Personality can be described in a variety of ways but it is commonly known as different patterns of behavior that are found deep within an individual. Their personality will determine how they act, how they interact with their environment, and how they perceive themselves. Histrionic Personality Disorder is known as a personality disorder and it can be incredibly detrimental to the characteristics of a person’s mental health. These mental illnesses are infamous for being maladaptive and inflexible, causing the sufferer to experience an ample amount of distress and an inability to function.
The General Statistics of Histrionic Personality Disorder
This particular type of personality disorder is far more common in women than it is in men due to the fact that over 2/3 of the people studied for Histrionic Personality Disorder have been female. With that being said, between 1% and 3% of the general population may be diagnosed with Histrionic Personality Disorder throughout their lifetime.
Personality disorders are extremely common in today’s society and they can be incredibly difficult to live with, especially if you know someone who is suffering from a personality disorder. Histrionic Personality Disorder enables individuals to constantly seek attention and act inappropriately to gather as much attention as possible, thus making it difficult to maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle.
Describing Histrionic Personality Disorder
Classified under one specific group of conditions referred to as Cluster B or Dramatic Personality Disorders, Histrionic Personal Disorder enables individuals to have unstable emotions that are generally very intense in nature. Sufferers of this mental disorder may also experience a distorted view of themselves due to their fluctuations with self-esteem. Individuals who are diagnosed with Histrionic Personality Disorder also have the tendency to act out and behave inappropriately to gather the attention of everyone in a room as they have the need to always be noticed.
Understanding the Symptoms of Histrionic Personality Disorder
The majority of people who suffer from this disorder are extremely charismatic and have an ample amount of social skills. Considering that they are known to manipulate others in order to receive an outcome that benefits themselves, they must be able to effectively communicate with others. Without the ability to manipulate others to be the center of attention, individuals with Histrionic Personality Disorder will feel uncomfortable in certain environments and social situations. They may also exhibit certain behaviors and dress inappropriately in order to be noticed. Other symptoms of Histrionic Personality Disorder include:
• The ability to rapidly shift emotions.
• Appears to have a lack of sincerity when engaging in activities and social situations.
• The use of exaggerated motions and expressions, as if they are performing a dramatic piece for an audience.
• Seeking approval and/or reassurance from others in their life.
• Being too concerned about their physical appearance and their aesthetic appeal.
• Having an incredible sensitivity to criticism or being denied.
• Inability to focus and finish one project, they will generally skip from task to task to keep themselves entertained.
• Self-centered tendencies and the inability to care about other people.
• Difficulty with maintaining beneficial social relationships due to the fact that they will appear to be shallow or fake.
The Cause of Histrionic Personality Disorder
There isn’t a specific way that individuals can contract Histrionic Personality Disorder but researchers believe that inherited factors are one of the most important components in terms of its development. As per studies conducted on diagnosed patients, there has been a family history of this mental disorder, showing that it has moved hereditarily through different individuals. On the other hand, some researchers believe that children exhibiting symptoms of Histrionic Personality Disorder may be repeating behavior that they have learned from their parents, instead of suffering from the mental disorder themselves.
Environmental factors should also be taken into consideration when studying Histrionic Personality Disorder. Children who receive positive reinforcement only when they act a certain way or complete an approved task may seek the approval of others in the future. Also, if a child receives a lack of criticism throughout their lifetime, they may develop a deluded idea of themselves being perfect and unstoppable during their young adult and adult years. The majority of personality disorders develop as a coping mechanism to stress during the early years of a person’s life.
Diagnosing Histrionic Personality Disorder
Determining whether a person is suffering from a personality disorder is relatively simple as their symptoms are quite prevalent. First a doctor will perform a full medical and psychiatric exam and gather histories pertaining to both. With the combination of blood tests and neuroimaging techniques, doctors can rule out any medical ailments that could be responsible for the symptoms. If no medical conditions are present, the patient will then be referred to a psychiatric professional who will evaluate the person and diagnose them with the disorder. They will also give them a valid treatment plan to abide by to control the personality disorder.