Histrionic Personality Disorder

DisclaimerThis page is not here to be used as a self-diagnosis, self-identification, or promotion - it's simply here to be informational. Whether or not one self-diagnoses, self-identifies, and/or seeks a professional diagnosis is up to them.

**Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD)** is a mental health condition characterized by unstable emotions, a distorted self-image and an overwhelming desire to be noticed. Individuals with HPD often behave dramatically or inappropriately to get attention.

## Signs & Symptoms

The main feature of histrionic personality disorder is displaying excessive, superficial emotionality and sexuality to draw attention to themselves.

Someone with histrionic personality disorder may:

* Feel underappreciated or depressed when they're not the center of attention.
* Have rapidly shifting and shallow emotions.
* Be dramatic and extremely emotionally expressive, even to the point of embarrassing friends and family in public.
* Have a "larger than life" presence.
* Be persistently charming and flirtatious.
* Be overly concerned with their physical appearance.
* Use their physical appearance to draw attention to themselves by wearing bright-colored clothing or revealing clothing.
* Act inappropriately sexual with most of the individuals with meet, even then they're not sexually attracted to them.
* Speak dramatically and express strong opinions but with few facts or details to support their opinions.
* Be gullible and easily influenced by others, especially by individuals they admire.
* Think that their relationships with others are closer than they actually are.
* Have difficulty maintaining relationships, often seeming fake or shallow in their interactions with others.
* Need instant gratification and become bored or frustrated easily.
* Constantly seeking reassurance or approval.

### Diagnosis

A diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder can only be made in adulthood, not childhood, and should be made by a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist who gets to know the individual over a period of time.

According to the DSM-5, individuals with histrionic personality disorder must have at least five 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 rapid shifting and shallow expressions 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, easily influenced by others or circumstances.
* Considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are.

## Causes

Histrionic personality disorder is not caused by one particular event or experience. A number of different risk factors can increase the possibility of developing this disorder, such as:

* Being rewarded for attention seeking behavior as a child.
* A family history of personality disorders, anxiety and depression.
* Learning behaviors from a parent or caregiver with histrionic personality disorder.
* A lack of criticism of punishment as a child.
* Unpredictable attention from parents.
* Previously experiencing depression or anxiety.
* A genetic susceptibility to personality disorders.

## References

https://www.healthline.com/health/histrionic-personality-disorder

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9743-histrionic-personality-disorder

https://www.sheppardpratt.org/knowledge-center/condition/histrionic-personality-disorder/

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/histrionic-personality-disorder