Dhat Syndrome
Dhat syndrome is a situation found in the cultures of the Indian subcontinent in which male patients report vague psychosomatic symptoms of fatigue, weakness, anxiety, loss of appetite, guilt, and sexual dysfunction, attributed by the patient to loss of semen in nocturnal emission, through urine or masturbation. Male patients think that they suffer from premature ejaculation or impotence, and believe that they are passing semen in their urine.
Somatic symptoms like weakness, easy fatigability, palpitations, insomnia, low mood, guilt and anxiety are often present.
Patients having Dhat syndrome can be further divided into three categories.
- Dhat alone – Patients attributed their symptoms to semen loss; presenting symptoms – hypochondriacally, depressive or anxiety symptoms
- Dhat with co morbid depression and anxiety – Dhat was seen as an accompanying symptoms.
Dhat Syndrome is an illness that affects the India culture. The syndrome has been classified as both a neurotic disorder and a culture specific disorder. The dhat syndrome has been found in several cultures and they often go by different names. However, the syndrome is most prevalent in India. The article “Dhat Syndrome: A reappraisal” explain the origin of the situation, how it affects the body and how it should be treated. According to the article, Dhat syndrome is a culture bound sex neurosis. It is attributed by the India culture to the loss of semen in nocturnal emission through urine or masturbation. The article is based on the study of 30 patients with Dhat syndrome. The study found that the mean age for those who are diagnosed with dhat is 19 years of age, with the mean duration of the illness lasting for 11 months. The article mostly focuses on common characteristics found in the average amount of individuals who have been diagnosed with dhat. Some of these characteristics show that the syndrome is more general in unmarried individuals, those educated up to 5th standard or above, problems with premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction..