A personality disorders are difficult to live with and difficult to treat as a clinician. Of all of the personality disorders, I believe would it be most difficult to work with patients suffering from histrionic personality disorder. Histrionic personality disorder is characterized by emotional and dramatic displays that are motivated by a need to draw attention. Other symptoms include acting seductive and being easily influenced by others. The cause of the disorder is not known, but both genes and events from childhood are theorized to play a role (Horowitz, 2004). Those with histrionic personality disorder have frequently shifting moods and require a lot of attention. Those suffering from the disorder are most commonly women, and tend to have excellent abilities of social manipulation. These patients will frequently become insecure if other patients in group work display signs of suicidal risk behaviors. Because of the feelings that arise in them when others receive attention, this population will occasionally act out, mimicking the suicidal behavior to receive a similar amount of attention from caregivers, social workers, clinicians or other medical personnel (Rosowsky & Dougherty, 1998). In order to properly address this type of issue with a client suffering from histrionic personality disorder I would need to keep in mind that some ailments the client suffering from may be somatic. I also need to focus on treating the source of the need for attention that drives the attention-seeking behavior. While psychotherapy is considered the best treatment for this condition, medication may help with the anxiety symptoms.
Horowitz, L. M. (2004). Diffuse Identity and Lack of Long-Term Direction: The Histrionic Personality Disorder and Other Related Disorders. In L. M. Horowitz (Ed.) , Interpersonal foundations of psychopathology (pp. 189-203). Washington, DC US: American Psychological Association.
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