Programs for Teenagers With Histrionic Personality Disorder

Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is a mental health condition that typically starts by young adulthood. It’s characterized by extreme emotionality and excessive attention-seeking behaviors. This can include provocative, inappropriate behaviors that concern parents.

Behaviors seen in HPD fall outside of typical teenage development. People with HPD may dramatize their emotions, which otherwise lack depth. They can be overly concerned with their appearance and may seek reactions from others. Impulse control can be a challenge.

Early intervention means that youth can address symptoms of mental health conditions like HPD at a young age. This sets them up for success later. So, what should you know about teen histrionic personality disorder treatment?

Mental health professionals must address both the emotional and behavioral aspects of the condition. A proper diagnosis is critical. This is contingent on a full, deep understanding of HPD. Artemis Adolescent Healing Center provides effective HPD treatment for teens.

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What Does Teen Histrionic Personality Disorder Treatment Involve?

Talk therapy is the primary treatment for HPD. Common therapeutic modalities include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a popular therapy, heavily backed by extensive research. It can be adapted to treat many conditions. CBT is an excellent type of therapy for behavior change. It helps people understand the relationship between their thoughts, behaviors, and feelings.

When used for HPD, CBT can:

Help people challenge (and change) beliefs like “I am only worthy when I’m noticed.”
Provide strategies for reducing potentially detrimental or impulsive behaviors.
Provide healthier coping strategies and emotion regulation skills.

These are just some examples of CBT goals for people with personality disorders. Sessions will be tailored to the teen’s unique goals.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Originally developed for borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can be very helpful for people with HPD. The therapy focuses on core elements, including:

Emotion regulation. DBT helps people manage intense emotions. This can reduce emotional outbursts and the need for attention-seeking behaviors.
Distress tolerance. DBT provides tools that help teens handle overwhelming emotions without resorting to impulsive actions.
Mindfulness. When used for HPD, mindfulness helps teens increase self-awareness regarding emotional states, reducing the need for external validation.
Interpersonal effectiveness. Helps teens improve social skills, communicate with others better, and build healthier relationships.

Often, DBT is conducted in group settings. DBT group therapy is used alongside other treatments at Artemis.

Family Therapy Sessions

In family therapy, family members come to sessions together as a unit. Therapists can help with goals such as improving family dynamics, increasing understanding, and finding healthy communication strategies.

Trauma Focused Therapies

Some people with HPD have underlying trauma. Specialized therapies for trauma can be beneficial for childhood trauma survivors. Artemis offers effective trauma treatment for teens. Providers use modalities such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.

Other Treatments and Interventions

Other treatments and interventions can help teens with histrionic personality disorder, too. These may include, but aren’t necessarily limited to:

Psychodynamic therapy. In psychodynamic therapy, you explore how past memories, thoughts, and feelings affect your actions in the present day. It can help teens with HPD understand and change their behavior.
Schema therapy. Schemas are maladaptive patterns of thinking that could lead a person to engage in unhealthy behavior. Often used to treat personality disorders, schema therapy works by helping people recognize and change these patterns, which may include negative beliefs about themselves.
Medication. In some cases, medications like antidepressants and mood stabilizers can help teens with HPD and co-occurring disorders.

Everyone with HPD is unique. Their treatment should be, too. The process should always begin with a thorough evaluation, where providers get to know the child, their history, symptoms, and goals.

Treatment Programs for Teens with Histrionic Personality Disorder in Arizona

Image of teenagers participating in HPD treatment programs at an adolescent healing center in Arizona

Treatment programs for teens provide care more intensive than weekly therapy. They’re immersive and structured. That way, teens get the support they need to make optimal progress. Here are the treatment options at Artemis.

Inpatient Histronic Personality Disorder Treatment for Teens

Teens in our inpatient programs live on-site at our center in Arizona for the duration of the program (usually, 30-60 days). It provides intensive therapy, allowing youth to focus on healing from mental health concerns.

Benefits of inpatient care at Artemis include:

Around-the-clock supervision (staff members are present 24/7).
Upscale amenities, such as a pool and basketball court.
Healthy activities, like exercise and yoga.
Individualized treatment plans.
A home-like environment.
Family visitation.
Evidence-based therapy.
Supportive treatments.
Fresh, nutritious meals.

Adolescents get at least once-weekly individual therapy. Groups are held daily. Ideally, family members can expect to participate in family therapy sessions once per week.

Outpatient Histrionic Personality Disorder Treatment for Teens

The outpatient mental health and addiction treatment programs for youth at our center use the same highly effective approach as our inpatient programs. However, they allow teens to receive therapy for HPD and other disorders while living off-site.

Outpatient programs at Artemis include our:

Partial hospitalization program.
Intensive outpatient program.
Outpatient program.

Outpatient care can be used for ongoing support following inpatient treatment. Alternatively, PHP and IOP can be ideal starting levels of care for clients who do not need therapy as intensive as an inpatient program would provide when they first enter treatment.

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Addressing HPD and Co-Occurring Conditions

Often, HPD co-occurs with other mental disorders. For example, a person with HPD might also have:

Other personality disorders. People with HPD may have another personality disorder, too. For example, borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and dependent personality disorder often co-occur.[1]
Somatic symptom disorder. Characterized by distressing somatic (physical) symptoms, which may or may not have a medical cause, somatic symptom disorder causes real suffering for the person experiencing it.
Mood disorders. Many people with HPD also have mood disorders, like depression. Symptoms may worsen as a result of complications from HPD, like relationship challenges.
Anxiety disorders. Behaviors seen in HPD can lead to high-stress situations. These may intensify symptoms of conditions like generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder.
Substance use disorders. People with HPD can be more prone to substance abuse, often due to challenges like impulsivity and unmet emotional needs.
Eating disorders. People with personality disorders may also have eating disorders. As an example, traits like impulsivity and emotional dysregulation can be associated with bulimia.[2]

In this case, treating all mental health concerns holistically is important. At Artemis, therapy focuses on and considers everything that factors into a teen’s unique care needs, including co-occurring disorders.

What Causes HPD in Teens?

Image representing the environmental and psychological causes of histrionic personality disorder in teenagers

There’s no known singular cause of histrionic personality disorder. However, several factors are said to contribute to its development.[3] These should be addressed in treatment if applicable.

Genetic Predisposition and Family History

Histrionic personality disorder tends to run in families. Scientists believe there may be a genetic (inherited) link.[4]

Early Life Experiences

Adverse childhood experiences raise the risk of HPD. It is strongly associated with sexual abuse. It’s important that trauma survivors with HPD and other disorders receive trauma-informed care.

Environmental Factors in HPD

An environmental factor is something that happens around a person. Broadly, they refer to external influences of various kinds. For example, physical surroundings, family dynamics, poverty, and support networks.

These are the “nurture” in nurture vs. nature. Twin studies suggest that environmental factors may play a role in the development of HPD.

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What are the Signs and Symptoms of Histrionic Personality Disorder in Teenagers?

How do you know if your adolescent has HPD? Histrionic personality disorder is diagnosed using the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

A teenager must show at least five of the following signs and behaviors to be diagnosed with HPD.

Rapidly shifting, shallow emotions.
Consistently utilizes physical appearance to attract attention.
Discomfort in situations in which they are not the center of attention.
Exaggerated expressions of emotions that are theatrical and dramatized.
Interactions with other people are often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior.
Speech that is impressionistic, vague, and lacks detail.
Perceives relationships as more intimate than they are.
Easily influenced by others or circumstances.

Histrionic personality disorder cannot be self-diagnosed. Like other mental health conditions, it requires an evaluation from a mental health provider. During the diagnostic process, providers will rule out other possible causes of symptoms.

Diagnosing HPD usually involves extensive interaction with the client. Your teen can get help for their mental health, whether they currently have a diagnosis or not.