Disorder
Psychology of Personality
Histrionic Disorder
Histrionic personality disorder has been plaguing to world for many years. This disorder has many different characteristic behaviors. People with this disorder do not have a normal thought pattern and have trouble looking inward to develop a sense of ones self. There are ways to treat this disorder but it is difficult to get the individual into therapy or to remain for a lengthy period of time. It also requires a great deal of patience and work on the part of the therapist. The name may have changed over time but the characteristics remain the same.
Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is a more recent name for hysterical personality disorder. The history of the word spans about 4,000 years. The common definition for the word hysteria is transient loss of control resulting from overwhelming stress. This was commonly used to explain excitable women who are difficult to treat. It started in Egypt, where it was believed that the woman 's uterus was not fixed in the body. They Thought the uterus would sometimes move into an area of the body that it should not be, and the woman would act out of character causing hysterical personality traits. The treatment was to rub a foul smelling substance where the uterus was believed to be and drive it back to its natural location. They also believed that marriage or childbirth would cure the woman. These practices were continually used throughout history. Freud believed that hysterical symptoms were do to unresolved Oedipal conflicts. He first used hypnosis and later free association for a cure. He still believed that this was mostly in women. He defined women disposed to hysterical symptoms as being sexually heightened, selfish, and over-privileged with boredom. Kline and Davis described the behaviors of patients with hysterical disorders as emotionality, irresponsibility, shallowness, giddy, and shortsighted action.
Bibliography: Beck, A., & Freeman, D. (2004). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders (2nd ed.) Benjamin, L.S. (2003). Interpersonal diagnosis and treatment of personality disorders (2nd ed.) Cosgro, M. (2001). Personality Disorders: Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, and Horowitz, M. (1991). Hysterical personality style and the histrionic personality disorder (revised Horowitz, Marmar, Krupnick, & Wilner. (1974). Personality styles and brief psychotherapy Millon, T. (1996). Disorders of personality DSM-IV and beyond (2nd ed.)