Don Juan Syndrome: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
Nowadays there are still men who seduce women through deception and manipulation in order to take advantage or just satisfy their sexual desires, often pretending that they want a serious relationship, although other intentions are really hidden behind it. In extreme cases, this becomes the expression of a psychological disorder.
In this article Let’s see what Don Juan Syndrome is and why it is a complex problem that deserves to be treated by a mental health professional.
If there is a universal myth that was born in Spain, it is “Don Juan”, a character that was created by Tirso de Molina. This man possessed characteristics of debauchery and debauchery; he went through life openly speaking to the world about the great number of conquests he had had. Likewise, he gave rise to various works of literary arts based on the archetype of Spanish literature.
Subsequently, psychologists and psychiatrists studied this character in order to define a type of personality that helps us identify a person who has Don Juan syndrome, which would be a type of antisocial and narcissistic personality disorder.
Don Juan syndrome, also called compulsive seducer syndrome, is a personality disorder, which It is characterized by the compulsiveness of romantically conquering another person with the purpose of being able to manipulate it and satisfy one or more needs. The individual who suffers from this difficulty presents sexual hyperactivity, and has narcissistic and antisocial personality traits. They are men who present behavioral patterns where they seduce women and discard them to get another in order to raise their ego.
According to the DSM-5 diagnosis, Don Juan Syndrome It falls under the category of narcissistic personality disorder by the characterization that the subject presents. In order to make a correct diagnosis, it is important that a series of criteria be met. The criteria that must be met according to the DSM-V for the correct diagnosis of Don Juan Syndrome will be explained below:
The compulsive seducer or Don Juan syndrome has a series of manifestations that occur at the behavioral, emotional and thinking levels. While this mental health difficulty it is more common in men does not mean that it does not occur in a minority of women.
Characteristics of the person with Don Juan Syndrome
People who suffer from Don Juan syndrome very frequently present emotional and behavioral problems. They have a fragile ego and the behavior of conquering people is a way to reaffirm it.
These people are interested in women who are difficult to seduce, and once they achieve their goal they lose interest and look for another person to start the seduction again. The more conquests the person has, the emptier they will feel, since their main difficulty is that unhealthy way of conquering more and more women.
The man who suffers from this syndrome initially appears talkative, attentive, intelligent, flattering, charismatic, etc. Many times the aforementioned is more than enough to be able to seduce and attract someone on whom he has already set his eyes. However, people who have this alteration are also victims, but of themselves. The truth is that these people present negative emotional and psychological complexes that prevent you from having a healthy relationship with someone else.
Symptoms of Don Juan syndrome
Let’s look at the main symptoms to identify a person who has Don Juan Syndrome: compulsive search for recognition, lack of commitment in life, difficulty and inability to establish a stable and healthy love relationship, predominance of deception and lying, employment of seduction in order to emotionally manipulate his victim.
It is important to note that the existence of any of the symptoms (in isolation) described above does not necessarily represent Don Juan syndrome. In addition, It is important that the diagnosis be made by a mental health professional.
Main causes of Don Juan syndrome
This pathology, also understood as a mental disorder and/or psychological difficulty, has various origins that can account for the onset of symptoms. Faced with this problem, the knowledge that one must have about the subject turns out to be very important for the correct development of preventive and appropriate strategies for a correct approach to the difficulty. The most relevant causes are the following.
Family aspects
Having a history of a family member having suffered from compulsive seducer syndrome or Don Juan syndrome is one of the main conditioning factors that can generate this psychological difficulty. It is very likely that the individual will repeat the behavioral patterns observed by a member of his or her family environment. Likewise, it is feasible that the incidence of another psychological personality difficulty influences the development of this pathology.
Genetic aspects
Don Juan syndrome too may have its origins in genetic predispositions that the individual who suffers from it may have; That is to say, in some own, natural and biological alterations of the human being’s own organism. Specifically, the presence of high amounts of vasopressin generates reactions linked to antisocial and manipulative behaviors.
Treatment of Don Juan syndrome or compulsive seducer syndrome
Currently, fortunately, Effective methods are available to treat Don Juan syndrome. One of these treatments is psychological therapy, and the other would be the support of psychiatry through the use of drugs.
The leading role that the psychiatrist and psychologist have in treating this difficulty is of utmost importance since they are the only professionals trained to provide specialized treatment through the evaluation and treatment of the patient considering family data, sociodemographic data, etc.
Psychological treatment
Psychological therapy can be very helpful in treating Don Juan syndrome. Nevertheless, It is difficult for those who suffer from the difficulty to recognize the suffering that it implies for them and for others.
Psychological therapy can facilitate work on the thoughts, emotions and behaviors linked to this difficulty. Short-term psychological therapies (cognitive behavioral therapies) have demonstrated a higher level of effectiveness, since they include the acquisition of strategies to treat social relationships in a healthier way. You can find specialized help to treat this difficulty in our directory of professional psychologists at Psychology and Mind.
Psychiatric treatment
The help of the psychiatrist is of utmost importance to be able to treat Don Juan syndrome, since this specialty is dedicated to the study of mental disorders of genetic or biological origin.
Due to the genetic component that can generate Don Juan syndrome, it is important to provide psychotropic drugs that act on neuronal connections, in order to reduce narcissistic behaviors. However, the only professional responsible for providing pharmacological treatment related to mental health is a doctor with a specialty in psychiatry. Finally, interdisciplinary work between the psychologist and the psychiatrist is important to treat this difficulty.
