Necrophilia
Necrophilia (pronounced: nek-ro-feel-ya) is a term used in the field of psychiatry and forensic psychology to describe a sexual attraction or act involving corpses.
Etymology
The term "Necrophilia" is derived from the Greek words "nekros" meaning "dead" and "philia" meaning "love". It was first coined in its modern sense by the Belgian alienist Joseph Guislain in his lectures, which were posthumously published in 1850.
Definition
Necrophilia refers to a sexual attraction or act that involves corpses. It is classified as a paraphilia, a group of disorders characterized by abnormal sexual activity. The individual with this condition may have an urge to have sexual intercourse with a dead body or may gain sexual excitement from fantasies involving sexual acts with dead bodies.
Related Terms
- Paraphilia: A condition involving sex fetishes where sexual excitement and gratification depend on fantasizing about, and engaging in, sexual behavior that is atypical and extreme.
- Necrophagia: The consumption of dead flesh or corpses by humans, akin to cannibalism.
- Necromania: An obsession with death and the dead, often linked with necrophilia.
Legal and Ethical Issues
Necrophilia is considered a taboo and is illegal in many jurisdictions. The ethical issues surrounding necrophilia revolve around consent, as a dead person cannot give consent. It is also considered a violation of a corpse, which is a crime in many jurisdictions.
Treatment
Treatment for necrophilia, like other paraphilias, typically involves psychotherapy and medication. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is often used to help the individual recognize and change patterns of thinking that lead to problematic behaviors. Medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), may be used to help manage any underlying conditions, such as depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Necrophilia
- Wikipedia's article - Necrophilia
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski