How Is Histrionic Personality Disorder Different From Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
During a civil defamation lawsuit that unfolded between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard , a psychologist testified that after examining mental health records and conducting 12-hour interviews with Heard, the actress met the criteria for both borderline personality disorder and the lesser known ” hysterionic personality disorder (HPD). But while you may be familiar with some of the most commonly diagnosed personality disorders, such as paranoid, narcissistic, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, what does having a histrionic personality disorder mean?
What is Histrionic Personality Disorder?
The word theatrical means “overly theatrical or melodramatic”. Personality disorders are classified into three groups: Group A, Group B, and Group C. HPD is a group of “cluster B” disorders that, according to the Mayo Clinic , are “characterized by dramatic, overly emotional, or unpredictable thinking or behavior.” (Other disorders in cluster B: antisocial, borderline, and narcissistic.) According to the Mayo Clinic , typical symptoms of HPD include:
- Constantly looking for attention
- Overly emotional, dramatic, or sexually provocative to get attention
- Dramatically expresses an opinion, but few facts or details to support it
- Easily influenced by others
- Superficial, rapidly changing emotions
- Excessive preoccupation with one’s appearance
- Thinks relationships with others are closer than they really are
According to Dr. Shannon Curry , a clinical and forensic psychologist involved in the Depp and Heard libel suit, HPD is associated with “dramatism and superficiality” and the need to be the center of attention. According to Newsweek , “this means that Hurd cares a lot about image, is prone to abusing others, cannot accept responsibility for wrongdoing, and is prone to externalizing guilt.”
Although many people with HPD have good social skills, they often use these skills to manipulate others. As WebMD writes, “Their self-esteem depends on the approval of others and does not arise from a true sense of self-worth. They have an overwhelming desire to be seen and often act in dramatic or inappropriate ways to get attention.”
How is HPD different from Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
Even though they are both in Cluster B, attention-demanding personality disorders, people with HPD and NPD differ in the type of attention they seek. While people with NPD need positive feedback and admiration to fuel their inflated self-esteem, people with NPD seek all kinds of attention, even if it’s negative.
According to VeryWell Health , people suffering from HPD “want to be seen as fragile or dependent in order to get attention”, may use their sexuality to get attention, and “demonstrate fast-paced and superficial expressions of emotion”. They are also more likely to develop dependent relationships. In contrast, people with NDL are less emotionally expressive, use sex for personal gain, and are more dismissive of others.
Both mental health conditions are treatable with psychotherapy.