Ephebophilia: Mental Health, Sexual Attraction to Adolescent Males & the 12-Step Program

Sexual disorders can lead to adverse outcomes in not only the life of the person who suffers from the complication, but also family and victims. For many adults with sexual dysfunction, seeking treatment is often delayed due to the potential adverse social, personal and psychological ramifications.

If you suffer from sexual dysfunction, it is important to seek the counsel and care of a mental health professional. For men, in particularly, if you find that you experience an attraction to adolescent boys, this complication may be attributed to a mental health disorder known as ephebophilia. Without proper treatment and intervention, the complications ephebophilia may adversely affect your health and interpersonal relationships.

For most men who suffer from ephebophilia, there is an underlying presence of depression and anxiety and, unfortunately, in many cases the complication is diagnosed as pedophilia with one of these secondary mental health complications. In many contemporary sexual addiction mental health practices, however, the use of the term ephebophilia is becoming increasingly more acceptable and, as a result, treatments are tailored to the specific needs of the man who suffers from this mental health and sexual dysfunction.

Because our society views adolescents as passive victims of sexual abuse, the act of ephebophilia, even if you live in a state where the adolescent is the age of consent, may be considered an illegal activity. If you find that you experience sexual arousal or sexual desire of young boys, in the pubescent period, it is important to seek mental health treatment.

With aggressive therapy, and management of any underlying psychological complications of depression or anxiety, most men can find improvement in their complications and risks for ephebophilia. Treatment, however, must be consistent and aggressive with most ephebophiles finding the best opportunity for resolving this complication with the use of contemporary therapy that addresses ephebophilia as a unique sexual complication for men.