Jesús OlivaHistrionic personality disorder usually emerges in adolescence and is one of the most difficult conditions to treat. It requires a great deal of commitment to the person and the surrounding environment.
Attention-seeking, exaggerated behaviour, intense and unmeasured emotional reactions, a pattern where seduction is a constant resource in all forms of interaction and socialisation… Histrionic personality disorder is a social behaviour that lies somewhere between theatrical and dramatic. And no, it should not be funny: it is a personality disorder.
We all know someone with this type of behaviour, which affects about 2% of the population: we must, however, differentiate the occasional histrionic from the person who suffers from this psychological disorder and who is trapped in a destructive behavioural dynamic. The extreme preoccupation with his image and his constantly fluctuating mood is an emotional Big wheel. In addition, the role of sexuality and the need to captivate is obsessive and outside social convention.
They can range from the most unbridled vitality to a depressive and melancholic state.
Living with such a person is not easy, but the person who suffers from it is not happy either: going through the dimensions of emotional relationships, friendship or work responsibilities are tight ropes that are difficult to cross.
Normally, behind the histrionic personality disorder we find other problems such as anxiety, self-esteem problems, childhood traumas… And, therefore, they all need to be worked on in an integrated way.
At the beginning of the 20th century it was associated with “hysterical” behaviour, almost always linked to the female gender (because there were no hysterical men, of course!). But it gradually became clear that this disorder often overlapped with other disorders.
People with histrionic personality disorder also exhibit antisocial personality disorder, narcissism, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, addictions and even psychosomatic illnesses .
The diagnostic criteria for histrionic personality disorder are :
- Egocentrism.
- Constant approval seeking.
- Social interaction by means, exclusively, of seduction.
- Constant obsession with their physical appearance (instrument of power and attraction).
- Changes in their emotional state (reminds us of bipolarity).
- They do not handle criticism, reproaches or warnings well (they are easily hurt).
- No tolerance for frustration.
- Dramatic reactions to common events and problems (Drama queens and Drama kings).
- Tendency to believe that their relationships are more intimate than they really are.
- Easily influenced.
- Very emotionally dependent.
It is of unknown aetiology, i.e. the cause or origin of the disorder is not known, but it is believed that there is a mixture of different factors: genetics, childhood abuse, psychological manipulation during childhood and adolescence and a poor upbringing with a lack of clear boundaries.
Treatment is through psychotherapy, although not all patients are committed to it, and often try to manipulate and defy any strategy to escape treatment itself . One approach that works very well is solution-focused therapy, which seeks consensus with the person on what can improve the situation, works on decision-making and problem-solving, and supports a relaxed, calm and logical approach.
📎 Oliva, J. [Jesús]. (2024, 13 October). You are theatrical. PsicoPop. https://www.psicopop.top/en/histrionic-personality-disorder/
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