Histrionic Personality Disorder

People with histrionic personality disorder (HPD) are characterized by excessive attention-seeking behavior and emotionality. They often feel unappreciated if they are not the center of attention, and they use their lively, dramatic, and excessively extroverted styles to charm others into giving them attention. However, these qualities can be exhausting for others, and they often lead to unstable and unsatisfying relationships.

People with HPD crave stimulation and attention, and their appearance and behavior are often theatrical, emotional, and sexually provocative. They may try to control their partners through seductive behavior and emotional manipulation, but they can also be dependent on their partners. Their speech is often vague and impressionistic, and they are often seen as self-centered, vain, and excessively concerned about the approval of others.

The prevalence of HPD in the general population is about 1%. Some studies suggest that the disorder occurs more often in women than in men, but the reasons for this are unclear. One possibility is that the diagnostic criteria for HPD focus on traits that are more common in women, such as overdramatization, vanity, and seductiveness. However, other personality traits that are prominent in HPD are actually more common in men, such as high excitement seeking and low self-consciousness.

A recent study suggests that the higher prevalence of HPD in women cannot be explained by known sex differences in the personality traits that are prominent in the disorder. This suggests that some form of sex bias may be influencing the diagnosis of HPD (Hooley et al., 2019).

Here are some additional points :

• People with HPD often have a history of childhood trauma or neglect.
• HPD can be difficult to treat, but therapy can help people with the disorder develop more adaptive coping mechanisms.

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References

 Hooley, J. M., Nock, M. K., & Butcher, J. N. (2019). Abnormal Psychology (18th ed.). Pearson Education (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780135191033