A histrionic personality disorder is part of a group of personality disorders that involves attention-seeking behaviors. The word histrionic itself refers to something dramatic or theatrical. People with this disorder may struggle with insecurity and go to extreme lengths to win over the approval of others. Do you think someone in your life may be struggling with histrionic personality disorder symptoms? Let them know that help is available from their local, trusted mental health treatment center.
At Harmony Hills, we understand that histrionic personality disorder can make your life feel like a roller coaster of emotions. But your life no longer needs to feel chaotic — with the help of our mental health treatment programs, you can gain greater self-confidence, self-worth, and emotional balance. Call us today at 855.494.0357 to learn more about our histrionic personality disorder treatment.
What Is Histrionic Personality Disorder?
A histrionic personality disorder is when a person displays excessive attention-seeking behaviors. It falls under the category of dramatic personality disorders. A person with histrionic personality disorder:
- Struggles with their self-image and fluctuating emotions
- Is more likely to be female
- Often shows signs of the disorder by early adulthood
Having histrionic personality disorder or another dramatic personality disorder can be incredibly disruptive to a person’s life and make it difficult to maintain healthy relationships.
What Are the Signs of Histrionic Personality Disorder?
You likely know one or more people who have low self-esteem and seek approval from others. This does not necessarily mean they have histrionic personality disorder. Here are some common histrionic personality disorder symptoms:
- Often needing to be the center of attention
- Drastic mood swings
- Constantly seeking approval or reassurance from others
- Difficulty maintaining relationships or developing meaningful relationships
- Low tolerance for criticism or disapproval
- Preoccupied with physical appearance
- Dressing provocatively and being overly flirtatious
A person with histrionic personality disorder will often do whatever it takes to gain approval from others, including engaging in risky behaviors. Women with this disorder may put themselves in dangerous sexual situations out of fear of rejection. They may also threaten drastic behaviors such as suicide if a partner wants to end their relationship.
Histrionic Personality Disorder Treatment
Diagnosing histrionic personality disorder can be somewhat challenging because no laboratory tests can show solid evidence of the condition. To further complicate treatment, people with histrionic personality disorder generally do not believe they have a problem and may refuse to seek help. Diagnosis typically requires an evaluation by a mental health practitioner, such as a psychiatrist, which involves specially formulated questions and discussions to detect personality disorders.
If a healthcare professional determines that you show signs of histrionic personality disorder, treatment may involve:
- Psychotherapy – This type of talk therapy helps you get to the root of attention-seeking behaviors to address feelings of low self-esteem, low self-worth, and insecurities.
- Medication – You may need medication to alleviate symptoms of anxiety or depression that often coincide with personality disorders.
- Holistic therapies – Complementary therapies such as meditation can help you feel more balanced and prevent runaway emotions from interfering with your health, happiness, and relationships.
Histrionic personality disorder treatment aims to help you gain control over your emotions, find healthier ways to feel good about yourself, and teach you healthy communication and relationship skills.
Overcome Histrionic Personality Disorder at Harmony Hills
At Harmony Hills, we understand that histrionic personality disorder can make it feel impossible to have healthy relationships. Our mental health treatment programs can help you feel more in control of your thoughts and feelings so that you do not need to look outside of yourself for approval. Reach out to us today at 855.494.0357 to start building a solid foundation for the self-worth and self-confidence you deserve to have.
