Histrionic Personality Disorder
Attention-seeking

Histrionic personality disorder is characterized by constant attention-seeking, emotional overreaction, and suggestibility.

A person with this condition tends to over-dramatize situations, which may impair relationships and lead to depression.

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is characterized by a long-standing pattern of grandiosity either in fantasy or actual behavior.

FACTS

• It is more prevalent in females than males.
• It will typically decrease in intensity with age.
• It is most often diagnosed in adulthood.

TRAITS

People with HPD are typically quite fragile underneath the surface.
Behind the mask of extreme confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.

For these symptoms to be considered as a disorder, they must cause significant impairment or distress in an individual

SYMPTOMS

• Constantly seeking reassurance or approval.
• Shows self-dramatization and theatricality.
• Shows exaggerated expression of emotion.
• Interests and conversation are self-focused.
• Overly concerned with physical appearance.
• Is highly suggestible (easily influenced by others).
• Have inappropriate seductive appearance or behavior.
• Considers relationships to be more intimate than they are.
• Emotional expression may be shallow and rapidly shifting.
• Has excessively impressionistic style of speech that is and lacking in detail.

CAUSES
• Biological and genetic factors.
• Social factors (such as how a person interacts in their early development with their family and friends).
• Psychological factors (the individual’s personality and temperament shaped by their environment and learned coping skills to deal with stress.

Someone that is emotionally mature will receive all the validation they need for their self-confidence during their lives. Yet, those with low self-esteem will have to create situations in which they get this important feedback.

BEHAVIOR

• Social Interaction
Attention-seeking behavior is a form of manipulation.
People with this disorder are usually able to function well in social and occupational environments.
They often fail to see their own situation realistically, instead they tend to overdramatize and exaggerate.
Because of their tendency to crave novelty and excitement, they may place themselves in risky situations.
All of these factors may lead to a greater risk of developing depression.
They may seek treatment for depression when romantic relationships end.

• At work
Although they often initiate a job or project with great enthusiasm, their interest may lag quickly.
They may do well with jobs that value and require imagination and creativity but will probably have difficulty with tasks that demand logical or analytical thinking.
Responsibility for failure or disappointment is usually blamed on others.

• With friends
These individuals may also alienate friends with demands for constant attention.
They often become depressed and upset when they are not the center of attention.
They feel sad when their friends start a love relationship.

• In relationships
HPD may have difficulty achieving emotional intimacy in romantic or sexual relationships.
Without being aware of it, they often act out a role (“victim” or “princess”) in their relationships with others.
They may seek to control their partner through emotional manipulation or seductiveness on one level, yet displaying a marked dependency on them at another level.

TREATMENTS
The recommended form of treatment for histrionic personality disorder is psychotherapy.
Therapy with people with this diagnosis is often challenging because they may exaggerate their symptoms or ability to function.

Sources: psychologytoday, psychcentral, lifeadvancer, learning-mind