What's the different between HPD and NPD?

There is certainly a lot of overlap, but how can you distinguish the two?

Are females more likely to have HPD?

I was wondering the same thing.

HPD indeed have a higher prevalence in females.

I think woman naturally have a higher sensitivity to praise and criticism(reward dependence) whereas man because of testosterone are naturally more "cocky" and self assured.

But I think part is stereotypes and that is what I would like to hear more about.

For mens, being flirtatious towards everyone is the rule.
For woman, being perfectionist and bossy is the rule.
Yet they say that OCPD(and PPD) is more common in mans, and HPD in woman.

I think boys wont criticize other boys for being promiscuous. Now promiscuous girls will be alienated by other girls, not by the boys. Isnt that exactly a little bit of scrupulosity?

I think the older label hysterical PD meant more than histrionic PD. Indeed psychodynamic PDM, divides HPD in two, inhibited and flamboyant types.

No answers. I am also curious.

Maybe you could post that on NPD forum. HPD forum is not much active.

I think NPD can be divided in subtypes.
The Grandiose: Resembles the Paranoid and the Sociopath
The Flamboyant: Resembles the Histrionic
The Vulnerable: Resembles the Borderline.

So at the case of a Flamboyant I think distinguishing the two would be hard.

I am curious, because when I first visited my psychiatrist I asked her about schizoid PD, but she told the first impression I gave her was of histrionic. I ve read few articles sayingt that schizotypals and histrionics are very close. I came back to the topic after reading Millon chapter on histrionics, and finding some information about me.

Nevertheless I am not phisically provacative, and I think the definition of HPD has too much to do with phisical seductiveness and parties. I am indeed assexual, careless with appearance and dont like parties. I think I just have traits. If I had to diagnose my parents, I would say my father is schizoid, and my mother histrionic. Both are a little compulsive. So I guess I got mix of all that called schizotypal. But maybe another mix would be narcissistic.

I heard that one difference between the two disorders is that people with HPD tend to be genuinely attractive and have above-average looks and usually wind up being successful; meanwhile, most narcissists are nothing special. People with HPD are also more emotionally vulnerable and require constant reassurance from others (hence the attention-seeking), often resorting to theatrics, whereas people with NPD are more likely to turn inwards for gratification. In HPD, relationships are considered more intimate than they actually are; I don't know about NPD, but I don't think they'd really care about intimacy? And as many other people have pointed out, NPD affects more men than women whereas the opposite is true for HPD, to the point where most men that exhibit typically HPD symptoms are instead diagnosed with NPD.

This question has been debated in various threads on this forum, but I'm not sure any conclusions were reached. I think it is an interesting question too. Why is HPD is more commonly diagnosed in females, while a disorder like AsPD is more commonly diagnosed in males? It is reasonable I think to wonder why, and to wonder if various disorders are actually more alike than different, except that they are classified different because of differences in males versus females (e.g., social roles, upbringing, hormonal differences, etc.)

Personally I think if you really want to find out the answer to this question, then it's the people with these disorders who really know the answer. The problem there is it's really difficult to just ask people with these disorders questions that would reveal the differences (if any), and it's extremely rare that people with these disorders reach a point in life where they openly explain their perceptions. What I mean is that PDs are about a person's perception of self, perception of others, and how they react in various situations as compared with the norm. It is very difficult for many reasons, including that people with these disorders may feel there is nothing wrong, so why would they agree to such a personal inquiry?

That all written, even among quote unquote NONs, it's often difficult for men and women to explain their differences (and similarities) to each other. Males and females often have difficulty in their relationships in general. It's hard for me not to believe then that it's a factor that contributes in some ways to how people perceive themselves, and cope with damage to their sense of self worth.

xdude wrote:This question has been debated in various threads on this forum, but I'm not sure any conclusions were reached. I think it is an interesting question too. Why is HPD is more commonly diagnosed in females, while a disorder like AsPD is more commonly diagnosed in males? It is reasonable I think to wonder why, and to wonder if various disorders are actually more alike than different, except that they are classified different because of differences in males versus females (e.g., social roles, upbringing, hormonal differences, etc.)

Personally I think if you really want to find out the answer to this question, then it's the people with these disorders who really know the answer. The problem there is it's really difficult to just ask people with these disorders questions that would reveal the differences (if any), and it's extremely rare that people with these disorders reach a point in life where they openly explain their perceptions. What I mean is that PDs are about a person's perception of self, perception of others, and how they react in various situations as compared with the norm. It is very difficult for many reasons, including that people with these disorders may feel there is nothing wrong, so why would they agree to such a personal inquiry?

That all written, even among quote unquote NONs, it's often difficult for men and women to explain their differences (and similarities) to each other. Males and females often have difficulty in their relationships in general. It's hard for me not to believe then that it's a factor that contributes in some ways to how people perceive themselves, and cope with damage to their sense of self worth.

HPD and BPD descriptions and behavior are more feminine, there fore more diagnosed on women and gay men.

however, there could be the HPD and BPD masculine expression that doctors are missing.

You are mistaken (or flattering yourself too much) in thinking that narcisissts are 'nothing special' - half of the world's politicians, generals, and CEOs, are narcisissts.

It's the accumulation of prestige and admiration that drives the narcisist forward - one cannot achieve that without really solid qualities (and often good looks).

PoshBird wrote:You are mistaken (or flattering yourself too much) in thinking that narcisissts are 'nothing special' - half of the world's politicians, generals, and CEOs, are narcisissts.

It's the accumulation of prestige and admiration that drives the narcisist forward - one cannot achieve that without really solid qualities (and often good looks).

I've heard that NPD makes people lazy. Most of them believe they are entitled to success and fortune and fame, things like that, and don't think they have to work for it. You can see how this would interfere with becoming actually successful.

Yes, we feel lots of entitlement (or as someone said to me a couple of days ago - 'acting like a princess') but in most cases we work just enough to achieve a postion from where we can DELEGATE stuff we won't do ourselves but keep the status as your boss.

snailpet wrote:

PoshBird wrote:You are mistaken (or flattering yourself too much) in thinking that narcisissts are 'nothing special' - half of the world's politicians, generals, and CEOs, are narcisissts.

It's the accumulation of prestige and admiration that drives the narcisist forward - one cannot achieve that without really solid qualities (and often good looks).

I've heard that NPD makes people lazy. Most of them believe they are entitled to success and fortune and fame, things like that, and don't think they have to work for it. You can see how this would interfere with becoming actually successful.

I've read that outwardly narcissism can be confusing; the simplified explanation being that there are two types of narcissism -

Simple narcissism - These types of people grew up learning that they are entitled. As an extreme example, think of someone born into wealth or power, whose parents have taught them that they are better than others and entitled. That's an extreme example, but the point is these types feel entitled because it is what they've learned.

Compensatory narcissism - These types have been emotionally damaged growing up, and so compensate in their teens and adult life using the narcissistic coping strategy.

Outwardly they might appear similar, but inwardly? What drives them is utterly different in nature.

A simple narcissist might just get lucky and inherit "success" or just live a life doing as little as possible because they are 'entitled' to more and others should work/struggle, while a compensatory type is totally different.

Compensatory types are sometimes very "successful" (i.e., attain those jobs and positions that people associate with success) because of their inner drive, essentially because of their disorder. However a compensatory type carries around deep seated damage to their self-esteem, damage they have so buried they are often not aware themselves. In some cases a compensatory type may become so wrapped up in their own grandiose beliefs that they logic 'why achieve success that others achieve? I am better than others' but their reasoning for thinking this way is fear of failure while clinging to what props up their damaged self-esteem.

Anyway the idea is that outwardly it can be hard to see the difference, but inwardly these types are very different.