Masochism or sexual masochism is a sexual disorder when a person feels comfortable and sexually satisfied when he is hurt or harassed by his partner. This sexual deviation is classified as high-risk behavior, because it has the potential to endanger oneself and also their partner.
Masochist is part of sexual disorder or paraphilia. Paraphilia disorder itself is related to the urge, behavior, fantasy, and desire to arouse strong sexual arousal through deviant sexual behavior. This sexual disorder has the potential to hurt yourself and others.
Understanding Masochistic and Sadistic Behavior
Masochistic perpetrators can realize the desires of their sexual fantasies by hurting themselves. Not infrequently masochistic perpetrators act with their partners who have sadistic behavior, namely a sexual disorder when a person's sexual satisfaction is obtained by hurting his partner physically and psychologically.
One of the most dangerous forms of sexual masochistic behavior is sexual asphyxia. This condition makes masochists feel aroused and get sexual satisfaction when they are strangled, snared with ropes, or smothered with plastic bags.
This type of masochistic form is often fatal and even causes death.
Masochist Symptoms and Causes You Need to Know
A person is said to be suffering from a masochistic disorder if he or she has intense and repeated sexual urges, fantasies, and behaviors by being beaten, hurt, or harassed for more than 6 months.
Compared to women, men are actually more involved in masochistic behavior. Women tend to prefer mild forms of sexual masochism such as light hitting, whereas men prefer acts that belittle their male status, such as being forced to kiss their partner's feet.
Until now, the cause of masochistic behavior in a person is not known with certainty. However, there are several theories that explain that masochistic behavior is related to sexual perversion (paraphilia) or sexual fantasies (fetish) which is unstoppable.
Another theory states that masochistic behavior is a form of escape for an individual. Some other theories also suggest that childhood sexual trauma can play a big role in this paraphilia disorder.
Some Steps for Handling Masochists
The right treatment for people with masochistic sexual disorder is psychotherapy and medication. Here is the explanation:
Psychotherapy
The goal of psychotherapy is to uncover and address the causes of the patient's masochistic behavior. Through psychotherapy, patients will be guided and trained in their mindset so that they are more aware of the impact or risk of their masochistic behavior.
Thus, patients who have a tendency to become masochistic are expected to change their sexual behavior so as not to endanger themselves and others.
Use of drugs
In addition to psychotherapy, doctors can also treat masochistic disorders in patients with certain drugs, such as testosterone-lowering drugs to reduce libido.
In certain cases, for example in masochistic conditions that have made the sufferer feel anxious or depressed, the doctor will give sedatives and antidepressants.
Whatever the medicine, the use of medical drugs to treat masochistic behavior must be based on the doctor's consideration so that it cannot be taken carelessly. However, so far there has not been found the most effective treatment method to overcome masochistic behavior.
If you have sexual fantasies or tendencies that lead to masochistic disorder, try to consult a psychiatrist for further advice and appropriate treatment so that the disorder can be overcome.
