ELI5: fecalphilia

What is fecalphilia?

Fecalphilia is when someone becomes overly focused on or interested in feces in an unhealthy way [2][3]. It's like if someone couldn't stop thinking about one thing no matter what, except in this case it's about poop [3].

Why does someone develop this?

Experts consider this a paraphilia, which means it's a condition where someone's brain gets stuck on something unusual [2]. It can involve sexual feelings attached to feces, though it can also just mean being obsessed with it in general [2][3].

What kinds of behaviors happen?

People with fecalphilia might be drawn to smelling, touching, or other interactions with feces [3]. This is very different from normal bathroom behavior and represents an unhealthy fixation [3].

How do doctors help?

This would require talking to a mental health professional who can help understand why the brain is focused on this and work on healthier thought patterns [2]. Treatment approaches would be similar to how doctors help with other paraphilias [2].