Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated, “The fundamental characteristic of histrionic personality disorder is that these individuals live as if on a theater stage. They crave attention and are fueled by praise.” He added, “In individuals with histrionic traits, the prefrontal cortex may not have matured sufficiently. This weakens the ability to act thoughtfully and causes the person to act with their emotions and feelings.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also explained that when examining the childhood of individuals with histrionic personality disorder, it is observed that they experienced discrimination in love within the family. He noted that if these individuals are women, they can be a 'huntress' type, and if men, they can be antisocial, emphasizing that they sexualize everything except sex itself.
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, discussed theatrical personalities (Histrionic Personality Disorder).
Playing a role is their natural state…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated, “The fundamental characteristic of histrionic personality disorder is that these individuals live as if on a theater stage. They crave attention and are fueled by praise.” He added, “They are emotional. Playing a role is their natural state. They exaggerate events. When they enter a group, they want everyone to pay attention to them. They seek approval. When they don't receive the attention and approval they desire, they become unwell, faint, and exhibit unusual behavior.”
Sacrifice is a language of love…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that these individuals equate love and attention with love itself, but love can exist without attention. He explained, “A person who truly understands love knows the languages of love. Giving gifts is a language of love. Physical touch is a language of love. Sacrifice is a language of love. Acts of service, such as caring for someone when they are sick, are a language of love. A spouse dedicating time is a language of love. However, these individuals think, 'My spouse should belong only to me, should only do what I want, and shouldn't even love their mother.' In other words, they have very jealous traits. They use their physical attractiveness very effectively.”
They watch people turn against each other and enjoy it…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan explained, “When these types of individuals are cornered, they faint, vomit, or have pain somewhere. Their biggest characteristic is exaggerating everything. That's why they are referred to as 'theatrical.' For instance, if these individuals are in a workplace, they can do many things that would cause the workplace to turn into a battlefield. People fall out with each other, and they watch from the sidelines, enjoying it.” He described how, in the background, these individuals have a hunger for attention and love, feel unloved, and tend to fill the void within them as if in a theater performance.
They do everything for their own interests
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that among men, most of these types are theatrical personalities with an actor's mindset, and these individuals are also hypocritical, speaking differently at every table, not keeping their word, lying a lot, and being egocentric. He said, “They do everything for their own interests. They easily adopt any role. They play the role of being very religious with you. With another, they play the nationalist role. Unfortunately, both traditional and social media support this personality trait.”
They sexualize everything except sex
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that theatrical personalities also have narcissistic traits, but their dominant characteristics are a hunger for attention and self-display. He said, “If these individuals are women, they become 'huntress' women. Men are antisocial. They play a strong role. They are masculine, thuggish types. Lies, deceit, intrigue—everything is used to reach their goal. They sexualize everything except sex itself… These two personalities find each other. They inflict violence upon each other but cannot leave each other. Such individuals, antisocials and histrionics, find each other. They torment each other and cannot separate. There is constant conflictual communication, and in such families, the children pay the price.”
They love to create scandals…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that these types of individuals love to create scandals. He advised, “When they do good and right things, one should approve, but not approve of their wrong actions. They provoke and anger their spouse, and they enjoy this. If the spouse remains calm when they are defiant, they draw them from their 'game arena' into their own 'game arena.' Thus, they use their thinking brain. If there is love, conflictual communication in a relationship can improve.”
Those who marry these individuals fear a second marriage…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that one should believe in what a histrionic person does, not what they say. He explained, “If a person maintains a determined, consistent, and disciplined relationship, they can eventually abandon their problematic behaviors and establish a healthy relationship. However, in relationships with such individuals, one must be cautious; they can take words, embellish them, distort them, and re-present them. Therefore, being discreet is important. These types of relationships are challenging. Those who marry such individuals once often fear a second marriage. To avoid getting into trouble with them, and to prevent situations from escalating into arguments and conflicts, one must act with thought, not emotions. When angry, a person's reason is disabled, and emotions and feelings come to the forefront. This can lead to a raised voice, increased tensions, and conflicts. These individuals are types that test patience and push the other party's boundaries. They typically exhibit sexual freedom and passionate behaviors. They dress strikingly and dazzlingly, using their sexual appeal to attract men's attention, and they perceive this attention as a success. If you approve of their provocative attitudes, these behaviors will increase even further.”
It is not possible for everyone to love you in life
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also explained that when examining the childhood of individuals with histrionic personality disorder, it is observed that they experienced discrimination in love within the family. He said, “In a family, one child is loved excessively, while another is loved less. In these situations, the less loved child tries to form a coalition with the mother or father in the family. For example, a girl might side with her mother, while another child sides with their father. In this case, children exhibit exaggerated behaviors to win their parents' love. These behaviors are reinforced when approved and receive attention. Furthermore, similar problems arise in children who received excessive love in childhood but were raised inconsistently regarding discipline. These children are constantly seeking love, expecting everyone to love them. However, it is not possible for everyone to love you in life. This situation, as a result of the excessive love the child received, leads them to develop a love-centric approach.”
Healthy communication is essential for a secure relationship!
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also pointed out that psychological approaches emphasizing “love, love, love” have recently been questioned. He stated, “Love is an important element, but healthy communication is also essential for a secure relationship. If communication is not healthy, even abundant love will not build trust. If you say 'I love you very much' in the morning and 'God damn you' in the afternoon, this inconsistency leads to negative effects on the child. Inconsistent discipline and abundant love can cause a child to become spoiled and immature. These individuals, even if physically 20 years old, are psychologically like 10-year-olds.”
The prefrontal cortex may not have matured sufficiently…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that there are some innate biological differences between male and female brains, continuing as follows:
“These differences are also evident in the expression of emotions. For example, men can hide their hatred for 40 days, while they express their love immediately. Women, on the other hand, can hide their love for 40 days but cannot hide their hatred even for a day; they tend to express it immediately. When these tendencies go to extremes, they can exhibit histrionic characteristics. For instance, if their spouse looks sullen for a day due to emotional reasons, such individuals can immediately express their negative feelings. When we look at brain function, the left brain is associated with functions such as logic, reasoning, analysis, speech, and calculation, and is characterized as masculine. The right brain is concerned with functions such as emotions, excitements, music, art, and holistic thought, and is defined as feminine. The prefrontal cortex maintains the balance between these two hemispheres. This balance matures around the age of 22, along with adolescence. However, in individuals with histrionic traits, the prefrontal cortex may not have matured sufficiently. This weakens the ability to act thoughtfully and causes the person to act with their emotions and feelings.”
These individuals act without considering the consequences
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that these individuals generally pursue their desires and act without considering the consequences, a situation that makes them prone to addictions. He said, “Constantly chasing desires leads the brain to be programmed in this way. When one desire ends, a new one emerges, which creates dissatisfaction and uncertainty. Uncertainty, in turn, is one of the biggest causes of worry and anxiety. However, if a person focuses on their ideas and ideals instead of chasing their desires, it becomes easier to manage these desires.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that individuals with Histrionic Personality Disorder mature as years pass but also lose a lot.
Awareness is a critical first step in the treatment process
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the process of diagnosing individuals with Histrionic Personality Disorder can be carried out through personality tests and clinical observations. He said, “Some individuals might say, 'This is how I am, but I'm not happy with it.' If the results indicate a childlike level, we confront the individual with this. If the individual accepts it, this awareness provides a 50 percent improvement. Awareness is a critical first step in the treatment process. After awareness develops, we work on problem-solving methods. For example, when a conflict arises, we look at the individual's reactions; if they give self-centered responses, we work on developing empathy. We also focus on stress management; for those who tend to escape when faced with stress, we teach more effective coping methods. Since communication styles are often incorrect, we work on correcting these patterns.
If the individual is open to changing themselves, a solution is possible. All these processes are linked to the person's awareness, communication style, and problem-solving skills. The maturation process is not easy; people generally experience this process through trial and error. However, intelligent individuals can develop themselves by learning from the experiences of others.” He concluded his remarks.