Is There a Relationship Between Borderline Personality Disorder and Sexual Masochism in Women?

Abstract

Sexual masochism disorder is considered the most prevalent paraphilia among women. However, little is known about the etiology and clinical correlates involved in this disorder. We aimed at addressing this issue through a potentially high-risk clinical cohort. This case-control study consisted of 60 women who met DSM-IV criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) and 60 women with other personality disorders. For both groups, sexual masochism disorder comorbidity was assessed through the Structured Clinical Interview, Sexual Disorders Module. Several etiological, psychosexual, and personality features were measured. Sexual masochism disorder was 10 times higher in BPD women than in women with other personality disorders (10 vs. 0 %). Among BPD women, those with sexual masochism disorder reported more child sexual abuse, more hostile/dismissing attachments, higher sensation seeking, and more frequently exploratory/impersonal sexual fantasies than BPD without sexual masochism. Correlation analysis confirmed a significant positive relationship between disinhibition and sexual masochism severity for BPD women. Our findings point out that BPD women may represent a high-risk cohort, especially those with higher disinhibition and detached attachment. Childhood sexual abuse may also play a predispositional role on this comorbidity. Further research may help to elucidate the intriguing relationship between both disorders.

Bondage-Discipline, Dominance-Submission and Sadomasochism (BDSM) From an Integrative Biopsychosocial Perspective: A Systematic Review

“…Most of these effects were driven by the female subsample of the BDSM practitioners. Frías et al 72 suggested a higher prevalence of sexual masochism in subjects with borderline personality disorder (6 of 60; compared with 0 of 60 control subjects without borderline personality disorder), but, because of very limited sample size, these findings should be replicated. In this line, Connolly 64 demonstrated higher levels of narcissism among practitioners (n = 32) compared with control subjects.…”

What Is So Appealing About Being Spanked, Flogged, Dominated, or Restrained? Answers from Practitioners of Sexual Masochism/Submission

“…One of the possible intrinsic origins proposed for m/s proclivities is psychopathology. As mentioned, the view that m/s behaviors are associated with (if not signs of) mental disorders remained the dominant view for more than a century and is still sometimes held today (e.g., Frías et al, 2017;Kurt & Ronel, 2017). However, the link between BDSM (including m/s) and psychopathology is generally based on unproven, largely subjective theories (e.g., Holtzman & Kulish, 2012;Hucker, 2008) and/or studies conducted with samples of clinical participants (Hopkins et al, 2016; see also Blos, 1991;Blum, 1991;Hall, 2014;Rothstein, 1991;Thomas-Peter & Humphreys, 1997).…”

Sexual Violence and Trauma in Childhood: A Case Report Based on Strategic Counseling

“…Studies show a positive correlation between BDSM interests and personality traits, adverse childhood experiences, education levels, sexual orientation, and biological indicators. The limitations of the research lie in the fact that most studies so far are only descriptive [ 26 , 27 ]. Some researchers have focused on better understanding the aspect of pain within a BDSM interaction [ 28 , 29 ], as experiencing afflicting or receiving pain is a relevant part of BDSM interaction.…”