A Case Report of a Somatization Disorder Patient with Histrionic Personality Disorder

Citation (APA style): Kim, S-J., Ryu, C-G., Cho, A-R., Seo, J-H., Kim, J-N., Sung, W-Y., & Park, J-H. (2012). A case report of a somatization disorder patient with histrionic personality disorder. Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry, 23(2), 85-98. doi:10.7231/JON.2012.23.2.085

Abstract

Objectives: The histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is characterized by a pattern of excessive emotion and attention-seeking, including seductive behavior. HPD is closely related to somatization disorder, which is characterized by various physical symptoms that have no pathological manifestation. This report is on the case of 55 year old woman with HPD, and suffering from various physical symptoms that coincide with the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for somatization disorder.

Methods: The patient was treated with oriental medical treatments (acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping therapy, and herbal medications), clinical hynotherapy, and emotional freedom techniques. The effects of treatment were measured by VAS.

Results: Chest pain was improved by hynotherapy and oriental medical treatments. The patient’s pantalgia and abdominal discomfort were controlled effectively by emotional freedom techniques.

Conclusions: This result suggests that EFT might be effective for the defensive and dependent somatization disorder patient with HPD.

Keywords

histrionic personality disorder (HPD), EFT, oriental medical treatment, clinical hypnotherapy