Dr. Ashwani Kumar

Pedophilia is an unnatural or abnormal attraction towards children of either or both sexes, usually aged thirteen years or younger. A pedophile's attraction towards adults varies. They fantasize and/or act on their fantasies with children who have not reached puberty. Pedophilia is one of the most common paraphilia (abnormal sexual desires). The DSM i.e. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has included pedophilia as a mental disorder.

Here are a few facts about the disorder:

1.Pedophilic disorder is when pedophiles approach children to sexually gratify themselves or if desires towards children make them feel guilty and anxious and so, they alienate themselves from the society and are unable to achieve their personal goals.

2.One very important fact that one must keep in mind is that not all pedophiles molest children and not all child molesters are pedophiles. When one desires children, they are pedophilic. But only when they act on their desires, and sexually assault children, are they child molesters.

3.Since most pedophiles do not come forward or admit to having sexual desires towards children, most of the studies have been conducted on the pedophilic child molesters. However, the number of pedophiles is vast considering that there are about 4 million websites in business catering to child pornography.

4.Opening up and seeking help from a psychologist or psychiatrist may help them to curb and manage these desires and prevent them from acting on them and committing sexual offences. In rare cases, pedophiles are also prescribed medications to lower their sex drive.

5.Male pedophiles are far more common than female ones.

6.Most of the child sex offenders are family and relatives.

7.Psychologists believe that children who are lonely and aloof, and feel neglected are at a higher risk of being sexually abused. The types of activities differ in each case. While some just undress and look at a child, others force the child in to take part and perform oral sex and/or touch the genitals or more.

8.In most countries, it is mandatory to report a pedophile to the authorities even when there is no risk, which is why most pedophiles do not come forward and admit having this disorder. They refrain from seeking help. However, there is a Prevention Project Dunkelfeld in Germany that provides free of cost services to people who are attracted to children but are dedicated to not acting on their desires and molesting children. This program maintains its members' confidentiality. Such programs are essential for a healthy society.

Previously known as multiple personality disorder or simply, split personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder is a very serious and unpleasant form of dissociation. It is based on a lack of connection, or rather a discontinuity in thought, action, feeling, memory or even a misplaced sense of identity. It is usually considered to be a result of severe traumatic experiences in early childhood, varying from extremely physical to repeated emotional or sexual abuse. It is thought to be a self-defense mechanism where the person dissociates himself from any such experience or situation that would deem to be harmful to his or her conscious self. It is, however, not to be confused with schizophrenia

Symptoms

There are innumerable indicators that point towards dissociative identity disorder. Some of them include:

-Severe depression
-Sleeping problems such as insomnia or sleep apnea
-Alcohol or drug abuse
-Anxiety attacks and phobias
-Suicidal tendencies
-Abnormal rituals and compulsions
-Visual or auditory hallucinations
-Self-persecution and self-sabotage tendencies
- Time-loss and amnesia
-Mood swings
-Headaches and migraines
- Inability to remember important personal information
- 'Switching' of identities

Causes

The main causes of split personality disorder are unfortunately still unclear and vague although 99% of persons who suffer from this disorder have a severe traumatic history or background. The causes need not necessarily be physical or sexual abuse. It could also stem from emotional abuse like insistent neglect. Studies have also showed that children may become dissociative if their parents are either too strict or unpredictable.