The Transvestic Disorder

Abstract

According to DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition), transvestic disorder is a form of paraphilia reported almost exclusively in men. Sexual arousal manifested in its most obvious form – as an erection of the penis – can be associated with transvestism in various manners. The diagnosis of transvestic disorder applies to individuals who practice transvestism and whose fantasies about disguising in clothes that are specific to the other sex and whose associated behaviours are always or frequently accompanied by sexual arousal, and to whom this type of behaviour causes emotional discomfort, or a significant dysfunction manifested clinically in various areas of their life. This paper tries to explore the onset, the evolution, the various psychological factors that emerge as a result the paraphilic disorder, and, respectively, the criteria used to the purpose of clinical assessment, and the specific therapeutic approaches to the disorder.