Masochism

Generality

Masochism is a psychic disorder characterized by an attitude of passivity to mistreatment and suffering, which arises from a sort of desire for self-punishment and penance.

This anomaly concerns both sexuality (erogenous or sexual masochism) and a trait of the subject's own character (moral masochism), which is expressed in the pursuit of pleasure through psychological (humiliation) or physical pain.

The masochist suffers without reacting and must suffer in order to obtain gratification or to be able to achieve sexual satisfaction. Such fantasies, as well as sexual impulses and behaviors, cause the subject a clinically significant discomfort and an impairment of the social and work area. If taken to the extreme, masochism can evolve into a real psychopathology.
Manifestations associated with the disorder tend to usually begin in early adulthood; over time, this perversion can increase in frequency and intensity, in addition to becoming chronic.
The treatment of masochism in its various manifestations is based on psychotherapeutic and, sometimes, pharmacological interventions.

Types of Masochism