Histrionic Personality Disorder Treatment
Medically Reviewed
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Thompson
Last Updated on:
January 20, 2025
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Individuals living with Histrionic Personality Disorder often experience an overwhelming need to be the center of attention, intense fears of being ignored, and difficulty maintaining authentic relationships, finding themselves caught in patterns of dramatic behavior and emotional expression that can feel impossible to break.
At Arbor Wellness, we recognize that recovery from Histrionic Personality Disorder is a journey that occurs in stages, with each individual progressing at their own pace.
Learn more about our Personality Disorder treatment programs or call us now at 629-217-2658.
What is Histrionic Personality Disorder?
Histrionic Personality Disorder is a mental health condition characterized by a persistent pattern of intense emotionality and attention-seeking behavior.
If you struggle with Histrionic Personality Disorder, you may often feel uncomfortable when you are not the center of attention and may engage in dramatic or inappropriately seductive behavior to draw focus on yourself. This condition significantly impacts daily functioning, relationships, and overall quality of life.
You are not alone. You deserve to get help.
Arbor Wellness is an industry leader in mental health treatment. Our team of top medical experts specialize in dual diagnosis treatment and are committed to ensuring that each patient is treated as an individual. Call us today, we’re available 24/7.
Histrionic Personality Disorder Statistics
Histrionic Personality Disorder affects approximately 2-3% of the general population, making it one of the more commonly diagnosed personality disorders. Studies indicate that:
- HPD is diagnosed more frequently in women, though this may reflect gender bias in diagnosis rather than true prevalence
- Symptoms typically begin in early adulthood
- About 15% of individuals in mental health treatment settings meet the criteria for HPD
- The condition often co-occurs with other mental health disorders
Signs and Symptoms of Histrionic Personality Disorder
While everyone may occasionally display attention-seeking behavior or emotional expressiveness, individuals with HPD show a persistent pattern of these behaviors that significantly impacts their daily life and relationships.
Symptoms typically begin in early adulthood and manifest across various situations:
- Constant seeking of approval or attention from others
- Excessive concern about physical appearance
- Rapidly shifting and shallow emotions
- Uncomfortable feelings when not the center of attention
- Highly suggestible and easily influenced by others
- Tendency to believe relationships are more intimate than they actually are
- Dramatic, theatrical behavior and exaggerated emotional expressions
- Using physical appearance to draw attention to oneself
- Speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail
- Self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion
Diagnosing Histrionic Personality Disorder
Under standards established by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), Histrionic Personality Disorder can be diagnosed if an individual shows a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior, and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
- Is uncomfortable in situations in which they are not the center of attention
- Interaction with others is often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior
- Displays rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions
- Consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to self
- Has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail
- Shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion
- Is suggestible (easily influenced by others or circumstances)
- Considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are
Additionally, these symptoms must cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, and the patterns must be stable across time and consistent across situations.