Between 10% and 20% of the population experience personality disorders. They are difficult to treat as individuals with personality disorders are less likely to seek help than individuals with other mental health disorders. Treatment can be challenging as they do not see their symptoms as painful to themselves or others. Controversy Associated with Personality and Paraphilic Disorders.

Paraphilic disorders are far more common in men than in women, and generally quite chronic, lasting at least two years. Treatment of these disorders usually involves both psychotherapeutic and pharmacologic treatments. In this Assignment, you will explore personality and paraphilic disorders in greater detail. You will research potentially controversial elements of the diagnosis and/or treatment and explain ethical and legal considerations when working with these disorders.

Controversy Associated with Personality and Paraphilic Disorders

Explain the controversy that surrounds your selected disorder (voyeuristic disorder)

The paraphilic disorder I selected from the DSM-5-TR is voyeuristic disorder. The voyeuristic disorder is diagnosed in people who experience persistent and intense sexual arousal from watching unsuspecting people who are naked or those engaging in sexual activity. According to DSM-5-TR, this disorder is only diagnosed if the arousal lasts at least six months and causes clinically significant distress and impairment. Voyeuristic disorder is over-medicalized by categorizing it as a paraphilic disorder. Some argue that it is not necessarily a paraphilic disorder but in between a mental disorder and a legal/criminal issue. Voyeurism is believed to violates the privacy of others without their knowledge. Moreover, the selected disorder raises ethical and human rights concerns. There is also a controversy about whether or not the voyeuristic disorder is harmless or consensual since the line between fantasy and harm is blurry. Critics say that there is no clear to differentiate between fantasies and their harmful nature.

Controversy Associated with Personality and Paraphilic Disorders

Explain your professional beliefs about this disorder supporting your rationale with at least three scholarly references from the literature.

Explain strategies for maintaining the therapeutic relationship with a patient that may present with this disorder.

Finally, explain ethical and legal considerations related to this disorder that you need to bring to your practice and why they are important. APA