Howdy and Hullo!

Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) is a Cluster B personality disorder, meaning it is characterised by dramatic and/or erratic behaviour. In this case, the pwHPD behaves in such dramatic and/or erratic ways to become the centre of attention due to a lack of feeling acknowledged by others, and perhaps a feeling that they (the pwHPD) do not belong.

Symptoms of HPD include:

feeling underappreciated or depressed when not the centre of attention

having rapidly shifting and shallow emotions

being dramatic and extremely emotionally expressive, even to the point of embarrassing friends and family in public

having a “larger than life” presence

being persistently charming and flirtatious

being overly concerned with their physical appearance

using their physical appearance to draw attention to themselves by wearing bright-colored clothing or revealing clothing

acting inappropriately sexually with most of the people they meet, even when they’re not sexually attracted to them

speaking dramatically and expressing strong opinions, but with few facts or details to support their opinions

being gullible and easily influenced by others, especially by the people they admire

thinking that their relationships with others are closer than they usually are

having difficulty maintaining relationships, often seeming fake or shallow in their interactions with others

needing instant gratification and becoming bored or frustrated very easily

constantly seeking reassurance or approval

While HPD and NPD are similar in their need for attention, it comes from two different places. A pwNPD has a need for attention that is tied to supporting their sense of self-worth and superiority, while a pwHPD's need for attention is more tied to feeling like part of a group - feeling real and acknowledged. It's more a form of emotional regulation than it is of regulation of self-worth in NPD.

As with the other PDs, a leading factor contributing to the development of HPD is genetics and abuse in childhood. Unstable and/or unhealthy parenting styles may also contribute to development, such as a parent displaying overly sexual or erratic behaviour; a child may internalise this and have it develop into HPD in the future.

I wanna talk about my feelings and how hard my day has been but it never feels like the right time, it feels like I'm taking up too much space because I need attention to function