| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 3,901,248,603 visitors served. |
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
histrionic personality disorder |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia | 0.01 sec. |
|
|
histrionic personality disorder,
a disorder characterized by dramatic, reactive, and intensely exaggerated behavior, which is typically self-centered. It results in severe disturbance in interpersonal relationships that can lead to psychosomatic disorders, depression, alcoholism, and drug dependency. Symptoms include emotional excitability, such as irrational angry outbursts or tantrums; abnormal craving for activity and excitement; overreaction to minor events; manipulative threats and gestures; egocentricity; inconsiderateness; inconsistency; and continuous demand for reassurance generated by feelings of helplessness and dependency. A person with this disorder is perceived by others as vain, demanding, superficial, self-centered, and self-indulgent. The disorder is more prevalent in women than in men and is treated by various psychotherapies, depending on the individual and the severity of the condition. See also narcissistic personality disorder. Histrionic Personality Disorder A state characterised by pervasive and excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behaviour, which begins by early adulthood, and is present in various contexts histrionic personality disorder a personality disorder characterized by dramatic, attention-seeking, overly reactive, and intensely expressed behavior. Individuals with this disorder are prone to emotional display, such as angry outbursts and tantrums. They are often perceived by others as shallow and fickle; in their relationships they may be superficially charming but are frequently demanding and inconsiderate of others. Their behavior is often inappropriately sexually seductive or provocative, and they demand to be the center of attention, often using physical appearance to draw attention. Emotional expression is shallow and rapidly shifting. They may make manipulative suicide threats or attempts.
histrionic personality disorder Hysterical personality disorder Psychiatry A state characterized by '…pervasive and excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior', which begins by early adulthood, and is
present in various contexts; HPD is diagnosed by the finding of 5 or more of a list of criteria
Histrionic Personality Disorder ≥ 5 criteria
1. Person is uncomfortable unless he/she is center of attention
2. Interactions with others may be sexually inappropriate or provocative
3. Volatile and/or shallow emotions
4. Use of physical appearance to draw attention to self
5. Impressionistic speech pattern
6. Theatricality, exaggerated emotions
7. Suggestible, ie easily influenced by others
8. Regards relationships as more intimate than they are
Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed, Washington, DC, Am Psychiatric Assn, 1994
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| Medical Dictionary |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Free toolbar & extensions |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup |
|---|