Hysteria I: Histrionic personality disorder

Abstract

In modern psychiatric diagnostics, what remains of Freud's hysteria is the histrionic personality. It is characterized by dramatization, suggestibility, superficially shifting affect, an impressionistic cognitive style, preoccupation with outward appearance, seductive behavior, and a desire to be the center of attention—a compensatory basic stance resulting from important childhood relationships. There is comorbidity with narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders, as well as with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.