Many people struggle with their feelings, actions, and relationships with other people. If someone’s personality affects these things significantly, that person may have a personality disorder. Personality disorders lead to extreme and inflexible personality configurations, that ultimately lead to significant impairment (Twenge.) There are many different types of personality disorders, some are odd-eccentric, dramatic-emotional, and anxious-fearful. One dramatic-emotional disorder is called Histrionic personality disorder (HPD). As characterized by psychologytoday.com, HPD is constant attention-seeking, emotional overreaction, and suggestibility. People with this disorder tend to over-dramatize everyday situations. Doing so, they may impair their relationships with other, and may even become depressed. Overall, these people are very attention-seeking, and always want to be the center of attention.
There are many symptoms of histrionic personality disorder. In order for a person to be diagnosed with the disease, five or more of the symptoms must be present (Histrionic Personality Disorder). These symptoms are; self-centeredness, uncomfortable when not the center of attention, constantly seeking reassurance or approval, inappropriately seductive appearance or behavior, rapidly shifting emotional states that appear shallow to others, overly concerned with physical appearance, using physical appearance to draw attention to self, opinions are easily influenced by other people,
People with Histrionic Personality Disorder do not limit their seduction to people with whom they have romantic interest, but it extends to a variety of social, occupational and professional relationships beyond what is appropriate for the social context.10
Additional information may be needed to make sure if he or she has really histrionic personality disorder. How long this behavior continues? Is she or he showing other abnormal behavior such as drinking a lot of pills and worrying and talking about other illnesses?
Personality disorders: is when someone think, feels, sees, and receives things differently than others they can have extreme or unextreme feelings. This can be distressing to that person.
There are ten different personality disorders, each having specific symptoms, but all of them share certain characteristics. The first of these characteristics is that an
Personality disorders are included as mental disorders on Axis II of the diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association and in the mental and behavioral disorders section of the ICD manual of the World Health Organization Personality disorders are conditions in which an individual differs significantly from an average person, in terms of how they think, perceive, feel or relate to others. Changes in how a person feels and distorted beliefs about other people can lead to odd behavior, which can be distressing and may upset others There are three recognized personality disorder clusters, cluster A odd and eccentric, Paranoid Personality Disorder Schizoid Personality Disorder Schizotypal Personality Disorder dramatic and emotional, Borderline Personality Disorder Histrionic Personality Disorder Narcissistic Personality Disorder and anxious and fearful Avoidant Personality Disorder Dependent Personality Disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Personality Disorders: Management
Individuals with this disorder are usually needy for attention, social contact, and appraisement. This should not be confused with dependent personality style, which is healthy . Dependent personality disorder is a pathological version of the dependent personality style. It occurs after a triggering event and is a maladaptive response. Those with dependent personality disorder have submissive personalities, try to minimize difficulties, think uncritically, and in turn are susceptible to suggestibility. They look for a great deal of advice. In relationships, their behavior is self-sacrificing and constantly requires the reassurance of others, leading to subtle reliance for others to take responsibility in major areas of their life. They have problems starting tasks and sticking to them on their own, but are able to do this for others if assigned to them. Because of these attributes, they avoid positions of leadership. Their emotional style is
Signs and symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are based on nine criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual fifth edition. The criteria includes “a grandiose sense of self-importance, a preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love, believes that he or she is “special and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with , other special or high-status people”, requires excessive admiration, has a sense of entitlement, is interpersonally exploitative, lacks empathy, is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her, shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitude” (Narcissistic personality disorder, n.d.). When looking for signs and symptoms for this disorder, only five of the nine
Histrionic personality disorder, which is a part of cluster B of personality disorders, is classified by an extreme desire for attention. In order for a person to be diagnosed with it, they must exhibit at least 5 of the symptoms in DSM-5, which include awkward social encounters, shallow expression of emotions, talking in a way that lacks details, theatrical acts, and finding relationships more intimate that they actually are (Kupfer & Skodol 667). Personality disorders as a whole are characterized by lasting behaviors that inhibit normal social functioning (Myers 596). Histrionic personality disorder specifically however is the one where people need to get attention. They make all their relationships about themselves and look to have social events focus on them more than others. While it can seem that many people have it, especially since it is sometimes referred to as the “teenage girl syndrome”, it is only seen in about 1.84% of people (Kupfer & Skodol 668). This disorder is commonly treated through cognitive-behavioral therapy which aims to change people's negative thoughts as well as behaviors. For people with histrionic personality disorder, understanding why they think the way they do as well as learning coping mechanisms can help their alter their behaviors that were formerly socially
Key factors of this diagnosis include the definition of a personality disorder: a persistent pattern of maladaptive behavior that causes dysfunction in relationships or at work. NPD is also very common is serial killers. Other characteristics of this diagnosis include: requiring constant admiration, having an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others, and also behaving in an arrogant or haughty manner.
Psychologists place personality disorders into three clusters. There is Cluster A which share psychotic symptoms similar in Schizophrenia, these include: Paranoid, Schizoid and Schizotypal personality disorders. The second cluster focuses more on emotion, these include Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic and Narcissistic personality disorders. The final cluster includes Avoidant, Dependent and Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorders, which focus on factors similar in anxiety disorders. Each of these cluster require a minimum amount of symptoms shown the diagnostic charts, in order to be diagnosed with one of them. However it takes a trained professionally to truly diagnose a patient. This is because people who look in their life will see many of their family and friends with symptoms of a personality disorder.
Today, the histrionic personality can be thought of as ranging from acceptable, mildly dramatic behavior, to unhealthy, potentially risky behaviors or characteristics. Individuals who display a few histrionic characteristics but function in generally healthy interactions with others are characterized as having a Histrionic Personality Style. Individuals who exhibit serious dysfunctional characteristics are clinically diagnosed as having Histrionic Personality Disorder.” Although there is no distinct cause to HPD, there might factors that aid a person to behave in such manner. These factors are most likely to develop from childhood, environment, and or social factors. Symptoms of Histrionic Personality Disorder usually develop from the ages of the late-teens to early 20s, and its most emotional rollercoaster peak is during the mid 40s to late 50s. According to Bressert (2014) “Treatment of histrionic personality disorder typically involves long-term psychotherapy with a therapist that has experience in treating this kind of personality disorder. Medications may also be prescribed to help with specific troubling and debilitating symptoms.” There is more information about seeking help and treatment through the use of online resources and support groups for Histrionic Personality
This disorder occurs most often in early adulthood following a period of unstable interactions with others. This often stems from self-image issues and faulty early social interactions. The awkwardness is at an extreme level and shown in a variety of different settings over time. Most people will first notice the rapid fluctuation of emotions during interactions. To be diagnosed with a personality disorder one must have an enduring pattern of inner experience that deviates from the cultural norm in at least two of the following areas: affect, cognition, interpersonal functioning, and/or impulse
With BPD there are often extremes in beliefs and views, such as all good or all bad. People with BPD are can be uncertain about whom they truly are as a person. With no self sense, interests and values may conflict as well as change rapidly. Their views of others may also change quickly. One day a certain person may be admired. The next day that same person may be despised or hated. Suddenly shifting feelings often foster relationships that are unstable and intense. There are numerous other identifiable traits someone with BPD may display. Some of these symptoms may include fear abandonment, feelings of emptiness and boredom, frequent displays of inappropriate anger, destructive impulsiveness, intolerance of being alone, as well as repeated self crises (i.e. self injury).
More often these people are described by others as self-centered, cocky, demanding and manipulative. More often than not, they will preoccupy themselves with feats that are not achievable like fame and at times feel they are worth being treated as famous people even if that is not the case. It is a case that is closely related to antisocial personality, borderline personality disorder as well as histrionic personality disorder (Psychology Today, 2012).
Everyone has their own personality. Personality is defined as a set of individual differences that are affected by the development of an individual, which typically consists of a person’s values, attitudes, personal memories, social relationships, and skills. (McAdams, Olson, 2010, p. 517-542) There are two classifications of personalities. If you are considered Type A personality, then you are more competitive, outgoing, possibly impatient and could even be considered aggressive. While the more relaxed, laid back personalities are classified as Type B personalities. No matter which category of personality a person falls under, they can be afflicted with a personality disorder. These disorders can be such a mild version that a person doesn’t even notice that they have one. But then there are some that are affected by their disorder to the point that it completely takes over their lives. So much so that they are unable to live what’s considered a normal life.