ABSTRACT
This chapter provides DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for histrionic personality disorder. Depending on the predominant symptoms, either antidepressants or mood stabilizers have a role in the treatment of histrionic personality disorder. Patients with histrionic personality disorder can present with pseudomanic features which can be easily confused with true mania or hypomania. Many of the histrionic symptoms could be controlled by serotonergic antidepressants without dysfunctional side effects. Better control of emotions is likely to improve confidence, judgment, impulse control, and frustration tolerance, thereby facilitating the process of emotional maturation which is essential for optimal use of one’s other attributes such as intelligence and physical characteristics. Individuals with histrionic personality disorder are probably at relatively greater risk for reactive depression because of their rather fragile emotional control. Many histrionic personality disorder patients will seek treatment for symptoms of anxiety, depression, and moodiness because they are quite vulnerable to developing these symptoms.
