HISTRIONIC PERSONALITY DISORDER: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES - GEOGRAFÍA

The histrionic personality disorder is a pattern characterized by excessive attention seeking, seduction inappropriate and excessive need for approval. People with this disorder are dramatic, enthusiastic, and conceited.

It affects more women than men and has a prevalence in the general population of 3.2% and 10-15% in mental health institutions. Other characteristic behaviors are self-centeredness, self-demand and manipulations. It is usually diagnosed in early adulthood.

Causes

The exact cause of this personality disorder is unknown, although it is believed to be a result of environmental and genetic factors. There are families that have a history of this disorder, which leads to think that it is caused by genetic factors.

In fact, according to research, if a person has this personality disorder, they have a slight risk of passing it on to their children. However, the histrionic children may be displaying behaviors that they have learned from their parents.

Also, it can be a consequence of a lack of discipline or a learned way of getting attention. Most professionals support a psychosocial model in which the causes are biological, genetic, social and psychological.

Therefore, there would not be a single factor responsible, but it would be a result of the four factors.

Symptoms and main characteristics

Most people with histrionic disorder function well in society and have good social skills, although they tend to use them to manipulate or attract attention.

Where they tend to have more problems is in personal or couple relationships, in addition to facing losses or failures. They often find it difficult to see their personal situation realistically, dramatizing and exaggerating their difficulties.

They may go through frequent job changes as they get bored easily and would rather quit than face frustration.

The most frequent symptoms are:

According to the cognitive paradigm of Psychology, they are people with diffuse, simple, general and partial thoughts
Their vision of the world is too inaccurate and they are hyper-emotional
They lack structured schemes to understand and cope with a complex world, due to their limited attention
They make it a priority to attract the attention of others
They frequently adopt the role of victim or protagonist in couple or group relationships.
Their behavior is often described as dramatic, self-centered, manipulative, immature, or exaggerated
Theatricality and the need for attention and affection
Manipulation can be shown through suicide attempts, threats or blackmail
They react quickly to situations that require reflection
They are exhibitionists, seductive, demanding and conceited
Your emotions fluctuate greatly; They may go from being excited to over-excited, from sad to crying excessively, or from pissed off to furious
Show little attention to detail
They consider themselves to be charming, sociable and personable
They have a propensity for fleeting love affairs
Because they don't feel loved, they try to make up for it by trying to be sexually irresistible.
They behave "sparsely." Although it is easy to get your attention, it is also easy for your attention to shift in the opposite direction.
They actively ask for praise and may manipulate others to gain attention and approval
They give importance to hunches
They are easily distracted and easily influenced by other people's opinions
If they are asked to describe something, they usually respond with their impressions, not through objective analysis.

Diagnosis

There is no specific test to diagnose this personality disorder. There are also no genetic tests or blood tests for its diagnosis.

If no physical cause is found for the symptoms, the person should see a psychiatrist or psychologist for a proper evaluation.

However, most people with this condition believe that they do not need therapy, which makes diagnosis difficult.

Most are diagnosed when they come in for treatment for depression, anxiety, or having failed in various relationships.

Forecast

They can have serious problems in the labor, social and emotional fields. On the other hand, they are at high risk of developing depression, since they are often affected by failures and losses, unable to cope with frustration when they do not get what they want.

Treatment

Histrionic people may seek treatment for problems of depression, anxiety, stress, or problems in other fields; relational and work. In the event that they do not have any of these problems, they often think that they do not need treatment.

Psychotherapy is the most effective treatment for this disorder. In it, the feelings and experiences of the person are specially treated, in order to determine the reasons for the behaviors.

In addition, you will learn to relate to others in a positive way, rather than attracting attention.

Other existing therapies are:

Group therapy: it is suggested for the person to work on social skills and interpersonal relationships
Family therapy: to teach assertiveness, conflict management, and problem-solving skills
Meditation: to relax and get to know your feelings better. See here more of its benefits.
Relaxation techniques

Medication

Psychotropic drugs are only recommended if the person has other symptoms such as depression or anxiety.

Because they have a tendency to abuse drugs and a suicidal tendency, the period of administration should be short.

Comorbidity

Other conditions and disorders that can occur in histrionic people are:

Borderline, antisocial, dependent
Narcissist
Depression, anxiety, panic
Anorexia nervosa
Substance abuse

Diagnosis according to DSM IV

DSM IV defines histrionic personality disorder as:

A persistent pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking, beginning in early adulthood and occurring in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five or more of the following:

is uncomfortable in situations where he is not the center of attention
interaction with others is characterized as inappropriately seductive or provocative
shows great changes of emotions
consistently uses physical appearance to gain attention
has a speaking style that is overly impressionistic and lacking in detail
shows dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated emotional expressions
easily influenced by others or by circumstances
consider relationships more intimate than they really are.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histrionic_personality_disorder
http://inprf.bi-digital.com:8080/handle/123456789/1747
http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vicente_Caballo/
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/
Image source.

HISTRIONIC PERSONALITY DISORDER: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES - GEOGRAFÍA - 2024