality disorder to enjoy being a sadist, masochist or other
fetish practitioner.
Although BDSM will still be considered a deviate behaviour, that description
is moving away from being a derogatory judgment and is simply becoming a statistical evaluation.
BDSM does deviate from what would be considered normal sexual activity.
In the current edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-IV),
which defines mental disorders, we see different wording from previous editions which defined sadism and masochism as
diagnosable disorders. Just having BDSM fantasies were enough to warrant concern and was included in the criteria for
the
diagnosis.
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Please read the out-take from DSM-IV below:
Diagnostic
criteria for 302.83 Sexual Masochism
A. Over a period
of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving
the act (real, not simulated) of being humiliated, beaten, bound or otherwise made to suffer.
B. The fantasies,
sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or
other important areas of functioning.
Diagnostic criteria for 302.84 Sexual
Sadism
A. Over a period of
at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving
acts (real, not simulated) in which psychological or physical suffering (including humiliation) of the victim is
sexually
exciting to the person.
B. The fantasies,
sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or
other important areas of functioning.
Note that the new wording in the
B part of the criteria suggests that a disorder exists only if the fantasies, urges, and behaviour create
problems with important areas of functioning for the individual.
This suggests that BDSM can be an acceptable practice, provided it is kept within reasonable limits. I will
suggest that this puts BDSM on par with other adult interests such as gambling, drinking and even golf
and fishing. If one drinks too much so that they can't function, they have a problem with alcohol. If one spends
so much time on the golf
course that they lose their job and their wife/husband leaves them, then they have a compulsive issue with their
interest in golf.
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