The Psycological Effects of Masochism and Sadism

One of the most common misconceptions about BDSM practitioners is that these individuals are psychologically disturbed. Through symbolic interaction it can be understood that the general public perceives BDSM practitioners as deviant and mentally ill. BDSM practitioners are portrayed to have a lot of emotional baggage; therefore, to non practicing individuals, people who practice BDSM have major psychological issues. Due to this misinformation, the general public has created a negative image of the BDSM practitioners, and this image has lead the general public to fear BDSM. However, it is important to note that BDSM is not rooted from abuse or domestic violence, nor does participating in BDSM mean that one enjoys receiving abuse or abusing. According to Holt’s (2015), when it came to the question concerning the stereotype that BDSM practitioners had been abused in the past, several did report history of abuse during childhood and young adulthood. However, Holt (2015) noted that several participants expressed mixed emotions when asked about one’s history of abuse that ties with one’s participation in BDSM. In contrary to common belief, people who practice BDSM are as psychologically healthy as the general population. In a cross-sectional study conducted in the Netherlands, 902 individuals who practice BDSM were recruited, and compared to 434 control participants who had absolutely no experience with BDSM (as cited in Lehmiller). The participants filled

With the rise of books like Fifty Shades of Grey, there are many questions being asked about what the real effects of BDSM (bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism (sadomasochism)) relationships are on participants (Turley et al 123, McDonald). There’s the question of where the boundary between abuse and recreational play is drawn, where the psychological implications of the relationship becomes too much for the individual, but all of that can be boiled down to just a few points to explore. In order to really understand what all comes with these relationships, we must look at the experiences of participants, seeking to understand what BDSM is, and what it means. We must

The counselor informed the writer he had homicidal ideations. The writer spoke to him about case management resources. The writer provided him with the phone numbers to Oasis, Beaver Dam Police Department, and Adult Protection Services.

Roy F. Baumeister explores the taboo lifestyles of sadomasochism. The main theme and purpose of the piece is to find out who are masochists, and what do they put themselves through in the name of pleasure. "Across the country, from sophisticated cities to subdued suburbs, men and women are acting out fantasies of sexual domination and submission." (Psychology Today 47) I believe that Baumeister describes a very accurate portrait of who one specific group of masochists is and what they do for pleasure, however, I feel that he fails to recognize the younger generation of masochists. I also feel that on the issue symbolic of sex change, Baumeister does not elaborate enough.

The selections “When killing is thrilling” (Fox & Levin, Chapter 4) and “Killing for companionship” (Fox & Levin, Chapter 7) represent the factors that cause individuals to commit crime. They analyze the different emotions and sensations serial killers experience when they commit crime such as pleasure and happiness. While some individuals commit crime to experience joy and excitement, others commit crime for companionship. The section “When killing is thrilling” (Fox & Levin, Chapter 4) focuses on the excitement and pleasure serial killers experience when they commit gruesome acts. The section “Killing for companionship” (Fox & Levin, Chapter 7) analyzes how serial killers who lack social bonds seek crime as a source for bonding and having

When looking at the previous recorded cases of MSbP, more than one-third of the victims at the time did not realize they were undergoing abuse (Castiglia, 1995). This is one of the most collective reasons as to why this disorder lacks the history it needs to be further studied and thought of when looking at types of abuse. When first discovered and studied, more than two-thirds of people did not believe that MSbP could be or was a real disorder. Today, even with history and scholarly studies backing up its allegations and results, only one-fourth of the population say’s that they completely believe in it and think it is a serious matter that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible (Beard, 2007).

Throughout history, archaeologists along with historians have studied countless civilizations as well as how the people within these societies interacted with one another. While observing artifacts from these civilizations, such as mummies, archeologists have reported many civilians having holes in the back of their skulls. This report indicated that many of these people were trepanned, which during that era, was a technique used to treat patients with mental illnesses (Lawson, 2012). It is because of this barbaric treatment that psychologist began to find different ways to treat the mentally ill. However, the first step towards helping these people, involved documenting their behavior.

“It can often be recognized that the masochism is nothing but a continuation of the sadism turning against one's own person in which the latter at first takes the place of the sexual object.” ( Freud, 1914)

We as humans are born with the potential to create and accomplish some great and mighty things. For example some people decide to become lawyers, doctors, teachers, and even business owners. All of which will make them a great asset to society. On the other hand behavioral experts have noted that there exist extremely violent people in society who don’t seem to be contributing anything positive. Such individuals seem to prey on the weak and innocent. The aim of this study is to attempt to understand just what makes a serial killer function and act on such a high level of aggression. Several theories will be observed and noted in an effort to properly analyze this issue of the psych of a serial killer. Hopefully the results will add behavioral experts in formulating strategies concerning prevention and intervention.

There have been some studies conducted and evidence has been gathered that likely supports both parts of the sexual preference theory, however, many studies have also concluded that there were no differences between rapists and nonrapists during testing. (Looman, 2005) According to Barbaree and Marshall (1991), the level of sexual arousal a rapist experiences is determined by what type of rapist he is. A sexual sadist, as predicted, would likely show sexual arousal when presented with stimuli indicating sexual coercion. However, an opportunistic rapist would likely show no evidence of arousal when subjected to rape stimuli. On the other hand, a revenge-seeking or anger-driven rapist would show more sexual arousal from the violence displayed during the stimuli. Based on this evidence, it is this author’s conclusion that sexual desire plays little to no role in the motives of the nonsadistic rapists. (Barbaree & Marshall, 1991)

One of Freud’s theories was the psychosexual stages of development. It is important to recognize that Freud changed the meaning of sexuality to any form of pleasure that can be or is gathered from the body. Freud based his theory on the thought that all human instincts and drives were based on the desire to gain or increase bodily pleasure. Freud thought that if a person did not resolve their conflicts during each stage this would be the cause of any mental illness or phobia that they would have in their adult life. If one did resolve the conflict at each stage, then libido, sexual drives or

Rudolph Pliel once said that, “every man has his passion; some like whist, I prefer killing people." Despite how chilling that quote may be, what may be even more disturbing is the fact that Pliel is not alone in this serial killer frame of mind towards murdering innocent people. Serial killers can be linked to one another based on similar traits shared through upbringing, mental stability or fulfillment they feel from killing. Serial killers are driven to kill to fulfill a pleasure. While not all serial killers are driven to kill for the same reasons, one equalizing factor between them all is their need to carry out their urges or gain something from their murders.

(Frances, A., & First, M.B., 2011) While Sexual Masochism can cause distress and is often viewed as immoral it is rarely illegal and it there is a good likelihood that it does not signify an underlying psychopathology. Therefore it seems unjust to any individual that willingly offers insight into their sexual behaviors could face legal repercussions if the behavior is performed in a safe adult-adult

The issue that will be addressed in this paper is the controversial debate regarding the underlying nature of problematic sexual behavior and if major addictive processes can best understand these behaviors. The primary focus for both sides of this debate is the conceptualization of sexual addiction and its diagnostic criteria. Research pertaining sexual addiction is very limited and professionals in the psychiatric field have expressed many different opinions on this concept. Sexologists most commonly do not believe in sex addiction and view the term as conservative and have dismissed it as a sex-negative paradigm. However, there are many psychologists that do believe in the concept of sex addiction and view it as a disorder or cause for

Serial killers often commit murder for some sort of psychological benefit. As research continues in the studying of the brain of serial killers, it is safe to say that they (serial killers) have some form of brain abnormalities. Biologically speaking, Neuroscientists have discovered that a psychopath’s brain has a noticeably thinner tissue in the subcortical areas. If this tissue is damaged, or even possibly underdeveloped, then that person may have a decreased ability to process feelings or even link emotional value to certain experiences. This explains a great deal about a psychopath’s behaviour and why they have difficulty feeling different emotions. With regards to psychopaths, a weak paralimbic system leads to the weakening of their ego