Idea's Wistfulness
NOTE
The author is aware of the sociopolitical and cultural forces surrounding mental illness and psychiatric definitions and labels. In order to make her feel comfortable, she feels the need to remind readers this article is a work of fiction, and in no way reflects her views and opinions save for perhaps in inverse.Idea, it is said in some traditions, took lovers without a care. She indulged in lust, drowned in pleasure and beauty. By turns, she revels and reviles this habit of hers. In other traditions, this habit is a form of insanity; love and sex are functions of life to create life in these traditions. This insanity is given the title 'Idea's Wistfulness', and is characterised by nonconforming sexual preferences and paraphilliae.
Transmission & Vectors
Idea's Wistfulness is thought to be a weakness of morality, intellect, or the heart. The methods of transmission are speculated by philosophers to be genetic, touch, corruption or curse.
Causes
Truly, one cannot choose one's sexual orientation, but those who believe in this illness assume that this is an illness of temptation.
Symptoms
Attraction to the same sex, desire to engage in sexual acts for pleasure alone, with more than one partner, and for reasons other than procreation.
Treatment
There is no treatment that works effectively. Those who believe the Wistfulness is a blight pair stimuli and reaction, presenting attractive stimuli with nausea, vomiting and paint, either through magical or mundane means.Those who are 'resistant to treatment' are exposed to progressively more intense averse reactions. The most inhumane of these has resulted in permanent disfigurement or death.
Cultural Reception
Fidira
Reaction to Idea's Wistfulness varies by place. Speaking in general terms, Wistfulness is not considered an illness in the central and eastern parts of Fidira, and the vast majority of Idean orders consider the 'illness' not an illness at all, but a blessing from Idea that allows the 'afflicted' to love as freely as Idea herself.Tamardam
Much of Tamardam is too busy fending off more physical threats than ones born from ideology. Idea's Wistfulness is considered a false problem by most Tamards.
Type
Mental
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