Key Findings
Amber Heard has been having a controversial
Disorder of the histrionic personality
The diagnosis is sexist at its core and may support stereotypes.
Recurring symptoms, difficult to diagnose
How to diagnose mental illness
American actress Amber Laura Heard was born on April 22, 1986. She made her acting debut in the 2006 horror film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, before appearing in films such as The Ward and Drive Angry (2011). She also played supporting roles in films such as The Danish Girl, Pineapple Express, Never Back Down, The Joneses, Machete Kills and Magic Mike XXL (2015).
Heard plays the role of Mera in the DC Extended Universe films Aquaman (2018), Justice League (2017) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (out 2019). (2023). She has also appeared in television shows such as The Stand and Hidden Palms (2007). (2020). Heard is an advocate for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Stand Up for Human Rights campaign and is an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Ambassador for Women’s Rights.
Amber Heard has been identified as a controversial woman.
A forensic psychologist hired by Johnny Depp’s legal team claims his ex, actress Amber Heard, suffers from borderline and histrionic personality disorders. According to Heard’s psychologist, the only illness Heard suffers from is post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of Depp’s alleged assault.
A weeks-long defamation lawsuit involving the former couple has further exposed their toxic relationship and recently brought previously unknown personality disorders to the public eye.
Although histrionic personality disorder is included as an official diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, some mental health experts argue that the term is outdated, misogynistic, and stigmatizing.
According to Shannon Curry, PsyD, MSCP, a forensic psychologist employed by Depp’s legal team, Heard is believed to have borderline and histrionic personality disorder.
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Disorder of the Histrionic Personality
The narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders, which are frequently characterized by dramatic, excitable, unpredictable, or volatile behaviors, and BPD are relatives of the histrionic personality disorder.
According to recently updated continuing education materials for psychiatrists and psychologists, histrionic personality disorder specifically specifies exaggerated emotions and attention-seeking actions. Patients must satisfy at least five of the following requirements in order to be diagnosed with the condition:
- When not the center of attention, uncomfortable
- Provocative or seductive behavior
- Shifting and fleeting feelings
- attractiveness is used to attract attention
- Impressionistic and ambiguous language
- Exaggerated or dramatic feelings
- Suggestible
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The Diagnosis Has Sexism at Its Core and May Support Stereotypes.
Histrionic personality disorder, which is diagnosed four times more frequently in women because of the stigma associated with their supposedly “seductive” behavior, is believed to affect between 2% and 3% of the population. It is not known what causes it, however having a family history and having experienced childhood sexual abuse raise the risk.
According to Roxanne Khan, Lecturer in Forensic Psychology at the University of Central Lancashire, women diagnosed with HPD face a dilemma. On the other side of the HPD coin, these traits are typical of victims of childhood trauma or abuse. On the other hand, these characteristics are used to categorize these women as disturbed.
The clinical psychologist Ramani Durvasula According to her, the term hysteria, which is used to attribute women’s emotions, symptoms and behaviors to the womb, is linked to the diagnosis, which is another reason why it is condemned. She remarked: The name is very misogynistic and anti-feminist. (However, the term histrionic comes directly from the word actor.) According to Durvasula, a specialist in narcissism and other personality disorders, the DSM could soon phase out the diagnosis.
She remarked: I think the histrionic personality is like a mild form of narcissism—not so much the seductive attention-seeking and superficial dramatic emotion as the malicious manipulation.
However, continuing to equate men with psychopathy and women with HPD can perpetuate sexist notions that women are insane, Khan says.
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Recurring symptoms, difficult to diagnose
The number of people who search Google for more information about these mental illnesses has increased since the experiment began.
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), according to the National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, is a condition characterized by difficulties in controlling emotions. In borderline personality disorder, the feelings are intense and long-lasting, making it more difficult for the sufferer to return to a stable baseline after an emotionally upsetting event. ²
Intense emptiness, emotional instability, a strong fear of abandonment (actual or imagined), and a shaky self-image are some symptoms of BPD.
Other personality disorders, particularly BPD, and histrionic personality disorder often coexist. A histrionic personality disorder is National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) as a mental illness defined by a pattern of heightened emotionality and attention-seeking behavior. (It is also called dramatic personality disorder referred to, which is perhaps more commonly used).
Within the personality disorder category known as Cluster B, there is a histrionic personality disorder. Narcissistic personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder are examples of disorders in cluster B of personality disorders.
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How to diagnose mental illness
Curry’s assessment is based on a 12-hour interview with Heard, during which he conducted a series of mental health assessments, as well as on Heard’s medical records, which include numerous papers, audio, images and videos. While there is no fixed timeline for diagnosing these disorders, it is unusual to come to such a conclusion as quickly as Curry did.
A forensic psychologist named John Delatorre, PsyD, says: I believe the process by which these diagnoses, particularly the personality disorders, were made is incorrect. A persistent pattern of disruptive behaviors and experiences that deviate from social norms and cultural expectations is called a personality disorder.
Experts are concerned that the study’s headlines and information could mislead people into self-diagnosing these diseases in themselves or in other people in their lives. Because these diagnoses are so serious, people shouldn’t rely on social media to determine whether or not they have the disease, Delatorre said. People concerned about their mental health should speak to a mental health professional rather than solely relying on information they find in the media or on social media.
