Fetishism- A Paraphilia A fetish is a recurring fantasy or sexual desire or manner involving sexual arousal directed toward or acted upon a nonliving or inanimate object or a body part. These fantasies, desires, or manner eventually cause problems in the performance of daily life. To understand Fetishism it is important to understand the concept and definition of paraphilias. A paraphilia is the modern day psychiatric term for perversion. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, paraphilias refer to intense repetitive sexual urges, fantasies or behaviors wher