This just kills me emotionally, because I once loved someone like that...

I'm posting a link to a tumblog about it, and what is below is sourced from that...  Ignore, personal stuff...  Just makes me want to cry.  Content isn't mine, this is a re-post from elsewhere.

 http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/histrionic-personality-disorder

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Histrionic Personality Disorder

So as the entire fucking universe knows by now I’m a depressive nutjob :D
And if you know me well enough you probably know its coz I’ve got something called HPD (its not a sex disease i promise) - Histrionic Personality Disorder is a “Cluster B” personality disorder [i know, i spend too much time with my psychiatrist] but since I can’t be bothered writing an essay explaining why i am the way i am, here’s a psych article to do the talking for me.(don’t ask me why i’m doing this, maybe coz i’m bored, maybe because i just [like anyone] want to be understood… probably because i’m bored).

But all jokes aside, the main reason i’m posting this here is so people who wanna get a little insight can and so if ANY of you are suffering from this disorder (see the symptoms below) - you might find a little peace in it, know you ain’t alone and maybe, hopefully, you’ll get help.
———-

love and junk guys and girls
What is histrionic personality disorder?
Histrionic personality disorder is one of a group of conditions called dramatic personality disorders. People with these disorders have intense, unstable emotions and distorted self-images. For people with histrionic personality disorder, their self-esteem depends on the approval of others and does not arise from a true feeling of self-worth. They have an overwhelming desire to be noticed, and often employ manipulative and/or deceptive tactics to achieve their goals. The word histrionic means “actor”
What are the symptoms of histrionic personality disorder?
In many cases, people with histrionic personality disorder have good social skills; however, they tend to use these skills to manipulate others in order to gain affection or to harm those they see as threats or “obstacles” in regards to their emotional/social well being.
A person with this disorder might also:

• Be uncomfortable unless he or she is (or is close to) the center of attention
• Engage in overly seductive/flirtatious behavior
• Use highly manipulative/deceptive techniques
• Display a clear, highly advanced, understanding of the emotions of others
• Shift emotions rapidly
• Appear to lack genuine sincerty
• Be overly concerned with physical appearances (both of themselves and of others)
• Constantly seek reassurance or approval
• Be socially elitist by their own standards
• Be excessively sensitive to criticism or disapproval
• Have a low tolerance for frustration and be easily bored by routine, often beginning projects without finishing them or skipping from one event to another
• Not think before acting
• Make rash or reckless decisions
• Be self-centered and rarely show concern for others outside their own circle
• Have difficulty maintaining relationships due to a lack of self-worth
• Engage in suicidal or other self-harming behavior

What causes histrionic personality disorder?
The exact cause of histrionic personality disorder is not known, but many mental health professionals believe that both learned and inherited factors play a role in its development. For example, the tendency for histrionic personality disorder to run in families suggests that a genetic susceptibility for the disorder might be inherited. However, the child of a parent with this disorder might simply be repeating learned behavior. Other environmental factors that might be involved include a lack of affection or a lack of control over personal situations as a child, positive reinforcement that is given only when a child completes certain approved behaviors, and unpredictable attention given to a child by authority figures such as teachers and parents, all leading to confusion about what types of behavior earn validation and approval. It is commonly accepted that most patients suffering from histrionic tendencies develop highly advanced and well practiced manipulative techniques as a survival instinct early on in the developmental phase in order to cope with an intense emotional disturbance or event. When these techniques are unable to gain them what it is they believe they need or want, they become highly prone to self-destructive behavior potentially leading to suicidal tendencies.
How is histrionic personality disorder diagnosed?
If symptoms are present, the doctor will begin an evaluation by performing a complete medical history and physical examination. Although there are no laboratory tests to specifically diagnose personality disorders, the doctor might use various diagnostic tests to rule out physical illness as the cause of the symptoms.
If the doctor finds no physical reason for the symptoms, he or she might refer the person to a psychiatrist or psychologist, health care professionals who are specially trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses. Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview and assessment tools to evaluate a person for a personality disorder.
How is histrionic personality disorder treated?
In general, people with histrionic personality disorder are open to the idea of therapy as a way to gain attention. But they also tend to be unable to correctly express their feelings and dislike the psychiatric routine, which makes following a treatment plan difficult. However, they might be more willing to commit to a recovery plan if depression — possibly associated with a loss (i.e. the death of a loved one) or a failed relationship — or another problem caused by their emotional behavior causes them distress.
Psychotherapy (a type of counseling) is generally the treatment of choice for histrionic personality disorder. The goal of treatment is to help the individual uncover the motivations and fears associated with his or her thoughts and behavior, and to help the person learn to relate to others in a more positive way.
Medication might be used to treat the distressing symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, that might co-occur with this disorder.
What are the complications of histrionic personality disorder?
Histrionic personality disorder can affect a person’s social, occupational or romantic relationships and how a person reacts to losses, disapproval or failures. People with this disorder are also at higher risk than the general population to suffer from depression. Psychologists and psychiatrists may also struggle when treating the histrionic patient as those suffering from the condition are prone to use manipulative behavior in order to gain power over the treating physician. For this reason therapists (depending on the emotional intelligence of the patient) commonly tread with caution in order to remain in control of the treatment program.
What is the outlook for people with histrionic personality disorder?
Many people with this disorder are unable to function appropriately in an occupational capacity, contrastingly however, histrionics usually adapt well and subtly dominate in a social environment, finding themselves more comfortable in the company of others than they do on their own. Unfortunately histrionic individuals, despite being extremely sociable, struggle to connect to others on anything more than a superficial level. Where others might feel they are deeply and/or intimately involved with the individual, the feelings are rarely reciprocated as histrionicity often leads the individual to a phobia of becoming emotionally vulnerable by giving up their deceptive behaviors. Above all else the histrionic craves the love and affection of others and, more often than not, seeks to develop romantic relationships despite their inability to act in an honest (and therefore vulnerable) way. Ultimately the histrionic employs his or her manipulative tactics in order to remain emotionally distant without appearing as such. By keeping relationships on a seemingly deep, yet, on the individual’s part, entirely superficial level, the patient is able to conceal their feelings and thus protect themselves socially and emotionally.
What are the dangers of histrionic personality disorder?
For those surrounding the individual, the danger lies in the histrionic’s ability to “read” those they encounter (a trait of their highly manipulative behavior), they may then go on to expose and prey on the wants, fears, beliefs and feelings of others should the histrionic deem them a “threat” to his or her own social/emotional well-being.
For the patients themselves, the danger lies in their highly unstable emotions - usually associated with feelings of low self-worth and loneliness. When the histrionic individual begins to lose control of their environment (either outwardly or inwardly) they, in part, blame the actions of others but ultimately feel it is a failure on their own behalf. As a result highly histrionic individuals often turn to self-destructive behaviors and, if unassisted, may become suicidal.
Those suffering from histrionic personality disorder are frequently far more influenced by their emotions than those who are not. For the most part they are well-practiced at feigning emotions, often appearing to be content or at ease when they are not - it is only when the individual’s emotions become too overwhelming that they are no longer capable of concealing their instablity - at this point the patient may experience a psychotic episode, manifesting as an extreme display of emotional devestation. For this reason histrionics are often misdiagnosed as bipolar due to their seemingly sudden shift into suicidality.
Can histrionic personality disorder be prevented?
Although prevention of the disorder might not be possible, treatment can allow a person who is prone to histrionicity to learn more productive ways of dealing with their situation. Ultimately the individual requires a sense of connectedness to others that, due to their condition, they often prevent themselves from having.