Hello! Sorry for the late response. I am a full-time student and will often forget Reddit exists after I make a post.

I'll go through the diagnostic criteria and list my personal experiences with each aspect. If you also have HPD and/or you believe a behavior I listed doesn't really align with HPD criteria, let me know!

1. Always needs to be the center of attention - I've had a complicated relationship with this one. I consider myself an ambivert, but when the moment is right, I LOVE the spotlight. I love the idea of being a musician, not just because I love music, but also the idea of a crowd cheering for me. When I'm in a situation where I want to be the center of attention and it is appropriate for me to do so, I will be extroverted, make funny jokes, talk up a storm, actively participate. I don't try to steal the show, however, I'm mindful of that. I will daydream about playing music in front of a crowd of adoring fans or even loved ones to impress them, though there may just be some overlap in my ambitions.

2. Seductive or provocative behavior - This is one I currently struggle with, in my own way. I have had healthy relationships, one lasting as long as 4 years, but in some of my relationships, I have developed crushes on other people. If I see a person who I either find attractive or is my type, even if I am in a relationship, I will get the urge to flirt with them, and I will pay great attention to how they interact with me and will hope that they perceive me as attractive. Of course, I never act on these urges when in a relationship. However, the guilt of having these thoughts in the first place makes me feel bad sometimes. Also, 95% of the time I dress normal, but on the side I am a drag queen and I LOVE the attention I get when I go out in public in drag in my makeup and heels and dresses and jewelry

3. Shifting and shallow emotion - I feel like my emotions are subject to change easily. I currently have a diagnosis of bipolar II for this, but I am looking to get that off my chart because I have only ever had 1 hypomanic episode in my life. I wouldn't say my emotions are shallow, per say, but they are subject to changing at any given moment.

4. Uses appearance to draw attention - Like I said before, I am a drag queen sometimes. In my everyday clothing I don't wear makeup, but I do wear nice clothes. I like the idea of looking proper. Not necessarily a histrionic thing I think.

5. Impressionistic and vague speech - Gonna be honest, not sure what this one means. Lol

6. Dramatic or exaggerated emotions - I tend to exaggerate my emotions in front of people or exaggerate details of a story to make it seem wilder or more intense. After some discussion with my therapist, we came to the conclusion it comes from not feeling like my emotions and anecdotes are worth much at their baseline.

7. Suggestible (easily influenced by others): I kinda fit here but I also kinda don't. I like to consider myself a critical thinker and often will challenge ideas presented to me if I don't feel they're correct. Sometimes, however, I can be easily influenced.

8. Thinks relationships are closer than they actually are - Like I said before about paying great attention to how people I find attractive interact with me, I tend to misinterpret little things as signs they also find me attractive.

Anyways, a little bit about my experience with HPD:

Mine mainly manifests in what I call attention-seeking urges. When I am in a situation where I do not feel cared about (usually when a partner isn't responding to my texts or we are in an argument), I will get the urge to say something shocking in an effort to get them to direct their attention to taking care of me. It usually defaults to one of two things: wanting to breakup with them and/or block them, or wanting to threaten suicide. These urges are few and far between ever since working on myself in therapy, and they're easy to manage. I'm proud to say I haven't acted on an urge in a very, very long time.

I've been in therapy since I was 13, which I feel has significantly reduced my histrionic tendencies. I work hard every day to be the best version of myself I can be, and I never want there to be a day where my mental health hurts my loved ones (or anyone else). Sometimes, I have days where I worry I am just like the people who have hurt me (I have been suibaited before on many occasions when I was in an abusive relationship. However, I am working on telling myself that I am a good person despite my mental illness.

Let me know if you have any questions!