False Accusations & Histrionic Personality Disorder

Psychological effects of false accusations in a relationship with a histrionic personality disorder sufferer

Criminal defense lawyer, Michael Waddington, discusses Histrionic Personality disorder and its relationship to FALSE allegations of rape sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, military sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and what you should do if you or a loved one are wrongly accused of sexual assault or rape. The video also discusses the psychological effects of false accusations in a relationship.

What to know when a person with a histrionic personality disorder makes false accusations against you

▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

0:00 – Intro

0:49 – What is Histrionic personality disorder

1:22 – HPD criteria 1 – Uncomfortable when not the center of attention

2:41 – HPD criteria 2 – Seductive or provocative behavior

3:50 – HPD criteria 3 – Shifting and shallow emotions

4:48 – HPD criteria 4 – Uses appearance to draw attention

6:06 – HPD criteria 5 – Impressionistic and vague speech

8:02 – HPD criteria 6 – Dramatic or exaggerated emotions

9:33 – Histrionic personality disorder and false accusations

12:33 – HPD criteria 7 – Suggestible (easily influenced by others)

16:28 – HPD criteria 8 – Considers relationships more intimate than they are

18:06 – Summary of Histrionic personality disorder criteria

Histrionic personality disorder (HPD), is a dramatic personality disorder, similar to Borderline Personality Disorder, and is a psychiatric disorder distinguished by a pattern of exaggerated emotionality and attention-seeking behaviors.

Histrionic personality disorder falls within the “Cluster B” of personality disorders. Cluster B personality disorders include conditions such as narcissistic personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder.

Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) women tend to target with false accusations:

• “Nice men”
• Overly respectful men
• Men that are grounded
• Men that are trusting

Per DSM-5 criteria, a diagnosis of a histrionic personality disorder requires a pervasive and ubiquitous pattern of consistent attention-seeking behaviors and emotional dysregulation as outlined by specific manifestations.

Diagnosis requires meeting five (or more) of the following criteria:

1. Uncomfortable when not the center of attention
2. Seductive or provocative behavior
3. Shifting and shallow emotions
4. Uses appearance to draw attention
5. Impressionistic and vague speech
6. Dramatic or exaggerated emotions
7. Suggestible (easily influenced by others)
8. Considers relationships more intimate than they are

These patients take repression and dissociation as a significant form of defense mechanism.

A person with a histrionic personality disorder might also:

• Be uncomfortable unless he or she is the center of attention
• Dress provocatively and/or exhibit inappropriately seductive or flirtatious behavior
• Shift emotions rapidly
• Act very dramatically—as though performing before an audience
• Have exaggerated emotions and expressions, yet appears to lack sincerity
• Be overly concerned with physical appearance
• Constantly seek reassurance or approval
• Be gullible and easily influenced by others
• 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
• Be overly concerned with physical appearance
• Not think before acting
• Make rash decisions
• Be self-centered and rarely show concern for others
• Have difficulty maintaining relationships, often seeming fake or shallow in their dealings with others
• Threaten or attempt suicide to get attention
• These personality disorders are commonly described as:
• Dramatic, excitable, erratic, or volatile.

People with histrionic personality disorder (HPD) typically present as:

• flirtatious
• seductive
• charming
• manipulative
• impulsive
• lively

This chart shows the alleged symptoms of Military Sexual Trauma – MST. MST and lifetime benefits are the primary factors motivating false sexual assault accusations in the military.

These vague symptoms below of Military Sexual Trauma (MST), as defined by the Department of Veterans Affairs, describe many of the same characteristics as those suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD). As such, it is easy for a fake victim with BPD or HPD to qualify for VA Disability and early medical retirement for preexisting mental health conditions. All they need to do is add in an unwanted sexual advance, sexual harassment, sexual assault, a butt grab, drunk sex, or sexual comments, and they will likely get a lifetime of free benefits.

They may be vibrant, enchanting, overly seductive, or inappropriately sexual with most of the people they meet, even when they are not sexually attracted to them.

Infographic on Military Sexual Trauma MST-VA Disability for Military Sexual Assault PTSD
People presenting with a histrionic personality disorder (HPD) may demonstrate rapidly shifting and shallow emotions that others may perceive as insincere.

Those with a histrionic personality disorder may speak in a vague style that lacks in detail. They may be impressionable, gullible, suggestible, and easily influenced–especially by the people they admire. They tend to consider relationships closer than they usually are.

Infographic Military Sexual Trauma – MST Symptoms VA Disability Ratings

Lawyers for false accusations

Our lawyers for false accusations fight false sexual assault claims worldwide. Sexual Crimes Criminal Lawyers. We defend military sex crimes and sexual assault cases worldwide, and state criminal cases in Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and South Carolina. We also handle federal criminal cases across the country.