Objects of Desire: The Psycho... Video Transcript

Webcast Transcript

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: Is that a radical treatment?

ROBERT J. FILEWICH, PhD: It's been around for a long time. When you say shock, it's almost like, "Oh my God, you shock somebody?" But it's really light finger shock. It's just a little aversive stimulus, and people have tried it whereby you have them begin to fantasize about having sex, having a sexual act with a particular object, and you finger-shock them.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: Like "A Clockwork Orange."

ROBERT J. FILEWICH, PhD: It's like "A Clockwork Orange." Then, after you do that, you have them fantasize about having sex with a person in a normal, healthy, adult way, and you then go ahead and not shock them or give them a pleasant scene or even a pleasant odor. So you can use odor that's an aversive odor or shock, or you can use a pleasant odor or a pleasant scene. So you're really, essentially, punishing the reaction to an object and you're reinforcing their reaction to a human being.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: Lastly, for people who do seek treatment, what degree or what percentage actually succeed and are either cured or, if that's not the right term, make progress to their goal?

KEN ROSENBERG, MD: I think the vast majority of people make progress, unquestionably, because you could really improve someone's sex life with sex therapy and you can really improve their social skills with therapy in general. What extent never, ever want to be with their object, never want to be with that piece of wood or that blanket? Very few lose the desire, but their behavior is most definitely changed.

ROBERT J. FILEWICH, PhD: And it changes in any way. You expand their repertoire in terms of sexual interaction, but you also expand their repertoires in other areas of their life so it improves them all around as a human being. They become more social, more assertive, they get their needs met more, and therefore it lowers their desire to get their needs met just through one thing.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: In five seconds -- we're almost out of time -- who do they go to if they decide they need treatment?

KEN ROSENBERG, MD: They go to a qualified, licensed professional. Anyone could call themselves a sex therapist, so you really want to find a good psychologist or psychiatrist who you trust and is well-referred.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: Okay, great. Gentlemen, thank you very much. We've been talking fetishism with Robert J. Filewich and Dr. Ken Rosenberg. I hope you've learned about it. Thanks for watching the webcast. I'm David Folk Thomas. We'll see you next time.

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