If self degradation is a form of masochism, would a person be considered to have a mental problem if it were carried to an extreme even if that person wanted to be degraded and enjoyed it at extreme levels?
Doesn't it being classified as masochism imply that the person enjoyed it? I don't understand what you are getting at. Can you be more specific? Are you thinking of someone specific?
Guess what I was getting at is that although there is a debate that S&M isn’t a mental disorder or mental illness but rather a lifestyle choice, I was wondering what others thought about this especially if a person took masochism to extremes and enjoyed it, where maybe it wouldn’t be considered masochism but mental illness although the components of masochistic behavior were there as they wanted to be degraded or abused by others and not necessarily during sex. If the person enjoyed this as a reinforcement of some low self esteem or negative self feelings they had about themselves then would this be a mental illness?
