The Mysterious Fetish

The (psychological) definition of a fetish is this: any object or nongenital part of the body that causes a habitual erotic response or fixation.

Fetishes can be devastating. They can often make a partner uncomfortable when the subject comes up, and many people with fetishes become dependent on the fetish for sexual satisfaction, which can make it extremely difficult to maintain a sexual relationship with another person. It's an obsession that can interfere with a person's daily life and mental well-being, in some cases. They may feel "dirty" and "different", and like a social outcast. They may feel like they have a horrible secret that they have to hide for the rest of their lives. When fetishes go too far, as in the cases of men who break into women's homes to steal their underwear, they can have major repercussions for the person with the fetish, as well as other people.

Festishes are mysterious. They could result from childhood experiences. Say a young boy develops an interest in his mother's shoes or sister's underwear, and even though he doesn't understand why, it ends up becoming something that stays with him and torments him as he grows older, ultimately becoming a sexual fixation. Maybe this fascination simply comes from a woman's shoe, pantyhose, or underwear being so different from the clothing males have. Some fetishes may also come from being extremely shy and introverted. Someone who feels they can't approach a woman and may be frightened by the thought of a woman may instead fixate on their shoes, for example, and satisfy themselves with the thought of this object. Fetishes are much more prevalent in males, perhaps because they don't feel the need to socialize and aren't as emotionally needy as women are, and in this day and time, men can't just go out and grab a woman to have sex with when they have the urge, so they take it out on objects.