Fetish Feets And Other Unusual Objects, Normal Or Mental Disorders?

Illustration of fetish (Pexels/cottonbro studio)

JAKARTA - Everyone's sexual interests are different, but there are those who are sexually interested in something unusual. This condition is called fetish, namely sexual attraction to unusual objects.

Psychiatrist Richard Krueger, MD, of Columbia University, said that anything can be a person's fetish object. Investigating research, the most common fetish involves body parts such as feet, or body features. Feet are the most common fetish objects people feel.

"Whatever you can imagine (can be fetish)," said Richard Krueger, quoted from WebMD, on Thursday, April 10, 2025.

The cause of the emergence of fetishes is not yet known with certainty. However, some studies say that the causes are influenced by various factors, such as biological, abnormal brain development, trauma, and cultural factors.

"Fetism can also arise as a result of seeing inappropriate sexual behavior during childhood or due to sexual harassment," he said.

Fetish is by definition not a mental disorder. Normal Fetish is associated with unfavorable sexual variations.

However, this can reach a level of mental disorders, which can cause severe and prolonged suffering. At a severe stage, their lives can be disrupted because they only focus on satisfying the felt fetish.

There are criteria for a person experiencing a fetisism disorder, listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), published on the Psychology Today page.

- Occurring over a period of at least six months with that person having repeated, intense, and sexual arousal fantasy, drive, or behavior by looking at dead objects. Such as clothes, women's shoes, or specific focus on certain parts of the body.

- Behavior, imagination, and sexual impetus that make people experience excessive anxiety, thus disrupting activities.

- Objects are not limited to certain clothing or equipment that can stimulate the genital organs.

In some cases, fetishes can be part of healthy and consensual sexual exploration in relationships. However, if fetishes have caused discomfort, anxiety, to the form of coercion, it is better to communicate with your partner and consult with experts so that proper treatment is given.