mistress asking for advice

301.6 DEPENDENT PERSONALITY DISORDER



A pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of that leads to submissive and clinging behavior and fears of separation, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:



(1) has difficulty making everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others;



(2) needs others to assume responsibility for most major areas of his or her life;



(3) has difficulty expressing disagreement with others because of fear of loss of support or approval. Note: do not include realistic fears of retribution;



(4) has difficulty intiating projects or doing things on his or her own (because of a lack of self-confidence in judgment or abilities rather than a lack of motivation or energy);



(5) goes to excessive lengths to obtain nurturance and support from others, to the point of volunteering to do things that are unpleasant;



(6) feels uncomfortable or helpless when alone because of exaggerated fears of being unable to care for himself or herself;



(7) urgently seeks another relationship as a source of care and support when a close relationship ends;



(8 is unrealistically preoccupied with fears of being left to take care of himself or herself.



301.5 HISTRIONIC PERSONALITY DISORDER



A pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:



(1) is uncomfortable in situations in which he or she is not the center of attention;



(2) interaction with others is often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior;



(3) displays rapidly shifting and shallow expressing of emotions;



(4) consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to self;



(5) has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail;



(6) shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion;



(7) is suggestible, i.e., easily influenced by others or circumstances; and


(8 considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are.