How is histrionic personality disorder diagnosed?
Personality continues to evolve throughout child and adolescent development. Because of this, healthcare providers don’t typically diagnose someone with histrionic personality disorder until after the age of 18.
Personality disorders, including histrionic personality disorder, can be difficult to diagnose since most people with a personality disorder don’t think there’s a problem with their behavior or way of thinking.
When they do seek help, it’s often due to conditions such as anxiety or depression due to the problems created by their personality disorder, such as divorce or lost relationships, and not the disorder itself.
When a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, suspects someone might have histrionic personality disorder, they often ask broad, general questions that won’t create a defensive response or hostile environment. They ask questions that will shed light on:
- Past history.
- Relationships.
- Previous work history.
- Reality testing.
- Impulse control.
Because a person suspected of having histrionic personality disorder may lack awareness of their behaviors, mental health professionals might ask to collect information from the person’s family and friends.
Mental health providers base a diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder on the criteria for the condition in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Diagnosis criteria for histrionic personality disorder require meeting five (or more) of the following persistent behaviors:
- Uncomfortable when not the center of attention.
- Seductive or provocative behavior.
- Shifting and shallow emotions.
- Uses appearance to draw attention.
- Impressionistic and vague speech.
- Dramatic or exaggerated emotions.
- Suggestible (easily influenced by others).
- Considers relationships more intimate than they are.
FAQs
Symptoms include discomfort when not the centre of attention, inappropriate seductive behaviour and quick changing emotions. The cause is not entirely known but can involve child abuse, trauma or neglect. The main treatment is long-term psychological therapy.
What is the best treatment for histrionic personality disorder? ›
Psychotherapy techniques have been investigated as potential treatments for HPD, yielding generally mixed findings. [38] A study of 159 patients with HPD demonstrated improvement with clarification-oriented psychotherapy. [39] The therapeutic alliance is crucial in treating HPD, as it is with all personality disorders.
What happens when you ignore someone with histrionic personality disorder? ›
It's important to keep your emotions level when dealing with someone who has HPD. Don't match the intensity of their emotions. But if you ignore them, they might escalate their behavior to get your attention.
How does someone with histrionic personality disorder act? ›
Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is a mental health condition marked by unstable emotions, a distorted self-image and an overwhelming desire to be noticed. People with HPD often behave dramatically or inappropriately to get attention.
What are the causes of histrionic personality disorder? ›
Causes of histrionic personality disorder are unknown. Genes and early childhood events may be responsible. It is diagnosed more often in women than in men. Doctors believe that more men may have the disorder than are diagnosed.
Does histrionic get worse with age? ›
Personality disorders that are susceptible to worsening with age include paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, obsessive compulsive, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic, avoidant, and dependent, said Dr.
Can you recover from histrionic? ›
While HPD can't be cured, treating histrionic personality disorder can be very effective. It can help you learn to manage and improve symptoms and enhance relationships. In short, effectively treating HPD can drastically change your life for the better.
Can histrionics have empathy? ›
A major distinction between HPD and NPD is that low empathy isn't a part of the diagnostic criteria for histrionic personality disorder. Many people with HPD tend to be quite sensitive to other people's feelings.
What is it like to live with someone with histrionic personality disorder? ›
Their constant need for adventure and attention often puts them in risky situations. At times, they may even threaten or attempt suicide simply for attention. Dealing with someone who has histrionic personality disorder can be extremely difficult, but there are some things you can do to help maintain the relationship.
Do histrionics have anger issues? ›
What's beneath the symptoms of histrionic personality. Even though it may be perceived this way, a person with histrionic personality doesn't necessarily enjoy all these attention-seeking behaviors. There's often intense emotionality that shows as anger, frustration, depression, and anxiety.
The Three Most Important Signs. Perhaps more striking than specific symptoms associated with certain illnesses are the persistence, rigidity, and globalism of the perplexing behaviors. One or two symptoms of a particular PDO are insufficient to warrant a diagnosis.
What is the most painful mental illness? ›
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has long been believed to be a disorder that produces the most intense emotional pain and distress in those who have this condition. Studies have shown that borderline patients experience chronic and significant emotional suffering and mental agony.
How to talk to someone with histrionic personality disorder? ›
Make them feel seen. Although you can't be expected to give the person constant attention and validation, take time to listen and acknowledge them. Offer them praise for their accomplishments and growth. Encourage them to get professional treatment.
What is a histrionic outburst? ›
A Histrionic may use emotions to get your attention, to make countless demands on you, and to try to persuade you of something. However, these emotions are generally more superficial and unfocused than the intense emotions of someone with Borderline Personality Disorder.
Do people with histrionic personality disorder lie? ›
Lying, or creating dramatic, embellished stories, is a common behavior among individuals with HPD. These lies serve as tools to capture attention and control interpersonal situations. Their untruths are typically theatrical and exaggerated, designed to elicit sympathy or fascination from others.
How to tell if someone has histrionic personality disorder? ›
The main symptoms of someone with HPD are:
- constantly seeking attention.
- being uncomfortable in situations where they are not the centre of attention.
- being overly seductive or sexually provocative.
- showing emotions that appear to be shallow and change rapidly.
- speaking vaguely, lacking in detail.
Antidepressants that have proven to be effective include desipramine, fluoxetine, amitriptyline, and fluvoxamine. The mood stabilizers with proven therapeutic benefits include lamotrigine, carbamazepine, topiramate, valproate, and lithium.
Is histrionic personality disorder a serious mental illness? ›
Recognizing the Signs of Histrionic Personality Disorder
HPD is not a devastating psychological disorder. Most people with HPD function successfully in society and at work. In fact, people with HPD usually have great people skills. Unfortunately, they often use these skills to manipulate others.
How do you fix histrionic? ›
Professional treatment
Psychotherapy can help someone with histrionic personality disorder develop a stronger sense of self-esteem, and explore coping skills to reduce self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors.
What disorder is similar to histrionic? ›
Histrionic personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder are similar in that they are both Cluster B personality disorders. Aside from HPD and NPD, the other personality disorders in Cluster B are borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder.
