Histrionic personality disorder is a part of Cluster B personality disorder characterized by a pattern of excessive attention-seeking emotions, usually beginning in early adulthood, including inappropriately seductive behavior and an excessive need for approval. Histrionic people are lively, dramatic, vivacious, enthusiastic, and flirtatious.
CHIEF SYMPTOMS
- Rapidly shifting emotions
- Intense unstable relationships
- Share features with borderline personality disorder
- Wants flattering nurturance and preferential attention
- Overly trusting and influenced by others, particularly authority figures
- Pursue others attention by being highly dramatic
- Overly seductive
- Flamboyantly emphasising the positive qualities of their physical appearance
Others see them as:
- Self-centered and shallow
- Demanding
- Overly dependant
- Unable to delay gratification
- Ends up alienating friends with the demand for constant attention
- Tends to exaggerate medical problems (make more medical visits than average persons)
- High rate of suicide threats and behaviour to coerce attentive care giving
- Seek treatment for depression or anxiety
TREATMENT
1. Psychodynamic treatment - uncover repressed emotions and helping to express these emotions in more socially appropriate ways.
2. Cognitive therapy – help client to identify their assumptions that they cannot function on their own.
3. Help them formulate goals and plans for their life that do not rely on the approval of others.
4. Help them tone down the dramatic evaluation of situations.
- Challenge the evaluation·
- Suggest more adaptive ones
5. Help them to maintain appropriate behaviour in daily life context.