Histrionic

I've read an article about my favorite writer in a UP website and since I really relate to all her writings, I decided to take the quiz she mentioned in the article. She said she's a HISTRIONIC, a personality disorder. Guess who else is a histrionic? Your guess is as good as mine. ;-)



HISTRIONICS:



Histrionic personality disorder involves a pattern of excessive emotional expression and attention-seeking, including an excessive need for approval and inappropriate seductiveness, that usually begins in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:



1. is uncomfortable in situations in which he or she is not the center of attention

2. interaction with others is often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior

3. displays rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions

4. consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to self

5. has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail

6. shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion

7. is suggestible, i.e., easily influenced by others or circumstances

8. considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are



It's confirmed. I'm really a nutcase. In my amateur-psychologist way, I can now see where all of these came from. Lack of attention during childhood leading to underachieving school years (Yeah, right. Blame the 3-time 99.1-taker to a personality disorder rather than to frequent visits to SM City), and fear of intimacy (bwahahaha, that last bit will be denied vehemently to all who will quote me.)



Now, those of you who knows me will know if I'm really histrionic or not. I believe I exhibit 5 of the abovementioned characteristics but not more than that.



Well, I didn't know that they have a 'medical' term for people like me. I thought I just like it when people are laughing at my jokes, and I'm the only one talking. I thought I'm just a drama queen, set out to conquer the real world with her big and small moments. I thought I was just a gal who likes to have it all, attention and everything else. And here I thought I'm the only one who can be sexy, provocative and insanely drawing attention to herself by using these methods. What's more, I really believed that some relationships are more serious than I thought. Well, I was corrected then. And maybe rightly so.



I should be embarrassed to write these down. But I'm not. A true histrionic, I love it that these people can describe me quite accurately (5 out of 8 is quite accurate). I love it that they have a medical term for me. I love it that I have a new way of describing myself really. And most of all, I love that I have something new to talk about myself even if it's a personality disorder.



Others may be ashamed to admit to their own personality disorders. Others may feigned disbelief and vehemently goes into self-denial. Well, not the histrionics of the world. Everyone has a quirk, or a flaw. And I like that mine is just the love of being the center of attention, and not obsessive-compulsive tendencies, or a strong desire to steal, or even having a case of multiple personalities.



Now I know how I will sound intellectual next time they asked me to describe myself...'I'm a bit of a histrionic, really.'



Beats saying 'I'm an attention whore, really.'