We’ve come a long way baby! Along with eight other psychiatric disorders, the American Psychiatric Association’s book on psychiatric disorders (DSM IV) will most likely eliminate the Histrionic Personality Disorder for its 5th edition, to come out in 2013. The DSM V to eliminate Nine Psychiatric Disorders in 2013.
Wow, although Freud was quite brilliant and contributed much to our understanding of behavior, the hysterical, sexually repressed woman of his Victorian times was his theoretical faux pas. He assumed the hysteric existed separate from culture and would travel through time casting her spell on whomever promised to fulfill her needs. And, boy, have women paid a high price in unfair treatment because of it. Hysteria according to the DSM IV is:
“a personality disorder characterized by a pattern of excessive emotionality, attention-seeking, need for approval and inappropriately seductive behavior. These persons are lively, dramatic, enthusiastic, and inappropriately sexually provocative. They are impressionistic, naïve, egocentric, self-indulgent, and persistently manipulative. Blanche of the Golden Girl’s sitcom was the perfect histrionic stereotype.
What is so wrong with the histrionic woman in our day and time? It’s sexist! And, although the DSM IV has been careful to label the histrionic as persons rather than women, we all know it’s women to whom they are referring.
The damage has been done, and we are still trying to recover from this Victorian rendition of us. I for one as a woman and as a professional in the field of clinical psychology will be happy to see this category gone forever.
Some of the ways in which this disorder has worked to keep women down are:
I for one enjoy being a feminine, intelligent woman who enjoys the differences between men and women but resists any description of my gender that is meant to keep me down. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.
