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Histrionic Personality Disorder

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Alternative Names

Histrionic Personality Disorder, HPD

What is Histrionic Personality Disorder

Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) is a personality disorder characterized by the constant eagerness of sufferers to draw attention to them, especially in a way uncharacteristic to their nature. People with HPD are lively, dramatic, vivacious, enthusiastic and flirtatious.

Signs and symptoms

A person with histrionic personality disorder might:

Be uncomfortable unless he or she is the center of attention
Dress provocatively
Exhibit inappropriately seductive or flirtatious behavior
Shift emotions rapidly
Act very dramatically
Be overly concerned with physical appearance
Constantly seek reassurance or approval
Be gullible and easily influenced by others
Be excessively sensitive to criticism or disapproval
Have a low tolerance for frustration and be easily bored by routine
Not think before acting
Make rash decisions
Be self-centered and rarely show concern for others
Have difficulty maintaining relationships
Threaten or attempt suicide to get attention

Possible complications

Histrionic personality disorder can influence on your social or romantic relationships and your ability to cope with losses or failures. You may go through many job changes as you become easily bored and have trouble dealing with frustration. You may put yourself in risky situations, because you tend to crave new things and excitement. All of these factors may lead to a greater risk of depression.

What causes

The exact cause of HPD is unknown, but the scientists consider that both learned and inherited factors play an important role in its development. For example, the tendency for HPD to run in families suggests that a genetic susceptibility for the disorder might be inherited. However, the child of a parent with this disorder might simply be repeating learned behavior. Other environmental factors that might be involved include a lack of criticism or punishment as a child, positive reinforcement that is given only when a child completes certain approved behaviors and unpredictable attention given to a child by his or her parents, all leading to confusion about what types of behavior earn parental approval.

Prevention

Although prevention of this disorder is impossible, but a person who is prone to this disorder can learn more productive ways of dealing with different situations.