Histrionic personality disorder

Histrionic personality disorder
Dramatic behavior is a key marker of histrionic personality disorder
Specialty	Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry
Symptoms	Persistent attention seeking, dramatic behavior, rapidly shifting and shallow emotions, sexually provocative behavior, undetailed style of speech, and a tendency to consider relationships more intimate than they actually are.
Usual onset	Symptoms typically do not fully develop until the age of 15
Duration	Lifelong
Causes	Highly responsive noradrenergic systems, genetics, authoritarian parenting
Diagnostic method	Based on symptoms
Differential diagnosis	Other personality disorders, substance abuse disorders, and personality change due to another medical condition
Treatment	Functional analytic psychotherapy, functional ideographic assessment template, and coding client and therapist behaviors

Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a personality disorder characterized by a pattern of excessive attention-seeking behaviors, usually beginning in early adulthood, including inappropriate seduction and an excessive desire for approval. People diagnosed with the disorder are said to be lively, dramatic, vivacious, enthusiastic, extraverted and flirtatious.

HPD lies in the dramatic cluster of personality disorders, also known as the Cluster B. People with HPD have a high desire for attention, make loud and inappropriate appearances, exaggerate their behaviors and emotions, and crave stimulation.^[1] They very often exhibit pervasive and persistent sexually provocative behavior, express strong emotions with an impressionistic style, and can be easily influenced by others. Associated features include egocentrism, self-indulgence, continuous longing for appreciation, and persistent manipulative behavior to achieve their own wants.