I need advice....a friend is a flasher.

Posted by mikaylar @mikaylar, Jul 12, 2023

I don't know if they will let me discuss this topic on here but I definitely could use some advice from men out there. I just found out a long-time male friend is a flasher. (I am a woman). He has exposed himself to me and we discussed his illness and he promised he would never do it again. Today, he did it again. He won't get professional help and I just don't know what to do. Could this get violent? Should I help him work through this or just put him out of my life? Any suggestions and advise would be helpful.

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ilikegreen | @ilikegreen | Jul 14, 2023

Hi, you may be describing exhibitionistic disorder, which is a condition marked by the urge, fantasy, or act of exposing one’s genitals to non-consenting people. If someone you care about may have an exhibitionistic disorder, early treatment is strongly advised. Treatment for exhibitionism typically includes psychotherapy and medication.

The following articles discuss symptoms, causes and treatment:
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/exhibitionism
- https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/mental-health-disorders/paraphilias-and-paraphilic-disorders/exhibitionism
- https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-herkimer-abnormalpsych/chapter/exhibitionism-302-4/

The prognosis for people with exhibition disorder depends on a number of factors, so it does not seem appropriate to offer advice. Hopefully reading these articles will help you decide whether to continue to try to help your friend seek and receive treatment before he is caught and required to do so by authorities.

I hope this information is helpful.