What is the difference between histrionic personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder?

Answer 1

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder defined by the diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , the diagnostic classification system used in the us, as "a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy."

The narcissist is described as turning inward for gratification rather than depending on others and as being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power and prestige. Narcissistic personality disorder is closely linked to seld-centredness.

1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is "special" and unique
4. requires excessive admiration
5. has a sense of entitlement
6. is interpersonally exploitative
7. lacks empathy
8. is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her

where as a Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is defined by the American psychiatric association as a personality disorder characterized by a pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking, including an excessive need for approval and inappropriate seductiveness, usually beginning in early adulthood.

The essential feature of histrionic personality disorder is an excessive pattern of emotionality and attention-seeking behavior. These individuals are lively, dramatic, enthusiastic, and flirtatious. They may be inappropriately sexually provocative, express strong emotions with an impressionistic style, and be easily influenced by others.

A mnemonic that can be used to remember the criteria for histrionic personality disorder is PRAISE ME:

• P - provocative (or seductive) behavior
• R - relationships, considered more intimate than they are
• A - attention, must be at center of
• I - influenced easily
• S - speech (style) - wants to impress, lacks detail
• E - emotional lability, shallowness

• M - make-up - physical appearance used to draw attention to self
• E - exaggerated emotions - theatrical

hope that helped looool

Answer 2

histrionic and narcissistic are both personalty disorders that have to do with Inferiority of pepole. histrionic people cant help but feel that they themselfs are inferior to everyone else they feel as though they are worthless and can not live up to other people Poltentional of other people. were as people who suffer from Narcissistic believe that everyone is inferior to them, the worlds most famous narcissisic person is the Serial killer Ted Bundy

Histrionics need attention both negative and positive ''attention is attention''.

Narcissists need ALL POSITIVE attention.

Answer 3

I am no expert but I have done ALOT of reading on both because I first thought my gf was narrcist. But reading on this I noticed histrionic kept coming up. In my opinion with what I have read and knowing her there is not much different at all. Histrionic personality disorder seems to be more common in women than men. And narrcist is more common in men. Histrionics use seduction and flirtation to get attention and draw people in. And she would flirt with any female. Let me be clear I am a lesbian and this hasn't been discussed much on this forum. But she is text book histrionic. She would even flirt with older much older women. She claimed she did it to make them feel good. But actually it made her feel good knowing they got something out of her flirting with them it fed her ego. She flirted to the point that it was embarrassing and disrespectful to me. There is not much difference at all. I started questioning all of her odd behavior the tantrums flrting, accussing me of things trying to push people out of my life. She began looking for other women online while telling me I was the love of her life. Then she dumped me when she found another. Totally ignoring me like i was nothing. SO they are very similar which is why u see them both mentioned together alot. Also, personality disorders are all the same as far as their goal which is all about them they dont feel for others. I think one difference is just a matter of how they go about getting what they want.

Answer 4

The only similarity I can think of is that they both want attention. The difference in that aspect is that Histrionics don't need that attention to be positive.