Sexual pleasure or arousal derived from inflicting or experiencing pain; a paraphilia or sexual deviation.
From Greek algos 'pain' plus lagneia 'lust' or 'sexual pleasure.' This psychiatric term was coined in the late 19th century to describe a specific psychological phenomenon.
Psychologists studying algolagnia discovered it's not about actual injury but about the psychology of vulnerability and control—the brain responds to the *perception* of danger, not real tissue damage.
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