Diagnosis
Albert Fish had many paraphilic disorders. I would specifically diagnose him with both sexual masochism disorder and sexual sadism disorder. Sexual masochism disorder is when a person derives pleasure from having pain inflicted upon them. I diagnose Fish with this because he would make his children beat him, his final autopsy showed around 24 needles he had inserted into his pelvic region, and if the letters he sent to the women, he asked if they would tie him up, beat him, etc. Sexual sadism disorder is when a person derives pleasure from inflicting pain upon others. I diagnose fish with this disorder because of the treatment of his victims. Fish would torture his victims with what he called, "instruments of hell," before raping or killing them. For a person to be diagnosed with either of these disorders, symptoms must be present for at least 6 months and the behavior must inhibit the person from living out their everyday life. Fish showed symptoms of both of these disorders for much longer than 6 months, his murders were spaced apart by years and it even goes back to when his children lived with him. The disorders inhibited Fish from living a normal life and lead him to kill.