Exhibitionistic Disorder (302.4

Many individuals who refuse to disclose their tendencies toward voyeurism will claim that the

observation was nonsexual in nature or accidental. According to the DSM-V, these individuals are probably denying also that they’re having distress and/or social impairment and can still be

diagnosed with voyeuristic disorder.

This is the most common illegal sexual behavior, which has temperamental and environmental

risk factors. There are tendencies toward voyeurism that go along with a history of

hypersexuality, childhood sexual abuse, and substance abuse. Comorbid states include just

about any other paraphilia, particularly exhibitionistic disorder, although many other

psychiatric conditions are comorbid with this disorder.

The treatment options for voyeuristic disorder include marital therapy, group therapy, cognitive

therapy, psychotherapy, and other therapy types. Psychopharmacology is used to decrease

sexual hormones. The paraphilias are all related to OCD and so SSRI drugs are considered first-

line therapies for the treatment of this disorder.

EXHIBITIONISTIC DISORDER (302.4)

The DSM-V classifies Exhibitionistic Disorder as having the inordinate need to expose one’s

genitals to another person—usually to an unsuspecting stranger, resulting in sexual satisfaction

for the exhibitionist. Almost all exhibitionists are males and some wish to be observed while

having sex. It starts in the late teens or early adulthood and may be something that is

deliberate or unconscious. Exhibitionistic disorder is different from having exhibitionistic

tendencies.

According to the DSM-V, the behaviors linked to Exhibitionistic Disorder happen over a six-

month period of time, are recurrent, and result in an intense feeling of sexual satisfaction after

exposing one’s genitals to a stranger. It is deliberately intended to do this behavior with a

nonconsenting individual. This can occur in children and in adults; it needs to cause distress or

impairment in functioning to qualify as having the disorder.