was looking up info on histrionic personality disorder because i'm 99% sure someone i know has it, seen on wikipedia that there's a heavy genetic component and neurochemical correlation (highly responsive noradrenergic system). this was a bit surprising since i figured hpd was probably mainly from not getting attention in the formative years, but things aren't really pointing that way. it might not even really be a "personality disorder"
the noradrenergic system is basically the system for norepinephrine, which isn't a chemical i hear about a lot in personality research. claude cloninger's tridemension personality theory posits that norepinephrine regulates the "reward dependence" dimension of temperament:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reward_dependence said:According to Cloninger’s theory, individuals high in reward dependence and low in norepinephrine levels are ambitious, warm, sentimental, pleasant, sociable, sensitive, sympathetic and socially dependent. Individuals with high RD personalities have a disposition to recognize salient social cues which in turn facilitates effective communication, warm social relations, and their genuine care for others, but these individuals are then disadvantaged in being excessively socially dependent. High reward dependent individuals also exhibit persistent behaviors and are easily influenced by emotional appeals.Individuals low in reward dependence and high in norepinephrine levels are then hypothesized to be typically independent, non-conformist, practical, tough-minded, cynical, unwilling to share their intimate feelings with others, socially detached, irresolute, insensitive to social cues and pressures, and content to be alone. They are also minimally motivated to please others and act for immediate gratification. So being low in reward dependence is related to social withdrawal, with aggressive anti-social behavior, detachment, and coldness in social attitudes.The RD temperament interacts with other temperaments and characters inherent in us enabling us to adapt to life experiences and influence susceptibility to emotional and behavioral disorders
that seems to match the chemical profile of hpd. some of the other stuff about the theory sticks out
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reward_dependence said:Low levels of norepinephrine cause an increase in reward dependence. When produced in normal levels, norepinephrine creates a sense of well-being, but low levels of norepinephrine cause symptoms of depression, lack of arousal and lack of motivation. In humans, this leads to then a negative feedback mechanism whereby we seek out pleasurable activities to remove the negative affect caused by the low levels of norepinephrine, therefore increasing our reward dependence.
this lines up with strattera (a norepinephrine uptake inhibitor) being used for the treatment of adhd. interestingly straterra seems to be a one-of-a-kind drug in that other norepinephrine inhibitors are also (probably all primarily) working on serotonin, aiming to treat depression. i'm kind of surprised pharma isn't shotgunning the norepinephrine receptor subtypes for different effects (like social satisfaction vs motivation) like they do with serotonin. maybe strattera would be good for people suffering from acute social sensitivity?
reading about all this makes me curious, and considering going on strattera for a month or two to see what happens. i'd been on it before and didn't notice anything unpleasant, but don't really remember if my consciousness was significantly altered since at the time i was just jumping thru hoops to get amphetamines
one last thing related to one of the articles on hpd i looked at,
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/histrionic-personality-disorder said:
- Their style of speech is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail.- They may do well with jobs that value and require imagination and creativity, but will probably have difficulty with tasks that demand logical or analytical thinking.
could that actually be a cognitive profile caused by norepinephrine levels rather than the way a disordered personality copes?
