They are known to take rash decisions in the heat of the moment or under the

influence of emotions.
A histrionic personality will display behavior patterns of extreme natures like
acting overly friendly with strangers or laughing out too loud at a joke that was
not very funny to begin with (You get the gist).
They are usually cheerful and dramatic and quite flirtatious. They can charm
their way into getting what they want.
They have a tendency to be overly seductive. This is to shock people and
garner attention.
They have a great set of social skills, they know exactly how to talk and
behave. But they will use these to get their work done and to manipulate people.
They have an innate need to garner attention. This becomes evident in the way
in which they speak and behave, through their body language and even in the
way they dress - which tends to border on provocative and seductive clothing.
They are highly concerned about how they look and appear and will make it a
point to dress in such a way that they get people to comment on them. They
tend to have exhibitionist traits.
They are known to lie and exaggerate facts only to get people's attention and
their way with things.
Unfortunately, most people with histrionic personalities are poorly motivated to change. They have such a lifelong pattern of avoiding
emotional pain through massive repression and temporary attention getting maneuvers that they rarely seek help unless they are
experiencing a deteriorating relationship, depression, or some other troubling social or emotional problem. And once they receive a little
relief from their presenting problem, they tend to go on their way rather than facing their deeper emotional, spiritual, and relational
struggles. If they will stay in therapy, however, they can get a great deal of help.
The ultimate need of histrionic individuals in therapy is to change their deeply ingrained tendency to try to fulfill all their needs by
looking to others for attention rather than develop a solid sense of their own self-worth or self-esteem. To do this, histrionic individuals
need to feel accepted and relatively safe and comfortable with their therapist. Gradually, they can begin to observe their pattern of
avoiding their inner emotional anxiety by frantically looking for attention. In this process they need to learn to sit with their emotional
discomfort instead of running from it.
As people with histrionic personalities learn to bear and face their fears of abandonment and inner emptiness they can increasingly focus
on their internal world rather than on ways of trying to elicit attention from others. Since histrionic individuals avoid introspection by
focusing on the outside world, this can be frightening and difficult. It is essential, however, to learn to see the futility of their relational
and coping style in order to think more clearly and be less impulsive and more centered. In the process, they will gain insights into their
unrealistic assumptions about themselves and life. They will come to see how they concluded they had to be the center of attention to
feel good about themselves and they will realize that belief is an emotionally destructive idea.
Living With the Histrionic
Life with the histrionic can be challenging, confusing, frustrating, and oftentimes painful. Since histrionics struggle with depth in
relationships, their partners are often left questioning their failed attempts to increase intimacy or closeness. While the histrionic will
attempt to draw a partner into a rescuing, admiring role in order to ward off the anxiety of potential rejection, they may just as quickly
display scorn or contempt for the same partner once they tire of their present life's routine.
"For the partner, the most helpful approach to living well with a histrionic person is to
offer maximal emotional support while maintaining strong personal boundaries."
Partners of histrionics often live a life on eggshells, not knowing when they will be smothered with superficial affection or loathed for
being too predictable or dependable. This is turn can begin to undercut the partner's self-esteem. By definition, the anonymous people in
the "audience" of the histrionic person are less interesting or exciting than the "beautiful" person holding center stage! This impact can
be both subtle and cumulative, eventually leaving the partner of the histrionic filled with uncertainty and self-doubt. It can also leave
partners resentful because they feel that they can never provide enough attention or admiration to fill the histrionic's emptiness.
In the face of the histrionic's compulsive optimism, denial, disassociation, and evasion, the partner who raises the issues of life's
negative consequences and inevitable pain, can expect to be the brunt of the histrionic's wrath.

For the partner, the most helpful approach to living well with a histrionic person is to offer maximal emotional support while maintaining
strong personal boundaries. By adopting a loving, but objective stance, while holding the histrionic accountable for his/her behaviors, the
partner gives the histrionic person the best chance of learning to trust in a relationshipnot out of successful performance, but because
of mutual participation and acceptance.
It is also important to sensitively encourage behaviors that are mature, responsible, and based in reality if the histrionic is to emerge
from his or her position of childlike powerlessness. Remaining loving and flexible, while tactfully confronting destructive behaviors in the
relationship, can help the histrionic gain a realistic understanding of his or her impact on the relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions About Histrionic Personality Disorder
1.

Are there medications for HPD? There are no medications that specifically treat the common symptoms of HPD. When
histrionic individuals are also suffering from depression or anxiety, medication may help reduce those symptoms.

2.

Isn't Histrionic Personality Disorder just a form of pride that should be confessed? While the histrionic individual often displays
very prideful behavior, his or her motivations and actions are actually masked cries for love and help, and they often grow out
of very low self-esteem. While pride is an issue we all struggle with, the most urgent need for the histrionic personality is to
learn an appropriate sense of self-assurancethe self-assurance that can best be nurtured through experiences of
unconditional Christlike love. In fact, Christ is an excellent model for relating to individuals with histrionic personalities. He
displayed a firm love that was at the same time unconditional and uncompromising.

3.

Where can I learn more? Additional assistance can be obtained through Internet sites and support groups specializing in
personality disorders, including histrionic, borderline, or narcissistic.