In the previous post, I introduced Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorders. I described them as disorders involving difficulties in self-regulation of both behaviors (that violate the rights of others and social norms) and emotions (such as anger).
The world we live in is a social world, made up of social norms but also laws that must be respected. Learning to control our behavior in order to live peacefully within society is an important skill to acquire. Resolving disputes by attacking others, taking possession of goods through theft, or releasing anger by destroying things are behaviors that distance us from the social context and could lead to the restriction of personal freedom. Behaviors that violate the rights of others and contradict social norms fall under the category of Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorders.
When talking about gender identity, we saw how the gender assigned at birth may not align with an individual’s perceived gender.
Sometimes, this lack of correspondence can lead to psychological distress, and in this case, we talk about gender-related dysphoria.
In the previous posts, we looked at how to define sex according to biological principles—that is, the conditions that allow us to classify an individual's sex as female, male, or intersex.
Gender, on the other hand, relates to an individual's experience of themselves—how they perceive themselves as female, male, or non-binary (neither female nor male)—and how they want to be recognized in the society they live in.
It’s a complex and controversial topic, so let’s approach it step by step.
Biological sex includes all those purely biological characteristics that allow us to classify an individual’s sex as female or male.
However, we will see how these characteristics do not always allow for a binary definition of sex (i.e., female or male). Sometimes, these characteristics lead to being “somewhere in between the two sexes,” which brings us to the concept of intersexuality.
What is gender? For a long time, we were taught that there are "girls and boys" and that generally girls fall in love with boys and vice versa. Sometimes, boys fall in love with other boys and, probably less frequently, girls fall in love with other girls. In the last ten years, we have been learning many new things about gender, so it’s better to make things a bit clearer. As usual, I’ll try to explain it in my own words.
Typically, sexual intercourse ends with orgasm—a phase that is usually associated with the greatest pleasure.
In women, orgasm is not strictly linked to sexual satisfaction, and difficulties in reaching it are more often associated with a lack of sexual interest.
In men, delayed or premature ejaculation can lead to feelings of frustration and avoidance of further sexual encounters.
Typically, sexual intercourse (when it is free and consensual) is an activity that is pleasurable and has positive effects on self-esteem and one's sense of femininity or masculinity. When things don’t go well, however, the consequences can be negative—and since it’s a sensitive topic, even discussing it with a professional can be difficult. Let’s take a closer look at difficulties during sexual intercourse.
To describe sexual dysfunctions, I won’t follow the order used in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Instead, I’ll adopt a logic that helps me explain the concepts more clearly—starting from decreased sexual desire, moving through difficulties during intercourse, and ending with problems related to orgasm.
We’ve seen how the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) follows a certain logic: after addressing eating and sleep, it now turns to another basic need—sex. In this case, we’re not talking about sexual disorders, but rather sexual dysfunctions. As you can imagine, a dysfunction is when something doesn’t work optimally. But why would a manual on mental disorders be concerned with sexual dysfunctions? Let me explain it in my own words.
