Psychology Facts

▲ Histrionic Personality Disorder ▲

》 People with Histrionic Personality Disorder or, HPD, have a distorted mental image of themselves. They often base their self-esteem on the approval of others. This creates a need to be noticed. Because of this, people with HPD may resort to dramatic antics.

》 Histrionic personality disorder is a mental condition characterized by a pattern of extreme emotionality and attention-seeking behavior that begins by early adulthood and is obvious in different situations.

》 Roughly 9% of the general population in the U.S. has at least one personality disorder, and histrionic personality disorder affects approximately 2% to 3% of the general population. The disorder is characterized by shallow emotions, attention-seeking, and manipulative behavior.

》 Women are diagnosed with HPD more often than men. That may be because men report their symptoms less often than women

》 Most people with HPD function successfully in society and at work. In fact, people with HPD usually have great people skills. Unfortunately, they often use these skills to manipulate others.

》 People with histrionic personality disorder have at least five (or more) of the following symptoms:

Is uncomfortable in situations in which they are not the center of attention

Has interactions with others characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior

Displays rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions

Consistently uses their physical attention to draw attention to self

Has a style of speech that is excessively
impressionistic and lacking in detail

Shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion

Is suggestible (that is, they are easily influenced by others or circumstances)

Considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are

》 There is a great deal of overlap between the features of histrionic personality disorder (HPD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD), so much so that some experts believe that HPD may not actually be distinguishable from BPD.

》 The conditions share similarities including:

Share the features of rapidly shifting and reactive emotions

Are associated with impulsive behavior

Are characterized by a very strong expression of emotion1

》 The exact cause of histrionic personality disorder is unknown. Scientists believe it is an outcome of both environmental and genetic factors.

》 Causes and Risk Factors:

Genes: Certain personality traits may be passed on to you by your parents through inherited genes; these traits are sometimes called your temperament.

Environment: Your environment involves the surroundings you grew up in, events that occurred, and relationships with family members and others.

》 Other factors linked to an increased risk of developing or triggering personality disorders include:

Parenting style, particularly inconsistent or over-indulgent boundaries

Parents who model dramatic or volatile behaviors

A family history of psychiatric disorders, substance use, or personality disorders

Childhood trauma

》 Treatment:

Histrionic personality disorder is often difficult to treat, partly because people with the condition often seek treatment only when the disorder is causing them major problems or stress.

》 Some recommended treatment options are :

Psychotherapy

Medication

Group therapy

Holistic Therapy

》 If a friend or family member has histrionic personality disorder, it is important to encourage that person to seek help. Without professional treatment, it is unlikely that the symptoms and their related impacts on relationships will improve.