• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

How does Bipolar disorder affect personality type?

Tyrinth

...
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
1,154
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
649
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I have read multiple posts by people who claimed that they were mistyped or something due to Bipolar disorder.

Multiple of my psychologists have suggested that I may have some form of Bipolar, and I was wondering...

Does it cause you to mistype yourself, or at least make it more difficult to find your type? If so, how?
 

Halla74

Artisan Conquerer
Joined
Jan 20, 2009
Messages
6,898
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
7w8
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
I have read multiple posts by people who claimed that they were mistyped or something due to Bipolar disorder.

Multiple of my psychologists have suggested that I may have some form of Bipolar, and I was wondering...

Does it cause you to mistype yourself, or at least make it more difficult to find your type? If so, how?

I would think that if you answered the type of questions commonly found on personality type assessment during either: (a) a state of sever depression, or (b) a state of extreme mania, that the answers you might give would be a good bit different than if you were at your "baseline" or "equilibrium" mood state.

The trick is, knowing if you are in of those two extreme states or not, right?

And, if you end up managing such issues with medication +/- counseling, how successful is your toolkit of coping strategies at keeping your mood state at or near what it would be without effect from BPD?

Thoughts?
 
G

garbage

Guest
hahaha yes. I would imagine (!) that it's difficult to treat type as a static thing (and it ought to be difficult anyway, but that point aside...) because it's hard to pinpoint what, if anything, seems "normal" for you. I'd further imagine (!) that the wrong medications would dull you to the point where you're consistent but not your "normal" self.

Type can still be meaningful under such conditions, though. Once you get a glimpse of what seems comfortable for you, the archetype can help you hold on to it. It's tacky and might be seen as weak, but it might just work.

uh also everything that Halla just said is pretty much right. Or, at least, I would imagine so, purely hypothetically..
 

Tyrinth

...
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
1,154
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
649
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I would think that if you answered the type of questions commonly found on personality type assessment during either: (a) a state of sever depression, or (b) a state of extreme mania, that the answers you might give would be a good bit different than if you were at your "baseline" or "equilibrium" mood state.

The trick is, knowing if you are in of those two extreme states or not, right?

And, if you end up managing such issues with medication +/- counseling, how successful is your toolkit of coping strategies at keeping your mood state at or near what it would be without effect from BPD?

Thoughts?

Actually the idea of being a different type with each mood state kind of reflects what I have experienced. I've noticed that while I don't test consistently, I do have a trend to what my results are, they aren't completely all over the place. I guess that could reflect different mood states, but I'm not really sure on the matter.
 

Halla74

Artisan Conquerer
Joined
Jan 20, 2009
Messages
6,898
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
7w8
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
Actually the idea of being a different type with each mood state kind of reflects what I have experienced. I've noticed that while I don't test consistently, I do have a trend to what my results are, they aren't completely all over the place. I guess that could reflect different mood states, but I'm not really sure on the matter.

Maybe a "divide and conquer" technique would be helpful?

Look at your type from the perspective of each function pairing on its own:

E vs I?
N vs S?
F vs T?
J vs P?

Then, maybe look at the 4 archetypes to see which "meta-category" might fit you best?

SJ?
NF?
NT?
SP?

Finally, what about Enneagram?
Any variance there, or is it more consistent?

At any rate, I hope you're OK.
If yuo're stressed out putting your energy into feeling better might be more worth it than typing yoursefl at the moment.
Just a thought.

Cheers,

:cheers:

-Alex
 

Tyrinth

...
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
1,154
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
649
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
At any rate, I hope you're OK.
If yuo're stressed out putting your energy into feeling better might be more worth it than typing yoursefl at the moment.
Just a thought.

Cheers,

:cheers:

-Alex

Thank you for the concern, but I'm fine. :)

I have pretty much identified that INFP is my base state, but the rest of it would explain why sometimes I act waaaaay out of INFP character... I think... :shrug:
 

crayons

New member
Joined
Nov 3, 2011
Messages
51
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
6w5
I become more introverted when I'm depressed or in mixed state (usually) so for the longest time I thought I was an INTP. I become more J-ish during mania and hypomania. With treatment I've found I'm usually more outgoing and I do prefer to be around others much more than I originally thought.
 

King sns

New member
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
6,714
MBTI Type
enfp
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I have read multiple posts by people who claimed that they were mistyped or something due to Bipolar disorder.

Multiple of my psychologists have suggested that I may have some form of Bipolar, and I was wondering...

Does it cause you to mistype yourself, or at least make it more difficult to find your type? If so, how?

Through the spectrum of moods I have taken on multiple behaviors and world views. I have a general "high" E "low" I correlation for myself but even when my type doesn't vary a lot my worldviews and thoughts do. I find that with the mood disorder people have varying symptoms- (like, impulse control people may do the sex and spending thing). I personally get a lot of the thought stuff- super fast speed creative thinking alternates w/ slow thinking death stuff. Up to some state of spiritual enlightenment and elation and down to where I don't really move or think at all unless it's something roughly related to suffering. This gives rise to a whole bunch of different thoughts and sheds light on different aspects on the state of the world or how things work in general. That in turn effects my view of myself. (also, i'm in an episode more often than not so that confuses things even more)
 

nortia

New member
Joined
Dec 10, 2012
Messages
34
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sp
I have read multiple posts by people who claimed that they were mistyped or something due to Bipolar disorder.

Multiple of my psychologists have suggested that I may have some form of Bipolar, and I was wondering...

Does it cause you to mistype yourself, or at least make it more difficult to find your type? If so, how?

I was originally diagnosed with depression three years ago, which was upgraded Bipolar 2 about two months ago when I got a new psychiatrist in the city. Although it has wrecked havoc on my ability to live life as independently as I want, it has also taught me a lot about myself. I would say, if anything, my mental illness has helped me along the path of self-realization, and understanding how emotional ups and downs effect me and my personality.

That being said, if you're not a very self-aware person, bipolar disorder can really screw with self-reporting personality, especially if you're in a very intense state of mania or depression. The area that gets most effected in my personality is the introversion/extroversion aspect, but then again I am of the Bp variety that doesn't get major euphoric episodes of mania where I see Jesus' face in the clouds, so others with Bp 1 might report being two completely different people. I also have been doing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for two years, which has helped stabilize the inner thoughts and reactions to situations that used to shut me down (along with low doses of Lithium and anti-anxiety meds).


Long story short: it really depends on the state of your bipolar disorder, and how much you know about your "true" self (the personality between manic and depressed). It's all about self awareness, and seeing past the immediate emotional responses.
 
Top