Fetish or Mental condition
 

My mom has a friend whos daughter thinks she is a baby. Like acts like one. Treated like one. Mom says they both going through some stressful rough times in life and they are delusional and in should be seeking a therapist. But I've also heard people do this as a sexual fetish for fun. Like are they just some twisted people or are they actually mentally disturbed in some way?

Re: Fetish or Mental condition
 

[FONT=""][COLOR=""][SIZE=""]IMO, certainly she's mentally disturbed in some way, judging by how it sounds in your post.

as for if it's sexual, there's no way of knowing honestly, but even if it were, certain fetishes can and do often correlate to underlying mental health issues, so theyre not mutually exclusive. So in any case she probably needs some kind of help from a professional.

What I'm worried about is the mother, who's probably just making the situation worse by affirming the daughter's fantasy by treating her like a child. She probably means well/doesn't know how else to handle the situation, but yeah it's not helping.

Im wondering if this is maaaybe a case for CPS tbh. But that's not your responsibility, somebody else who knows the situation better can make that call[/size][/color][/font]

Re: Fetish or Mental condition
 

There's lots of potential explanations for this behaviour - it could be connected to a developmental disorder, childhood trauma, experiencing a mental health crisis or the effects of poor parenting like being spoiled. Without knowing more it's hard to even hazard a guess.

You are right that this can be a fetish, however generally fetishes are acted out within a sexual context often with a partner but sometimes alone. In most cases they will be in private, although there are of course exceptions to this (e.g. exhibitionism). If it's something which she acts out throughout her daily life, rather than in a sexual context, then my first thought would be that it's wider than a fetish.

Fetishes in most circumstances are healthy, safe and fun forms of sexual expression, but in some cases they can have a negative impact on daily life or risk harm in which case further support and intervention may be needed. Is her mom concerned by this? Is she already seeing a professional? You may not know the answer to these things but they could be explored as potential options for her if needed.

Re: Fetish or Mental condition
 

It’s hard to say without more information, but I will say that if it feels sexually inappropriate then it most likely is. The daughter in question could have brain damage, retardation, or developmental delays; or drug abuse could be making her act like a baby.

Re: Fetish or Mental condition
 

Agreed honestly with you. It's very rough to say if this is a fetish behavior or something else. I've never ever experienced this in real life, though.