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Frotteurism
What is frotteurism?
Frotteurism is a sexual disorder. People who have this disorder are sexually aroused by touching and rubbing their body against a non-consenting person. The behavior usually occurs in crowded places.
The exact cause of this disorder is not known. Experts think it may be caused by differences in the brain or nervous system. It might also be related to things such as child abuse, lots of conflict in the family, or a family history of mental illness.
This disorder is most common in males.
Symptoms of this disorder include:
- Having intense sexual desires, fantasies, or behaviors that involve touching and rubbing against someone who does not consent to this behavior. These fantasies and behaviors happen over and over for at least 6 months.
- Fantasizing that they have caring relationship with the victim, but try to escape after touching the victim.
Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms, relationships, medical history, and any drug or alcohol use. He or she may also ask if someone close to you has a history of mental illness. Your provider may also do a physical exam and order tests to rule out medical problems as a cause of your symptoms.
You may be diagnosed with frotteurism if:
- You have fantasies, urges, or behaviors that cause distress.
- The disorder causes problems in school, on the job, or in relationships.
Both therapy and medicines may be used to treat this disorder.
Different kinds of conditioning therapy may be used to treat this disorder:
- Biofeedback therapy. You are connected to a machine that gives you feedback with light or sound. You try to keep feedback within a certain range while you are exposed to sexually exciting material.
- Covert sensitization. You first relax and picture scenes that excite you. Then you imagine something negative, such as getting your penis stuck in the zipper of your pants.
- Assisted aversive conditioning. In this form of therapy, the negative event is real rather than imagined. For example, your therapist sprays a bad smell such as ammonia in the air. The goal is for you to link your actions with something negative and avoid both.
Two kinds of medicines may be used to treat this disorder:
- Antiandrogens reduce male sex hormone levels.
- SSRI medicines such as fluoxetine (Prozac) increase the brain chemical serotonin. Low levels of serotonin in the brain result in an increased sex drive. SSRI’s help to reduce obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. SSRI’s also help reduce sexual impulses.
Frotteurism is considered a form of sexual assault and may be a criminal act. Seek help from your healthcare provider or a mental health professional.
For more information, contact:
- National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)
Phone: 1-800-950-NAMI
Web site: http://www.nami.org- Mental Health America
Phone: 1-800-969-6642
Web site: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net
Reference Sources:
The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) Guidelines for the biological treatment of paraphilias. June 2010, Vol. 11, No. 4 , Pages 604-655 (doi:10.3109/15622971003671628) Florence Thibaut, Flora De La Barra, Harvey Gordon, Paul Cosyns, John M. W. Bradford & the WFSBP Task Force on Sexual Disorders
"Paraphilia: Sex Fetish: Paraphilia & Sex Fetishes: Discovery Health." Discovery Health. Web. <http://health.discovery.com/centers/sex/sexpedia/paraphilia.html>.
Kaplan and Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry by Sadock (Ed) and Sadock (Ed) 2009
Sexual Deviance, Second Edition: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment; D. Richard Laws PhD (Editor), William T. O'Donohue PhD (Editor); 2nd Edition; Guilford Press; 2008
Sex Offending: Causal Theories to Inform Research, Prevention, and Treatment (Law and Public Policy: Psychology and the Social Sciences) by Jill D. Stinson, Bruce D. Sales, and Judith V. Becker (Hardcover - Jan. 15, 2008)
Pharmacology of sexually compulsive behavior. Codispoti VL. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2008 Dec;31(4):671-9. Review.
American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry by Robert E. Hales, Stuart C. Yudofsky, and Glen O. Gabbard; 2008
Drug treatment of paraphilic and nonparaphilic sexual disorders. Guay DR. Clin Ther. 2009 Jan;31(1):1-31. Review.
"Frotteurism." PsychNet-UK. Web. <http://www.psychnet-uk.com/dsm_iv/frotteurism.htm>
Last Modified: 2012-09-17
Last Reviewed: 2012-05-07
Website Updated: November 2012
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