Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD): 7+ Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Histrionic Personality Disorder​ (HPD)

What Is Histrionic Personality Disorder?

Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is a mental health condition that can cause extreme attention-seeking behavior and extreme emotional responses.

This mental health condition is a “cluster b personality disorder.” People with this kind of disorder often struggle with emotional regulation. They may also respond in ways that may seem overly dramatic, erratic, or emotional to other people.

People with cluster b personality disorder may also struggle with things like impulsive behaviors. They may have a hard time maintaining romantic relationships or healthy relationships with friends and family members.

Have you ever met someone who always needs to be the center of attention? It can become annoying if the person is constantly talking about themselves and always dominates the conversation.

However, it is possible that the individual isn’t doing this intentionally to be rude but rather because they may have a histrionic personality disorder.

This type of disorder can manifest itself in different ways in different people. However, some common symptoms to look out for include dramatic, emotional, self-seeking, or inappropriate behavior.

There are often challenges associated with having a mental health disorder such as HPD. These challenges can affect the individuals themselves as well as those closest to them. If this is something that you’re currently experiencing, our team at Sandstone Care can help.

How Common Is Histrionic Personality Disorder?

Histrionic personality disorder is not considered highly common.

Statistics published by the National Library of Medicine have found that the prevalence of this disorder typically involves a range of between 0.4% and 0.6% of the general population.

Statistics have also found that women are at least four times more likely to be diagnosed with this mental health disorder than men.

However, it is important to note that HPD can also be overdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. This is particularly common in women and could be due to societal norms or stigmas.

For example, because it is seen as socially acceptable for men tend to be more sexually forward than women, they may be less likely to be diagnosed with this disorder.

Histrionic Personality Disorder Causes​

What Causes Histrionic Personality Disorder?

The specific causes of histrionic personality disorder are not fully known, and it can often vary from person to person.

However, researchers do believe that it is often a combination of environmental, genetic, and psychological factors that could influence someone’s likelihood of developing this disorder.

If someone has a genetic predisposition for HPD, it could mean that they have a close relative who has a cluster B disorder. That disorder doesn’t necessarily have to be HPD. It could be other types of personality disorders.

For example, maybe they have a parent or sibling with antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, or schizotypal personality disorder. Certain personality traits from each of these disorders can be carried down from parent to child.

A person’s environment, particularly during childhood and early adulthood, can also increase their likelihood of developing a personality disorder. This could include childhood trauma or emotional neglect.

If a child grows up not getting enough attention or praise from their parents, they may seek validation from others in adulthood. They may struggle with poor self-image and rely on praise from others to build up their self-esteem.

Substance abuse can also trigger symptoms of HPD, especially when combined with other types of mental health conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

What Trauma Causes Histrionic Personality Disorder?

Childhood trauma is one of the factors that puts people at a higher risk of developing HPD.

For example, this could be having a parent who struggled with a substance use disorder or an undiagnosed mental health disorder.

Trauma could be losing a loved one unexpectedly or witnessing a traumatic event like a car accident or natural disaster. It may even be something as common as having parents who went through a messy divorce.

However, it’s possible for those who had a stable and healthy childhood without trauma to develop this condition as well.

Speaking with an expert in the psychology or psychiatry field can help you understand whether or not trauma plays a role in how you process emotions. Health care providers may use the conditions listed in the DSM-5 (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders) to help find the proper diagnosis.

Histrionic Personality Disorder Examples

What Does Histrionic Personality Disorder Look Like?

Someone with HPD often show excessive attention-seeking behavior, validation from other people, and overly emotional or provocative behavior.

So, what exactly does excessive attention-seeking behavior look like? It could be someone who often interrupts the conversation or always steers the conversation towards themselves. It could also be someone who exaggerates stories just to get more attention.

Maybe you’ve encountered someone who always seems to be involved in some sort of drama or conflict.

You may find yourself wondering if they actually enjoy the drama. If they struggle with HPD, it is possible that they purposefully create drama in their lives in order to bring further attention to themselves.

Overly, emotional behavior can come across in many different ways. For example, the person may seem to seem to experience frequent mood swings. They may frequently cry or seem overly sensitive to what others say or do.

Someone who exhibits overly provocative behavior may often engage in things like flirting to gain validation or attention from others.

This behavior may be directed towards inappropriate people like a boss or coworkers. They may sometimes seem to take things too far, like by dressing in an overly sexualized way.

What Are Some Common Histrionic Personality Disorder Traits?

Some common HPD traits include obsession with one’s physical appearance, quickly changing emotions, seemingly shallow emotions, inappropriate sexual behavior, and a constant need for validation.

It is also common for someone with this kind of disorder to be highly suggestible or easily influenced by others.

For example, they may seem to change their personality, behavior, or even their way of speaking depending upon the type of setting they’re in. This could be their way of fitting in, to be accepted, or to simply gain the approval of others.

It is also common for someone with HPD to struggle within their romantic relationships. For example, they may seem to fall in love quickly and develop really strong feelings.

However, in just a short time, those feelings might start to change, or they may lose interest.

In other situations, an individual with HPD may struggle to maintain healthy boundaries within their relationship.

They may be flirtatious with people they shouldn’t be or do inappropriate things to attract the attention of someone they may be interested in.

Histrionic Personality Disorder Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Histrionic Personality Disorder?

While the symptoms of HPD vary from person to person, they often involve excessively emotional behavior, self-dramatization, a constant need for validation, and a desire to be the center of attention as much as possible.

Other symptoms may include an obsession with physical appearance or using one’s physical appearance or even one’s sexuality to gain attention from others. They may have a dramatic way of speaking and be known to exaggerate when retelling stories.

Do I Have Histrionic Personality Disorder?

Instead of trying to diagnose yourself, it is best to reach out to a doctor or mental health professional to determine whether or not you may have HPD or another type of personality disorder.

However, if you do believe that you have HPD, there are some quizzes that you can take that can analyze your symptoms. These quizzes can help you to understand whether your symptoms align with HPD.

How Accurate Are Histrionic Personality Disorder Quizzes?

HPD quizzes found online can be helpful and reasonably accurate. However, you shouldn’t rely solely on these quizzes to diagnose yourself.

Instead, it is important to speak with a doctor or mental health professional to get a proper and accurate diagnosis.

Histrionic Personality Disorder Treatments

What Is the Best Treatment for Histrionic Personality Disorder?

Psychotherapy, otherwise known as talk therapy, is typically considered to be one of the best treatments for HPD.

One example of this type of therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Another example could be dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).

Both of these treatments involve working with a therapist to identify negative thoughts or behavior patterns that you might have that are associated with this particular disorder.

Once you are aware of these things, you can then work on healthier and more positive ways of responding to situations. This can play an important role in reducing the symptoms commonly associated with HPD.

For example, you can learn how to find validation within yourself without feeling the need to turn to others. You can also work on regulating your emotions so you don’t have such a dramatic or emotional response to different circumstances.

What Are Some Types of Therapy for Histrionic Personality Disorder?

In addition to CBT and DBT, psychodynamic therapy or, in some cases, group therapy could also be useful therapy techniques for treating histrionic personality disorder.

Psychodynamic therapy could help allow you to look back in time and consider what past life events may influence your behavior today.

For example, maybe you experienced childhood trauma or an unhealthy relationship that caused you to develop a desire for validation or approval. Once you can understand these things better, you will be able to address and begin to heal from them.

Group therapy can also be a good option because it allows people to learn from their peers. It can also help people to understand how their words and behaviors affect others.

However, if someone with HPD is still struggling with the urge to dominate conversations, this might not be the best fit for them.

What Medication Is Used for HPD?

While there are no medications that are specifically for HPD, there are medications that can treat other symptoms associated with this disorder.

For example, some people may struggle with anxiety and depression as a result of HPD or other types of personality disorders. This can be treated through antidepressants like SSRIs or SNRIs.

What Level of Care Is Best for Treating HPD?

In most cases, outpatient care, including working with a therapist regularly, is the most effective level of care for treating HPD.

Confronting Someone with Histrionic Personality Disorder

Is Someone With Histrionic Personality Disorder Dangerous?

No, people with HPD are not generally dangerous.

However, depending on the individual, they may exhibit certain behaviors that could put them in danger. For example, acting impulsively or going to unsafe measures to impress someone.

How Do I Learn to Set Boundaries With Someone Who Has Histrionic Personality Disorder?

When setting boundaries with someone with HPD, it is important to educate yourself on their disorder, set and communicate clear boundaries, and stay firm in those boundaries even if the individual pushes you to cross them.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to maintain clear boundaries with someone with HPD. This is because they may become overly dramatic, exaggerate certain situations, or not always be open to seeing things from a rational standpoint.

They may also try to manipulate you in an attempt to get what they’re looking for.

This is why it is important not to engage in any drama they may try to get you to take part in. When communicating with them, it is important to be kind but firm at the same time.

If they aren’t respecting your boundaries, don’t hesitate to distance yourself from them.

What Are the Defense Mechanisms of Histrionic Personality Disorder?

People with HPD engage in defense mechanisms like denial, repression, or dissociation.

It is common for those with this type of disorder to struggle to see reality as it is in a rational way. Hiding or avoiding facing the truth may be the way they cope with this.