Shaunta Eskridge

Histrionic Personality Disorder
This paper describes the characteristics, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of an individual with Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD). These individuals display a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior. The exact cause of this disorder is not known, but it has been linked to learned and inherited behavior. Diagnosing HPD can be difficult because it is similar to other personality disorders. Part of the focus of treatment is to help the individual uncover the motivations and fears associated with their thoughts and behavior. Histrionic Personality Disorder Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD), according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), is a type of personality disorder in which the affected individual displays a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts (Benjamin, 2003, p. 168). People with this disorder have intense, unstable emotions and distorted self-images. Their self-esteem depends on the approval of others and does not arise from a true feeling of self-worth. They also have an overwhelming desire to be noticed and often behave dramatically or inappropriately to get attention. The term histrionic personality achieved recognition as an official classification for the first time in the formal listings of the DSM-III, published in 1980. The term replaced hysterical personality, a syndrome whose origins in the word hysteria can be traced to the early days of both the Egyptians and the Greeks. During ancient times, it was used to represent the womb and signified excessive emotionality exhibited by women at the time of their menses; the womb seemingly traveled throughout the body and often settled in the brain, where it led to the overexcited behaviors referred to as hysterical (Millon & Davis, 1996, page 357).
The exact cause of histrionic personality disorder is not known, but many mental health professionals believe that both learned and inherited factors play a role in its development. For example, the tendency for histrionic personality disorder 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 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.
The diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder is complicated because it may seem like many other disorders, and also because it commonly occurs simultaneously with other personality disorders. The diagnosis of HPD is frequently made on the basis of an individual’s history and results from a psychological evaluation. The DSM, a widely used manual for diagnosing mental disorders, requires that five (or more) criteria be met for a diagnosis of HPD. A mnemonic that can be used to remember the criteria for histrionic personality disorder is PRAISE ME:
P: Provocative (or sexually seductive behavior)
R: Relationships (considered more intimate than they are)
A: Attention (uncomfortable when not the center of attention)
I: Influenced easily
S: Style of speech (impressionistic, lacks detail)
E: Emotions (rapidly shifting and shallow) M: Made up (physical appearance used to draw attention to self)
E: Emotions exaggerated (theatrical)