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The Masochistic personality disorder was included in the DSM III-TR but removed from the DSM IV and from its text revision, the DSM IV-TR. This move was criticized by some scholars, notably Theodore Millon.
The masochist hates herself and considers herself a worthless person and unworthy of love. Self-destructive, punishing, and self-defeating behaviors are common. Masochists are socially adept and capable of pleasure but avoid or undermine pleasurable experiences and won't admit to enjoying themselves. On the contrary, they seek suffering, pain, and hurt in relationships and situations. For this reason, they reject help and resent those who offer it.
The masochist sabotages any attempt to assist or ameliorate or mitigate or solve her problems. He or she also shuns intimacy and its attendant support and companionship. Thus, masochists avoid relationships, interactions, and circumstances that lead to success or gratification. They reject, disdain, or even suspect people who consistently treat them well. Masochists find caring, loving persons sexually unattractive.
Pain and defeat relieve the masochist of overwhelming, pent-up anxiety. Masochists constantly choose people and circumstances that inevitably and predictably lead to failure, disillusionment, disappointment, and mistreatment.
Some masochists are highly accomplished and skilled, but still fail at routine tasks. This happens even when realizing their personal objectives depends on the successful completion of said tasks and even when they have no trouble helping others with the very same jobs or assignments. The DSM gives this example: "helps fellow students write papers, but is unable to write his or her own".
Masochists react with rage, depression, and guilt when they fail to punish themselves (in other words, when, despite all their efforts, they are successful or gratified). The masochist is likely to "offset" undesired accomplishments and happiness by having an accident or by behaving in a way guaranteed to yield abandonment, frustration, hurt, illness, or physical pain. Some masochists make harmful, utterly uncalled for and unwanted self-sacrifices.
Finally, the masochist deliberately provokes, solicits, and incites angry, disparaging, and rejecting responses from others in order to feel humiliated, defeated, devastated, and hurt (his or her familiar, expected territory).
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