Histrionic Personality Disorder | The Signs

Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is termed by clinical psychologist and MedCircle expert Dr. Ramani Durvasula as "superficial personality disorder" or "a seduction disorder." Dr. Ramani discusses the 8 traits of histrionic personality disorder (HPD).

00:00 Intro
00:29 Borderline personality disorder vs histrionic
03:48 1. Uncomfortable when not the center of attention
04:47 2. Sexually seductive behavior & conversation
07:11 3. Shifting shallow emotions
08:35 4. Uses appearance to draw attention
10:03 5. Impressionistic and vague speech
13:55 6. Dramatic or exaggerated emotions
16:39 7. Suggestible (easily influenced)
18:54 8. Overestimation of intimacy
24:00 At what age do people get diagnosed?
25:00 HPD in men vs women
27:20 Co-occurring disorders

#mentalhealth #psychology #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #histrionic #hpd #medcircle

[tarawalsh]

When i was much younger I met a new girl at school. We were about 16. One day she came to my house to visit and my mother, who is normally the most unjudgmental person I know, immediately disliked her deeply. She explained to me that she was concerned because, as a parent you see each of your kids and their strengths and areas of vulnerability. With me she said, though it is a fine quality, I empathise and am a good listener. We had several battles over this other girl and one day my mother asked me: 'What role do you play for her? Where are YOU in this relationship?' I didn't quite understand and my mother said: 'You are her audience.' She was absolutely right. This girl was always in the midst of some epic trauma or dramatic experience, which she would talk about for days on end if I had let her.

The thing that really did it was that my father did not like her either and I was always very close to him. I'm fairly sure my mother set him up to drive us to wherever we were going so that he might get through to me.

From my mother I learned to ask: Where am I in this relationship?
From my father: What do we talk about?

If ALL they ever talk about is their emotional turmoil or intense stories, you are their audience. I tried once to re-direct the conversation to something of interest other than her problems and like a rubber band she pulled it right back to 'All about me me me and more drama and horror.' Within 5 minutes of her being around I would feel as if every drop of blood in my body had been sucked out. And that was the end of that.

[RMTH]

I have HPD and BPD. My therapist calls it borderline with Histrionic tendencies. I have a favorite person but I constantly want attention from everyone. I’ll actually use my SO in a way to get attention from others. Like “look how much I love him and adore him.” I go between deep emotions and shallow emotions. I’ll mirror the emotion of someone else and not feel a thing, then the next moment I’ll feel a true emotion and feel it to my core. My appearance is my existence. I always look my best and put on my “model persona” when I walk into a room. I went to a wedding once in a full on gown not even aware I’d look like I was trying to take the attention of the bride. The only reason I’m aware now is because I’ve been in therapy for 5 years. I’m still very much histrionic and borderline, but my awareness helps me not be so self centered in my approach to things.

[juliegladman]

Dr Ramani’s opera impression 😂 she’s so good at explaining in detail each disorder, so easier to understand than any other sites, thank you for this amazing insight x

[Yuleki]

Its interesting to think about how this disorder is sort of commonly used as a "character trope" in a lot of TV shows.

[kamilaford]

I love the chemistry between Kyle and Dr. Ramani- best duo on this channel!

[laerrus]

Update: You got the "with no audience we don't exist" SPOT ON!!!!

I have HPD with BPD traits! I'm excited to see this later when I have time! I'm hoping that you delve into the core reason for HPD people's suffering: We can't see ourselves internally. We don't have a functioning internal sense of self and because of that we rely on external sources for our self esteem. Attention fuels us. If I spend an hour without positive attention my mood crashes and I feel like I'm blending in the walls and I cannot function. Its a terrible feeling. And living alone is torture. I've noticed that with NPD you tend to talk more about the partners of NPD people rather than the suffering of the person with NPD themselves. But I'm hoping you really delve into the reasons behind the behaviors us HPDs exhibit.

[mollyringwerm]

My mom was/is HPD and covert NPD. Suffice it to say, it was exhausting and miserable. Enjoyed this explanation.

[Monomate]

I wish all people in trouble and pain could get someone as Dr Ramani to calm their worried minds. She is just amazing! 😎

[jewelsmickey]

I’m a nurse. One night a pt in a semi private room was walking back from the bathroom, had a heart attack & immediately was being coded, chest compressions & the whole bit while on a back board on the floor. Meanwhile the pt in the other bed was watching all of this, & as the nurse was doing chest compressions he was yelling @ her “Where’s my oatmeal?! You didn’t bring me my oatmeal yet & you said you would!!” No joke. The pt lived. Happy ending. I watch these shows trying to get compassion & be therapeutic with these “Hey it’s all about me people.” But I’ve gotta tell ya; it’s hard. To me they’re monsters. Thank you for the program. I love it!

[lookingforbooks]

Can you please do a series on religious trauma 🙏 I don't think it's being discussed a lot and yet there are many suffering from it

[tianiemitchell]

I find as a mother who has raised nine children and has seen many kids being raised throughout my life that a lot of these personalities are manifested from lack of proper parenting and it moves into their adult lives until the issues are dealt with.

[syreetaholmes]

As a hairstylist of 20yrs. I have to deal with a lot of these personality problems 😪. It is very draining. Especially when I spend a lot of hours with them😣

[Querencia]

1. Uncomfortable if NOT the center of attention (usually how they look.) “Peacock on a treadmill.”
2. Seductive: how they talk about things, flirtatious with both sexes. (It’s also a seduction disorder.)
3. Shifting emotions. Shallow is their baseline. Can respond immediately, superficially to diff demands.
4. They value appearance of their friends/cohorts, as well as themselves. How you make them look.
5. Highly impressionistic with no details (word salads served daily.) They talk ephemerally, vaguely. They’re not clear on their own motives/motivations.
6. Dramatic! Exaggeration of emotions. Lack of insight with big, big gestures. Makes people feel overwhelmed.
7. Suggestible, childlike. Not much critical thinking. They fall for scams that are self-serving “$10, 000 to let my demons go, and I fly higher.”
8. Overestimation of intimacy. They think people are much closer to them than they really are. Like the person who meets Serena Williams and then tells everyone they are friends.

[watercolourferns]

I really love Dr. Ramani, she's helped me so so much to destigmatize my BPD, and to understand my mother's histrionic, narcissistic behavior.

[anniem]

I’m studying mental health nursing, and find these descriptive videos so helpful! Thanks Dr. Ramani :)

[justines]

I love you both - Dr. Ramani is incredible and shining light on something HUGE - I think these personality disorders (cluster B) are at the root of much of the abuse and domestic violence and exploitation we see in the world.

[devinbrines]

Ramani, the fact that you act out these things a little bit in the voice of the histrionic person is really helpful.

[carasachs]

This is my sister. She can’t really pull off the appearance stuff, so she goes in a different direction. Telling her childbirth stories (overly dramatized with some straight up lies) during the sit down dinner at a dinner party. Holding court. Going on business trips to the middle of nowhere, and somehow she would sit next to Catherine Zeta Jones in a restaurant, and Angelina Jolie on the airplane. Grandiose, compulsive liar. The closeness/intimacy thing - omg yes. I’m been NC with her and my mother (narcissistic borderline) since Christmas, 2015. Literally ZERO contact. On my birthday in May 2018, she made a very visible, flowery post on my Facebook page: “While we don’t always talk…”. Seriously? She makes my skin crawl. Shallow as a teaspoon.

[lauren]

Dr Ramani (I apologize if that spelling isn’t correct I suck at spelling) is a national treasure and must be protected

[michellestevens]

Thank you so much for this my ex, who I know wholeheartedly is on the dark triad, used to accuse me of having this and borderline for **reacting** to his stonewalling, gaslighting, head games, and psychological torture. And of course they’re so good at getting into your head that I didn’t think there was something wrong with me so now I’m researching these disorders and this is 100% definitely not me.

Crying or having a panic attack because someone hurt me immensely, kicked me when I was down, and refused to apologize isn’t histrionics. It’s a normal response to an abnormal situation.