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Lecture Notes

Some sexual variations are considered to be so extreme by the American Psychiatric Association, or APA, that they are classified as mental disorders, or paraphilias. Paraphilic behaviors tend to be compulsive, longstanding, and distressing to the individual.

So what Is Paraphilia?

 

A paraphilia is a mental disorder characterized by recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or sexual behaviors lasting at least 6 months and involving:

nonhuman objects

the suffering or humiliation of oneself or one's partner -or-

children or other nonconsenting people