Many people believe that fetishes are unchangeable, a permanent part of who you are. However, this is simply not true. Decades of scientific research have shown that fetishes can be changed through various treatment approaches.
Extensive research shows positive outcomes:
Multiple studies have investigated the effectiveness of treatments for fetishes, and the results are overwhelmingly positive. Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have shown significant success in reducing or eliminating unwanted fetishes. While some of these studies may have limitations, the overall weight of evidence suggests that change is possible.
Numerous treatment options exist, and a wealth of evidence from over fifty years of research and thousands of studies has demonstrated their effectiveness. For instance, a pivotal review in 1982 by Kilmann et al. highlighted that the vast majority of studies reported positive outcomes from treatments. Similarly, Laws and O’Donohue in 2008 meticulously examined hundreds of studies to produce a comprehensive 650-page volume titled “Sexual Deviance: Theory, Assessment, And Treatment,” offering ways on the most effective evidence-based treatment methods.
Langevin in 1983 with “Sexual Strands: Understanding And Treating Sexual Anomalies In Men,” and The World Federations of Societies of Biological Psychiatry in 2010 with their “Guidelines For The Biological Treatment Of Paraphilias,” have contributed significant works to the field as well. Furthermore, numerous meta-analyses and systematic reviews by researchers such as Wise (1985), Stolorow et al. (1988), De Silva (1993 and 2007), McConaghy (1993), Walters (1997), Krueger & Kaplan (2002), and Thibaut et al. (2010), among others, have consistently reinforced these findings, underscoring the consensus on effective treatment approaches.
Addressing the root cause:
Treatment goes beyond simply suppressing the outward expression of a fetish. Therapies like psychodynamic therapy aim to address the underlying emotional and psychological factors that contribute to the development of a fetish. By understanding and resolving these deeper issues, affected people can find lasting change.
Why the myth persists:
Despite the research, the misconception that fetishes are unchangeable persists. People often conflate fetishes with sexual orientation and thus think that those are not changeable. Most people who visit our resources here however never actually started out having a Cuckold fetish. It usually developed through porn consumption or when confronted with very uncomfortable feelings. The same way it “came about” it can also leave.
