Most experts believe that it is not possible to completely eliminate a kink or a specific sexual desire from one's life, but it is possible to regulate the amount of impact that kink has on one's daily life. In other words, a kink can be regulated.
Individuals decide that they will not only attempt to regulate their kink but that they will embrace it. It turns out that kinky behavior is far more common than we may be led to believe. Psychology Today reported on an eye-opening study released in 2016 that showed that the prevalence of kinks is quite high:
In 2016, Quebec psychologist and researcher Christian Joyal published remarkable research, based on a randomized sample survey of Quebec's general population.
The study found that nearly half of the sample reported interest in at least one or more sexual behaviors which von Krafft-Ebing would have described as deviant and pathological. Around one-third of the sample had pursued these behaviors at least once, and many so-called deviant interests, such as voyeurism, fetishism, masochism were reported by participants at levels above what could be considered statistically unusual.
This means that while certain kinks are derided or mocked in popular media, they are actually quite common. Sadly, kink-shaming remains a popular pastime of many media outlets and even individuals.
Casting shame on someone for enjoying a kink is a terrible thing to do, and it may lead them to believe that they must try to overcome their kink. Even worse, many simply suffer in silence not wanting to admit that they have an interest in a kink that is being mocked.