ASK DOCTOR DAN

QUESTION 18

Hi Dan and Laura. You both have said several times that if you feel that lust for young girls is becomming an obsession then to seek help. What does this entail? I'm far too afraid to even consider seeing a shrink. What will they do? With all the propaganda these days I'm scared if i open up to a shrink they will throw away the key...... I've never touched a kid, never even done anything illegal sex wise.... but people with my urges are classified as the most evil people on the globe. How do I know that these fantasies won't escalate into reality?

Anonymous, 20 M

LAURA SAYS...

I'm sure that you would never do anything wrong like that in the first place, but if you feel as if you need to get help, then you should see a professional about it. I'm pretty sure that they can't turn you in or anything, especially if you've never done anything and don't plan to, but if you feel so inclined to do so, then I encourage you to seek help. I'm sure Dan knows more about this than me.

DAN SAYS...

Hi Anonymous. There is a thing called doctor-patient confidentiality, which prevents shrinks from telling anybody else about your sessions. Unless you actually confess to having a sexual encounter with an underage person, the doctors will be very discreet with you. Your feelings are not uncommon, trust me! Don't hold off seeing a shrink for those reasons - you cannot possibly get into trouble if you haven't done anything wrong.

q18