Histrionic Personality Disorder - Essay Example

? 8 Aug., Histrionic personality disorder Introduction: “A personality disorder is asevere disturbance in the characterological constitution and behavioural tendencies of the individual, usually involving several areas of the personality, and nearly always associated with considerable personal and social disruption” (World Health Organization). Histrionic personality disorder is a kind of personality disorder which causes people to behave in an unusually and extremely dramatic and emotional manner. This kind of behavior draws people’s attention towards the individual displaying it. To date, doctors are not very clear about the cause of histrionic personality disorder, though early childhood incidents and genes are two factors that are fundamentally held responsible for the histrionic personality disorder. More women fall prey to the histrionic personality disorder than men. They are readily diagnosed with this disorder because it is socially not expected of them to display sexual forwardness and seek others’ attention. Most of the patients develop this disorder in their early adulthood. 2 to 3 per cent of people in the general population develop histrionic personality disorder while a total of 10 to 15 per cent of the psychiatric outpatients are victims of this disorder (Long). According to (Gould), Histrionic personality disorder should not be considered as one of the disorders of personality but a cultural disorder that is an outcome of behaviors focused at feministic way of socialization with people. Symptoms: People suffering from the histrionic personality disorder may be quite successful both at work and in their social networking because of their ability to display high level functioning. “Individuals with this disorder often have impaired relationships with same-sex friends because of their sexually provocative behavior or their demands for constant attention” (Long). Patients of this disorder display some or all of the following symptoms: They overact and tend to be seductive in their manner They are full of emotions and drama They are too much sensitive towards rejection, disapproval or criticism They are extremely concerned about the way they look They have a high tendency of being influenced by others They are in constant search of approval and reassurance They can not resist frustration They try to be the focus of others’ attention which makes them self-centered in a way They change their emotions in no time which makes them appear artificial to others Diagnosis: In order to diagnose an individual with the histrionic personality disorder, most health care providers consider four points of reference which are the patient’s attitude, overall appearance, history and the patient’s psychological assessment. The diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder is made in relation to the level of severity of symptoms shown by the patient. Behavior that is characteristic of histrionic personality disorder includes excessive and quickly shifting emotional displays, oversensitivity to criticism, constant approval-seeking and need to be the center of attention, inappropriately provocative appearance/behavior, being easily influenced, compulsivity, believing relationships to be more intimate than they are, and low delay of gratification. (“Histrionic Personality Disorder”). Being histrionic and being dramatic are two different things. A drama queen can be asked to give a pause to the drama and be her real self for a while whereas the sufferer of histrionic personality disorder is likely to be intimidated with such a message and will not stop the drama even in that intimidation. The drama is taken as a means to escape from the real self and all the frustration that is associated with it. The sufferer of histrionic personality disorder displays more anger and pleasure than necessary or normal for a given situation. In general, people with histrionic personality disorder appear quite normal and may have a large circle of friends, but they would always attempt to manipulate others with their behavior so that they remain the focus of attention all the time. Hence, in order to diagnose an individual with histrionic personality disorder, an in-depth analysis of his/her behavior needs to be conducted. Complications: Histrionic personality disorder is very dangerous for an individual’s romantic and social links, as well as the individual’s tendency to deal with failures in life. A person suffering from this order feels frustrated and is not able to concentrate upon work. As a result of this, he/she may want to keep changing the job for satisfaction which is never gained in any kind of job or work setting because the frustration is internal and remains there always. In an attempt to make the circumstances exciting and adventurous, the individual suffering from histrionic personality disorder is likely to put himself/herself in dangerous conditions. Victims of this disorder start playing a role in life without even realizing this. They may play the role of a princess or a victim. “They may seek to control their partner through emotional manipulation or seductiveness on one level, whereas displaying a marked dependency on them at another level” (Long). In any case, the patient is susceptible to increased risk of major depression with the passage of time. Treatment: A vast majority of people experience histrionic personality disorder when they fail to sustain a romantic relationship or have developed some kind of clash with others. Although suitable medication is available for curing the histrionic personality disorder, yet the option that works best for this kind of disorder is the talk therapy, often known as the psychotherapy. If due treatment is not taken on time, the person may develop conflicts in his/her life which may not allow the individual to succeed in life. Prevention: Since there is a lot of subjectivity about the causes of histrionic personality disorder, ways to prevent this are equally unknown. Logical thinking exercises can be a way to prevent histrionic personality disorder. People who think they suffer from histrionic personality disorder should not wait to approach the health care provider particularly if they think that the disorder is impacting their ability to work, maintain relationships or remain well. The sooner the care is taken, the better it is. Proper treatment directed at improving mental health acquaints an individual with knowledge of better ways of coping with frustration. Works Cited: Gould, Carol S. “Why the Histrionic Personality Disorder Should Not Be in the DSM: A New Taxonomic and Moral Analysis.” International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics. Vol. 4. No. 1. pp. 26-40 “Histrionic Personality Disorder.” n.d. Web. 9. Aug. 2011. . Long, Phillip W. “Histrionic personality disorder.” 2011. Web. 9 Aug. 2011. . World Health Organization. “Histrionic Personality Disorder.” 1992. Web. 9 Aug. 2011. . Read More