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Dhat syndromeDhat syndrome is a condition found in the cultures of the Indian subcontinentin which male patients report that they suffer from premature ejaculationor impotence, and believe that they are passing semenin their urine. In traditional Hindu spirituality, semen is described as a 'vital fluid'. The discharge of this 'vital fluid', either through sex or masturbation, is associated with marked feelings of anxiety and dysphoria. Often the patient describes the loss of a whitish fluid while passing urine. At other times, marked feelings of guilt associated with what the patient assumes is 'excessive' masturbationare noted.
SymptomsYoung males are most often affected, though similar symptoms have been reported in females with excessive vaginal discharge or leucorrheawhich is also considered a 'vital fluid'. Premature ejaculation and impotence are commonly seen. Other somatic symptons like weakness, easy fatiguability, palpitations, insomnia, low mood, guilt and anxiety are often present. Males sometimes report a subjective feeling that their penises have shortened. Culture-bound Syndrome?Some doctor believe dhat syndrome to be either a culture-bound presentation of clinical depressionas a somatizedset of symptoms or a result of Western doctors' misinterpretation of patients' descriptions of their condition. Others see it as a distinct clinical entity which is less culture-bound than these critics assert, and describe it as one form of a syndrome of "semen-loss anxiety" which also occurs in other Eastern cultures as jiryanand shen-k'uei, as well as in Western cultures. TreatmentCognitive Behaviour Therapyis the mainstay of treatment. At other times counselling, anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications have been shown to be of use. External links
Categories: Psychiatry| Sexual health| Sexual and gender identity disorders| Medicine stubs
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