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One psychologist said Amber Heard has histrionic personality disorder, characterized by dramatic, attention-seeking behavior.
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The condition is much more commonly diagnosed in women, and the label may perpetuate sexist stereotypes.
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A psychologist told Insider she suspects the outdated term will disappear from future DSMs.
According to a forensic psychologist hired by Johnny Depp’s legal team, his ex-actress Amber Heard has histrionic and borderline personality disorders.
Heard’s psychologist has said that the only condition Heard suffers from is post-traumatic stress disorder, due to Depp’s alleged abuse.
The former couple are in the midst of a weeks-long defamation lawsuit that has further exposed their toxic relationship and, more recently, brought relatively unknown personality disorders into the public consciousness.
While histrionic personality disorder is an official diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, some mental health professionals say it’s outdated, sexist, and stigmatizing.
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Along with BPD, histrionic personality is a cousin of narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders, which are often characterized by dramatic, irritable, erratic, or volatile behavior.
Histrionic personality disorder specifically describes exaggerated emotions and attention-seeking behavior, according to recently updated continuing education material for psychiatrists and psychologists. To be diagnosed with the condition, patients must meet at least five of the following criteria:
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Awkward when he’s not the center of attention
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Seductive or provocative behavior
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Shifting and superficial emotions
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Used appearance to attract attention
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Impressionistic and fuzzy speech
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Dramatic or exaggerated emotions
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Suggestible
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Views relationships as more intimate than they are
These features should also be pervasive and affect the person’s daily functioning.
“The typical patient dresses flamboyantly, is very engaging and at times entertaining. Their stories are usually very interesting and are told in a very emotional tone,” Dr. Erick Messias, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, told Insider.
Messiah said they tend to find jobs that allow them to be the center of attention, such as acting and teaching. They are prone to manipulation, including by cult leaders. However, unlike people with narcissistic personality disorder, they do have empathy for others.
While psychotherapy can help, many people with HPD find a way to live with their condition, Messiah said, and don’t see their traits as problematic.
The diagnosis is rooted in sexism and can perpetuate stereotypes
About 2 to 3% of the population is estimated to have histrionic personality disorder, which is four times more likely to be diagnosed in women — likely because of the stigma attached to their so-called “seductive” behavior. It’s unclear what causes it, but family history increases the risk, as does surviving childhood sexual abuse.
“This puts women with an HPD diagnosis in a Catch-22,” Roxanne Khan, senior lecturer in forensic psychology at the University of Central Lancashire, told Insider. “On one side of the coin, these traits are common among child abuse/trauma survivors. On the other side of the same coin, these traits are used to label these women as disordered.”
The diagnosis has also been criticized for being rooted in the term hysteria, which has historically been used to attribute women’s emotions, symptoms, and behaviors to the womb. “The name is so anti-feminine and anti-feminist,” Ramani Durvasula, a clinical psychologist who specializes in narcissism and other personality disorders, told Insider. She suspects that the DSM will soon be phasing it out.
“I think a theatrical personality is a light version of narcissism — not so much of the malicious manipulation, but rather of the seductive attention seeking and the superficial dramatic emotion,” Durvasula added.
However, women continue to label with HPD and men with psychopathy may “continue the sexist notions that women are ‘crazy’ and men are ‘bad,'” Khan said.
Read the original article on Insider
