What Is Histrionic Personality Disorder?

Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is part of a larger group of psychological disorders, called “Cluster B” personality disorders. Disorders in this category are generally categorized as being dramatic, emotional, or erratic.

People with HPD have a distorted mental image of themselves. They often base their self-esteem on the approval of others. This creates a need to be noticed. Because of this, people with HPD may resort to dramatic antics.

Women are diagnosed with HPD more often than men. That may be because men report their symptoms less often than women.

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.

According to theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5Th版），people with histrionic personality disorder have at least five (or more) of the following symptoms:

  • Is uncomfortable in situations in which they are not the center of attention
  • 与以不适当的性诱人或挑衅行为为特征的其他人相互作用
  • 展示迅速转移和情绪的浅表达
  • 始终利用他们的身体注意力吸引人们对自我的关注
  • 具有过度印象深刻且缺乏详细的言论风格
  • Shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion
  • Is suggestible (that is, they are easily influenced by others or circumstances)
  • Considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are

If you have HPD, you might also be easily frustrated or bored with routines, make rash decisions before thinking, or threaten to commit suicide in order to get attention.

历史性人格障碍的确切原因是未知的。科学家认为这是环境和遗传因素的结果。

一些家庭有HPD的历史，这对可能部分通过遗传学来解释这种病的理论值得称赞。另一方面，患有HPD的父母的孩子可能只是表现出他们从父母那里学到的行为。在童年时期，缺乏纪律或戏剧性行为的积极加强也可能导致HPD。孩子可能会学习HPD行为，以此作为从父母那里引起关注的一种方式。

无论原因是什么原因，HPD通常会在成年初期出现。

没有用于诊断HPD的特定测试。如果您因症状而困扰并寻求医疗服务，那么您的初级保健提供者可能会开始遵循完整的病史。他们可能会进行身体检查，以排除可能导致症状的任何身体问题。

如果你的初级保健提供者不找到physical cause for your symptoms, they may refer you to a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are specifically trained to recognize and treat psychological disorders. A psychiatrist will be able to use expert questions to get a clear view of the history of your behavior. An accurate assessment of your behaviors will help your primary care provider diagnose you.

但是，大多数患有这种疾病的人都不认为他们需要治疗或帮助，从而使诊断困难。许多患有HPD的人在接受抑郁症或焦虑症治疗后接受诊断，通常是在关系失败或其他个人冲突之后。

如果您患有HPD，治疗可能很困难。像许多患有HPD的人一样，您可能认为您不需要治疗，或者您可能会发现治疗计划的常规是没有吸引力。但是，治疗（有时甚至是药物）可以帮助您应对HPD。

治疗

心理疗法是HPD最常见，最有效的治疗选择。这种疗法涉及与治疗师谈论您的感受和经历。这样的谈话可以帮助您和您的治疗师确定您的行动和行为背后的推理。您的治疗师也许能够帮助您学习如何以积极的方式与人建立联系，而不是不断尝试从他们那里得到关注。

药物

If you experience depression or anxiety as a part of your HPD, your primary care provider might put you on antidepressants or antianxiety medication.

许多患有HPD的人过着正常的生活，能够工作并成为社会的一部分。实际上，许多患有HPD的人在休闲环境中做得很好。他们中的许多人只会在更亲密的关系中遇到问题。根据您的情况，您的HPD可能会影响您保持工作，保持关系或专注于生活目标的能力。这也可能导致您不断寻求冒险，使您处于危险之中。

You are also at a higher risk for depression if you have HPD. The disorder can affect how you handle failure and loss. It can also leave you feeling more frustrated when you don’t get what you want. You should talk to your primary care provider if you have symptoms of HPD, especially if they are interfering with your everyday life and work or your ability to lead a happy, fulfilling life.