Histrionic Personality Disorder!

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I know a few people who are Histronic like and I will tell you one key difference. The people with Histronic Personality Disorder that I know are extroverted people who normal amounts of attention are not enough. Their friends paying attention to them is not enough they need the whole room including strangers paying attention to them. I find they do things like pretend to have cancer or say something loudly to get attention. I sense with OP that you do not get normal amounts of attention which is why you seek attention. If you had normal amounts of attention you wouldn't have a problem.

I will answer your PM here. It's not curable if it is not diagnosed and treated properly. I am not a shrink so I can't tell you which pills you have to take but you'll probably need to talk to a psychiatrist every so often, in addition of the pills.

"Normal" people often have hard time relating to people with personality disorders. The PD people will often manipulate other people, or the opposite - shun other people and mistreat them.

Don't ever self diagnose yourself not matter what you're trying to self diagnose. ALWAYS go to a professional to get diagnosed. And heck, even professionals misdiagnose sometimes.

Our modern Western culture is obsessed with giving "disorders" where none really exist. Before one knows it, the "ordinary" person without a condition will not exist.

If I were you, I'd instead focus on the positives of the histrionics your dad claims you have. You may be "needy", but are you also sensitive, responsive to yourself and/or others, etc?

I don't see where it says they are removing it and voiding the diagnoses of people already diagnosed.

http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/P ... -Walk.aspx
^ See here.

It's much like them getting rid of Asperger's. Histrionics will still exist, but they won't have a label that fits THEM specifically now. And while some traits of HPD are like BPD, borderlines have many symptoms that histrionics don't, such as the tendency to self-injure, the fear of abandonment, and unstable mood shifts/relationships.

I disagree with this. If you educate yourself on a subject and KNOW what you're talking about, self-diagnosis can be a great thing. Yes, if you think you have a disorder, meaning by definition that you are having impairment in daily functioning, you should always go seek an official diagnosis from a professional, in order to get proper treatment. However, self-diagnosis can help you get on the right track to finding solutions to living a better life. I have accurately and correctly self-diagnosed myself several times, and I also have accurately argued against misdiagnoses I've been given and others have been given.

I feel one of the main reasons neuropsych disorders and medications are being overdiagnosed and -prescribed, respectively, nowadays is because psychiatrists aren't questioned enough about their methods and reasonings for things. I cannot tell you how many of my friends and family I have had to tell about them being on a psychiatric medication that was not necessary or was too potent for what they needed. The general public doesn't know the difference between Seroquel and Zoloft, so if they're prescribed the former for nonpsychotic unipolar depression on a first visit, they don't know that there is no need for them to be on an atypical anti-psychotic. Kay Redfield Jamison is a strong proponent of educating yourself about your symptoms and questioning doctors' motives, and I wholeheartedly approve. Just because your doctor went to med school doesn't mean that they know everything...

Absolutely not. In fact, personality disorders (PD) are pretty much the antithesis of any autistic spectrum disorder. PD individuals are notorious for being manipulators who craft social scenarios in order to gain something, such as attention, personal gain, or status. They are, by defintion, not self-aware by instead opting to use others to fulfill their own needs.

Alternatively, AS is characterised by individuals who are contemplative, turning inward to find answers. Instrinsically introspective. Conversely, PD individuals are seriously lacking in introspection and perspective. These parameters are quite clear.

I can see where certain individuals could be badly misdiagnosed if their "symptoms" are taken superficially. Then again, AS can be badly misinterpreted as any 'Disorder X' by a poor diagnostician.

Ugh... so basically your saying iduuno what I am talking about... haha.

So you're saying to people which medication they have to take?? so not only you're blatantly dismissing me, you're thinking you're smarter then the shrinks? well are you? You know it takes sometimes YEARS to find the most suitable medication so YES its inevitable that certain people will take the wrong medication for them. I'm sure you have many practical experience of diagnosing people using rorschach test and stuff like that. Anyway, really glad you did manage to diagnose people, just don't give that advice to the OP because he might mis-self diagnose himself and then it causing more harm than good.

To people who say 'don't ever self diagnose', I'm glad so many people don't realise how much an official diagnosis can be shallow and assuming, while self-diagnosis can be an act of empowerment against ignorance of people who aren't qualified enough despite their degree. If people are privileged enough to have doctors tell them what they want to hear for their money, good for them.

There are more personality disorders than just Cluster B disorders even though they're the most well known ones.

Your description of personality disorders does not at all describe the only person who I know has been diagnosed with a PD. He actually is even someone who finds it really interesting to look at where his symptoms are similar to Asperger's and where they are different (and who has quite a few similarities to some people on the spectrum). However, he has OCPD, not a Cluster B personality disorder.

If somebody has been prescribed a standard, reasonable medication type for their symptoms/disorder, I never say that the psychiatrist is wrong if it's not working. The whole field of psych meds is about trial and error and finding the right "fit" and right dosage. In these cases, if somebody is complaining about the medication, I only advise them to talk to their doctor about side effects, dosage, and/or trying another brand of the same class of medication.

The only time that I tell them that their doctor is wrong is when they have been prescribed a medication that isn't meant to be used for the condition that they have and/or if they are taking medication combinations that are known dangers/hazards. For example, one of my family members was having symptoms of psychosis and possible bipolar disorder, and her doctor not only did NOT prescribe an anti-psychotic, he kept her on Prozac ALONE, without a mood stabilizer. This is a known catastrophe. Also, atypical anti-psychotics are being thrown around like candy nowadays. While they may be beneficial for some cases of mood disorders, they really are only meant to be first-line treatment for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and acute psychosis in mood disorders. They also may be all that works for atypical, treatment-resistant cases of unipolar or bipolar depression and OCD. If you have a mood disorder, unipolar or bipolar, and your doctor prescribes you an atypical anti-psychotic first thing, this is definitely suspect. The atypical anti-psychotics are very potent drugs, and they shouldn't be used unless needed. Even with bipolar disorder, traditional mood stabilizers are still the way to go as a first-line treatment. If mood stabilizers fail, then switching to an atypical anti-psychotic or augmenting with an atypical is the next step, but again, they are meant for a specific condition and are being given out at first visits now.


I didn't say to self-diagnose at first glance. I said to self-diagnose if you educate yourself properly and fully on the disorder. I researched OCD for over a year before I sought an official diagnosis to confirm my self-diagnosis. I read books upon books to make sure that my self-diagnosis was correct and not me thinking I had a condition I don't.

Well, I do agree that you should consult the doctor with your opinions if you THINK something you have but for my sake I let him decide the final word. BTW, I was prescribed tegretol when I only had AS Dxsis. When I took OVERDOSE of tegretol after emotional ,meltdown I immidiately went to the emergency room and when the doc over there (its not in the town I live) asked me why you are prescribed tegretol when you have only AS dXsis he said to me are you sure you don't have any other DX and I said no. Because my shrink he gave me a pill for symptoms he saw (emotional responsiveness) and only later he finished the DX proccess. Then I found out I have Personality disorder. Just sharing a true story.