Histrionic Personality Disorder

By: Brandy Palacios and Erin

Netherwood

Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD):

• The essential feature of this disorder is described by the DSM-IV-TR as a “pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior,” (DSM-IV-TR, 2000, pg. 711). Symptoms include exaggerated expressions of emotions, incessant drawing of attention to oneself, overreaction to minor events, constantly seeking approval from others, egocentricity, vain and demanding behavior, extreme concern with physical appearance, and inappropriately sexually seductive appearance or behavior.

Statistical Facts:

• HPD is estimated in approximately 2-3% of the American adult population

• HPD is more common in women, although doctors believe men do not report the disorder as much as women.

• Symptoms usually surface in late teen or early adulthood

• As one of the components of the three clusters of personality disorders, HPD is often coincident with other personality disorders or mental disorders.

Throughout time and history as Personality

disorders have progressed and become more apparent, so have the acknowledgement of celebrities, thought to

be diagnosed with HPD. This includes such

people as:

•Anna Nicole Smith•Marilyn Monroe•Julie Roberts•Courtney Love•Drew Barrymore•Richard Simmons•Robin Williams•Angelina Jolie•Mariah Carey•Princess Diana•Nicole Ritchie•Paris Hilton•Madonna

•Micheal Jackson•Joan Crawford•Kathie Lee Gifford•Sharon Stone•Naomi Campbell•Christina Aguilera•Lindsay Lohan•Star Jones•Pamela Anderson•Carmen Electra•Miley Cyrus

There were even fictional characters created, based

upon such diagnoses:

• Scarlett O’Hara• Jessica Rabbit• Austin Powers• Don Juan

Causes of HPD:

• Lack of research on the causes of HPD

• Causes that are thought to be part of HPD include: biological, developmental, cognitive, and social factors

• Most psychoanalysts agree that a traumatic childhood contributes towards the development of HPD

Symptoms of HPD:

DSM-IV-TR lists eight symptoms that form the diagnostic criteria for HPD:

• Center of attention: Patients with HPD experience discomfort when they are not the center of attention.

• Sexually seductive: Patients with HPD displays inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior towards others.

• Shifting emotions: The expression of emotions of patients with HPD tends to be shallow and to shift rapidly.

• Physical appearance: Individuals with HPD consistently employ physical appearance to gain attention for themselves.

Symptoms of HPD continued…

• Speech style: The speech style of patients with HPD lacks detail. Individuals with HPD tend to generalize, and when these individuals speak, they aim to please and impress.

• Dramatic behaviors: Patients with HPD display self-dramatization and exaggerate their emotions.

• Suggestibility: Other individuals or circumstances can easily influence patients with HPD.

• Overestimation of intimacy: Patients with HPD overestimate the level of intimacy in a relationship (Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders, 2012).

Treatments of HPD:

• Psychodynamic therapy: treatment of choice with most professionals, as it helps the patients become aware of their own feelings. May require several years of therapy and it may affect the patient throughout their life.

• Cognitive therapy: will help patients with reducing the dysfunctional thoughts of patients with HPD.

• Group therapy: this type of therapy will allow the patient to work on interpersonal relationships.

• Family therapy: can help other members of the family to avoid supporting histrionic behavior but knowing how to support the patient in a positive way.

Prognosis:

• Personality characteristics of individuals with HPD are long-lasting.

• Will often seek hospital services but will not stick with the programs in order to make changes.

• Treatment can take a minimum of 1 to 3 years and often it will take longer.

• As HPD individuals age, they will typically show less symptoms.

Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact – William James