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Why Histrionic Personality Is Hard to Deal With

They are a pain.

By Iria Vasquez-PaezPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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Histrionics who have narcissism as well need to be the center of attention in all interactions. We are, however, discussing plain old histrionics in this regard. They need to be the center of attention. Personality disorders usually get better with age and some therapy but for some people, this is not always the case. Sadly, people with personality disorders do not see themselves as needing treatment unless their life circumstances push them into it when their resources are stretched too thin. I mean they only go when they feel really bad. If not before, they don’t see the need for treatment or help.

To those of us who believe in treatment, we find this bizarre. Personality disorders are there for life unless the person who has one seeks treatment. Histrionic personality is a complex jumble of how a person was raised, what their personality became, and why they behave the way they do in the present. Treatment for histrionic personality disorder involves long-term therapy. People get to therapy only because functioning in their lives is impossible. Maybe they’ve come to realize that picking fights is a way of life for them. Group therapy doesn’t work because they want all the attention.

Histrionics are exaggerators such as when a small amount of chocolate on your finger becomes, “You have so much chocolate on your finger,” spoken with dramatic flair, or maybe they decide that they run the conversation. Some people with histrionic come across as being “fake” nice. They start off faking most relationships. They are unaware of their own emotions as well as have a lack of insight into their own behavior. Being around somebody with this disorder can be exhausting because they are very dramatic. Some are sexually attracted to their therapist, which makes matters worse.

Therapy that helps make solutions to all their dramatic exaggerations may help. But some histrionic people pick fights non-stop, especially if they also have narcissism and borderline along with the histrionic. Therapy is not a cure-all for something as bad as histrionic, which can drive non-personality disordered people nuts. Histrionic people want to seem like the attractive ones in all situations, having immense trouble trying out new behaviors. Therapy only helps them so much. They like being dramatic to make other people react to their drama. Medication may help with the self-destructive behavior but it is not often a good solution.

Histrionic people make a mountain out of a molehill and blame you for it. People with narcissistic personality are also manipulative. They charm people but they are really wanting to be the center of attention, hence the manipulative aspect of their personality. Histrionic personality disorder has a lot to do with the way a person looks, in particular, if they are good-looking or considered good-looking by others. Histrionics throw temper tantrums if they are not the center of attention. They could even cry, as they have naïveté problems, along with gullibility even while they are adept at manipulative behavior.

People with histrionic personality often had mother-child anger problems. They’ve basically been disapproved of by their mother, and for that matter, some histrionic people use denial as a tool when they try to deny they have a problem or lack insight into their own behavior. People with histrionic personality disorder like getting what they want which they equate with getting attention. Some may dress, unlike other people, they know in order to get that attention in the first place. Some are sexually seductive in addition to wanting attention.

They flirt a lot with their victims, causing somebody else discomfort. Their emotions are shallow and empty, shifting quickly. They often use their physical appearance to enhance their ability to get emotion from others. People with histrionic PD are often not able to understand how their relationship is not necessarily intimate with somebody, they assume it is, but they don’t realize how dramatic behavior annoys the person they supposedly care about. Histrionic people can eventually be treated give or take they find the right psychiatrist.

personality disorder
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About the Creator

Iria Vasquez-Paez

I have a B.A. in creative writing from San Francisco State. Can people please donate? I'm very low-income. I need to start an escape the Ferengi plan.

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