Don Juan Syndrome: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

When we mention Don Juan syndrome or compulsive seducer syndrome, we are referring to a personality disorder characterized by the compulsiveness of romantically conquering to another person in order to manipulate them and satisfy a need.

The person who suffers from Don Juan syndrome uses seduction to achieve your goals. It is extremely important to differentiate between seduction when seeking to make a person fall in love and the use of seduction that is carried out in Don Juan syndrome.

According to the DSM-V, it is possible to include this pathology within the group of narcissistic personality disorder given the characteristics that appear. In order to make an adequate diagnosis, a series of conditions must be met. diagnostic criteria:

• Need for admiration.
• Feelings of greatness.
• Lack of empathy.
• Arrogance over other people.
• Arrogant behaviors.

Don Juan syndrome or the compulsive seducer syndrome presents a series of manifestations that occur at the levels of emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Although this pathology It is more common in men is not exclusive to a single sex.

In this way, there are women who can suffer from the disorder. Next, we will detail the main symptoms so that you know how to identify a Don Juan:

• Using seduction to emotionally manipulate another person.
• predominance of lies and deception.
• Inability to establish a loving relationship.
• Lack of compromise in the life.
• Compulsive search for recognition of personal aspects.
• Feeling of threat to your own physical and emotional integrity.

Beyond the symptoms just described, it is worth mentioning that the presence of any of them in isolation does not necessarily represent Don Juan syndrome. It is essential that the diagnosis be carried out by a mental health professional since he will be in charge of evaluating the patient’s characteristics taking into account aspects such as age, sex, medical history, family history, among others.

This mental disorder has various origins that can account for the emergence of symptoms. Knowledge of this topic is crucial in order to develop appropriate strategies to deal with the problem. The most important causes are the following:

• Family aspects: The presence of family members who have suffered from Don Juan syndrome or compulsive seducer syndrome is one of the determining factors in this clinical picture. In other words, it is possible that the person imitates the manipulative behaviors that he or she may have observed from the family environment. On the other hand, it is also possible that the incidence of some other disorder of personality influences the development of pathology.
• Genetic aspects: Another cause that is associated with Don Juan syndrome consists of genetic alterations. In more specific terms, the presence of vasopressin a neurotransmitter that generates reactions linked to antisocial and manipulative behaviors.

Fortunately, there are currently some effective methods against Don Juan syndrome. In the following paragraphs, we will address the main treatments:

Psychological therapy

Although it may be difficult for those who suffer from this disorder to recognize the suffering it entails, therapy can provide certain tools that help work on the emotions, thoughts and behaviors linked to Don Juan syndrome.

On the one hand, the short term therapies They are focused on the acquisition of strategies to address social relationships in a more enjoyable way. Here we can highlight cognitive behavioral therapy as one of the main approaches.

On the other hand, the long-term therapies They try to locate the origin of the patient’s symptoms from the memory of childhood experiences that may be linked to current conflicts. In this group, psychoanalysis can be mentioned as the main long-term therapy.

Psychiatric medication

Given its genetic causality, it is important the supply of psychotropic drugs that act on the neuronal connections of the cerebral cortex in order to reduce narcissistic behaviors. However, the use of psychiatric medications should only be done under the supervision of a mental health professional.

This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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