Theater, yours is pure theater ... Histrionic personality disorder

Theater, yours is pure theater ... Histrionic personality disorder

Histrionic personality disorder usually begins in adolescence. It is one of the most difficult conditions to treat and it undoubtedly requires a great commitment on the part of the person and the environment surrounding the patient.

Search for attention, exaggerated behavior, intense and excessive emotional reactions, a pattern where seduction is that constant resource in all forms of interaction ... A histrionic personality disorder is for many, a social behavior that goes between the theatrical and the dramatic. However, there is something we cannot put aside: we are facing a personality disorder.

It is very possible that we have met someone with this type of behavior. Now, it should be noted that, indeed, there are many people with a somewhat histrionic personality, with a way of being where at times, there is an almost innate need to attract attention. However, we must know how to differentiate the occasional histrionic from the patient with a psychological disorder.

The latter is caught in a destructive behavioral dynamic. The concern for his own image is extreme and his mood fluctuates constantly. It can go from the most excessive vitality to a depressive and melancholic state. It is not easy to live aboard an emotional Ferris wheel where, in addition, the role of sexuality and the need to captivate is often obsessive and outside of any social convention.

Life with these people is not simple. And what is more important, the patient himself is not happy either, dimensions such as emotional relationships, friendship or work responsibilities are those loose ropes to travel with enormous difficulty.

Often, after the histrionic personality disorder, there are many more problems, such as anxiety problems, self-esteem, childhood traumas ... The approach to this disorder undoubtedly requires a strong commitment on the part of the patient to work all these aspects.

Histrionic personality disorder: characteristics, cause, and treatment

Something that we must first understand about histrionic personality disorder is that it is one of those clinical realities that draw attention to its complexity. Described at the beginning of the 20th century, it was common to simply associate it with a "hysterical" behavior. Gradually, he went deeper into this type of disorder to discover that he usually overlaps with other conditions.

Thus, studies such as that carried out by Sarah Smith Scott of the University of Vanderbilt (Nashville, United States) indicate that patients with a histrionic personality disorder also show other disorders, some of which may be the disorder of antisocial personality, narcissism, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, addictions, even psychosomatic diseases.

Let's see, however, what are the characteristics that define these patients according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V).

Diagnostic criteria of histrionic personality disorder

Egocentrism: need to be the center of attention.

Search for constant approval.

Use of seduction as the only mode of social interaction.

Constant obsession with their physical appearance (it is the instrument to obtain power and attraction)

Changes in your emotional state can go from extreme joy to deeper sorrow.

They don't handle criticism, reproaches or warnings well. They feel hurt easily.

Zero tolerance for frustration

Dramatic reactions to common facts and problems.

The tendency to believe that relationships are more intimate than they really are.

They are very easily influenced by others.

They are usually very emotionally dependent.

What are the possible causes?

So far, the origin of histrionic personality disorder is unknown. However, it is suspected that it could be evidenced by a combination of different factors:

Genetics.

Childhood abuse

Psychological manipulation during childhood and adolescence.

A deficit education with a lack of clear limits.

Therapy and strategies for histrionic personality disorder

The most common form of treatment for a histrionic personality disorder is undoubtedly psychotherapy. However, something obvious should be noted: the person with this disorder does not always commit. In addition, they tend to manipulate, challenge and use almost any strategy to undermine or avoid treatment.

However, when they ask for help, they do so basically because they have reached the limit: many of them arrive with depression due to so many failed relationships. That sense of failure and the resulting low self-esteem, often make them aware of the need to ask for expert help.

Solution-centered therapy

Thus, when addressing these clinical realities, the individual case of each patient is always started. There will be those who need to treat that depression, that eating disorder and even in many cases, even some kind of addiction. However, solution-focused therapy has been highly effective in recent years:

It seeks to agree with each person what they can do to improve the situation.

It works so that the patient improves when acting, making decisions and solving problems.

One aspect that is basic in this approach, is to help the patient to be more assertive, to improve their self-esteem and to stop over-dimensioning or exaggerating the problems.

It helps you to approach and interact with your environment in a more relaxed, calm and logical way. An essential goal is to redirect all your emotional chaos to a point of perfect balance where you take control.

To conclude, this type of disorder affects about 2% of the population. Although it is possible that the figure is higher because often, we give as normal certain types of behaviors when thinking that this person is like that, that is his character. However, behind these behaviors, there is a personality trait, but a disorder that can be treated to generate a change, an improvement in the quality of life.