Histrionic Personality Disorder

What is a characteristic of someone with histrionic personality disorder regarding attention?

They are the center of attention.

How do individuals with histrionic personality disorder respond to influence?

They are easily influenced by whoever they interact with.

What is a common behavior of individuals with histrionic personality disorder?

They are flamboyant and exaggerative.

What are individuals with histrionic personality disorder extremely occupied with?

Their physical appearance.

How do individuals with histrionic personality disorder typically behave in social settings?

They are always the life of the party.

Histrionic Personality Disorder is clinically more diagnosed in

women

When diagnosed in men, is often associated with

homosexuality

This sex differential could be a product of

societal expectations rather than true occurrence

Histrionic personality disorder may be characterized as an

extreme of either gender role
- Extreme femininity
- Overly "macho" male who is dramatic, sensation
seeking, shallow, vain, and egocentric

Styles in Histrionic Personality Disorder

the dramatic style, the outgoing style

The dramatic style

- Emphasis on feeling, color, and attention
- Individuals
• Process their world effectively
• Value the impact of emotion
• Display their emotions easily and openly
- Experience life through sensation and romance
• Deliberately make themselves physically attractive
• Consciously dress with the opposite sex in mind
• Become engaging, charming, or even seductive when "on stage"
- Many are highly intuitive
• Quickly sense what to talk about and how others wish to be regarded
- Many trust others easily and readily involve themselves in
relationships

The outgoing style

- Focus is more on sociability than on theatrics
- Individuals possess great confidence in their influence and charm
• Often go out of their way to be popular
• Naturally know how to make others like them
- Often described as
• Warm
• Lively
• Dramatic
• Energizing
• Provocative
- Joy in life is infectious
- Often open to new possibilities and find tremendous joy in new experiences

What is the underlying assumption in Histrionic Personality Disorder?

I am inadequate and unable to handle life on my own.

How do individuals with Depressive Personality Disorder cope?

They dwell on the negative aspects of themselves and feel hopeless.

What coping method do individuals with Dependent Personality Disorder emphasize?

They emphasize helplessness and passively hope someone will care for them.

Conclusion of the Histrionic

"Because I am incapable of caring for myself, I will need
to find a way to get others to take care of me"

Behavior of the Histrionic

To actively set about seeking attention and approval
- Ensures that their needs are sufficiently met by others

Two basic beliefs

- Other people hold the key to survival in the world
- It is necessary to be loved by everyone for everything one does

These beliefs lead to

a very strong fear of rejection
- Any indication of rejection is devastating
• Even if the rejecting person isn't important to the patient

Two feelings in histrionic personality disorder

- Inadequacy
- Desperation for approval as their only salvation

Leaves the Histrionic

unable to relax
- Can't tolerate leaving the acquisition of approval to chance
- Will not tolerate it

What do individuals often feel constant pressure to do?

Seek attention

How do females often fulfill their sex-role stereotype?

By being cute, physically attractive, and charming

What traits are 'macho' males rewarded for?

Virility, toughness, and power

What is a common behavior exhibited by both sexes in social contexts?

Performing for others

What is a common concern for individuals who seek external approval?

Eliciting external approval

How do individuals who value external events often perceive their own internal experience?

They often value external events over their own internal experience.

What is a result of individuals lacking a clear sense of identity apart from others?

They see themselves primarily in relation to others.

What happens when individuals pay little attention to their own internal resources?

They have no idea how to respond with depth.

How do individuals who are not in touch with their own depth typically experience relationships?

Their relationships are very shallow, superficial, and based on role playing.