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[NF] NF's how rapidly do your emotions change from moment to moment?

sculpting

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My moods tend to vary a lot-typically on a day to day rather than hour to hour basis. They clearly correlate with hormones.

PMS=Te and no Fi to be found.

Family has a lot of hypomanic bipolar. I actually take a med for my eyes that is used to treat mood disorders. On or off the med I feel the same-however weaning on or off too fast makes me fucking crazy for a few days.

I would like to request an Fi removal procedure.
 

stringstheory

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Interesting point which I have thought alot about recently. I work with lots of people with various diagnoses, both co-workers, and clients, and I think it is the degree to which one can function (personally, professionally) while still having these "mood swings." For some, medication (temporary or long-term) may help someone cope, though talk therapy can be very effictive. For myself I find it better explained as responding to my environment, literally soaking up emotions of other people, or responding internally to feelings of joy and sorrow.

I agree; for example, looking at the diagnostic criteria for Bipolar II includes presence of a major depressive episode and instances of hypomanic episodes, things I'm sure many NFs have experienced frequently. It's when these things become so out of control that our selves are sort of drowned by our dominant functions and it becomes a disorder. I wonder how this would be carried out in other type like NT?

It can be very hard to control my outward "facade" and sometimes I have become emotional at work (i.e. had a hell of a time keeping it together when Kerry conceded to Bush), but I know when I have to leave a situation to be on my own and cry it out. I also know that I have to work out my feelings by talking to other people to express my sorrow, frustration, anger so that I don't become toxic to myself (and other people). I do believe that therapy serves that purpose, if a friend or co-worker isn't there to help process the emotions. And I think it is really important to set boundaries and know your limits--you have to find some peace within yourself and be satisfied with your contributions.:yes:

I personally think that one of the better solutions for NFs is talk therapy; we just seem to have this need to talk things out with others so that they can work out. I guess maybe some outside validation of our internal processes? I learned that when I feel the worst wasn't when I hadn't been taking my medication, but when I let the emotions bottle up inside me, and may actually have been what pushed me over the edge into disorder.

Ne-Monster said:
Family has a lot of hypomanic bipolar. I actually take a med for my eyes that is used to treat mood disorders. On or off the med I feel the same-however weaning on or off too fast makes me fucking crazy for a few days.

I'm curious, do you happen to know the types of your family members diagnosed bipolar?
 

sculpting

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I'm curious, do you happen to know the types of your family members diagnosed bipolar?

My mom looks enfp on the surface but does some very Se destructive things. She was very abused as a child though. My sister is an ESFP, no possibility of Ne. Both have been diagnosed as bipolar-hypomanic. In reality it is almost as though they are more like borderline personality though and exhibit wide swings between Fi behavior and Te defensive behavior upon injury to Fi. Very emotionally volatile.

My uncles both have severe issues-one is an ISFP and the other an ESFP perhaps? Neither officially diagnosed.

All of the above have drug and alcohol abuse histories.
 

stringstheory

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My mom looks enfp on the surface but does some very Se destructive things. She was very abused as a child though. My sister is an ESFP, no possibility of Ne. Both have been diagnosed as bipolar-hypomanic. In reality it is almost as though they are more like borderline personality though and exhibit wide swings between Fi behavior and Te defensive behavior upon injury to Fi. Very emotionally volatile.

My uncles both have severe issues-one is an ISFP and the other an ESFP perhaps? Neither officially diagnosed.

Interesting. Not to say that Ts can never have mood disorders, but this seems to be an indicator that maybe Fs are more inclined towards this diagnosis. Studies on this would be interesting.

All of the above have drug and alcohol abuse histories.

Also interesting. I wonder what the deeper connection is with this and the drug/alcohol abuse. From my and my fathers experiences, the drug/alcohol abuse was more of a symptom of the disorder and less of the cause, but I've known others for whom drugs and alcohol were what put them over the edge. Either way, interesting that drugs or alcohol usually seem to play a big part.
 

OrangeAppled

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For the most part, I am sort of neutral all the time. I don't go from very happy to very sad, but I can go from neutral quite quickly to depressed, or from neutral to happy. My feelings yo-yo a lot in that small variation.

I don't know if it's Ne or what, but I'll have random thoughts pop up that influence my mood. I'll be driving on a nice sunny day and be enjoying the weather, and then I'll just think "Ugh - I want to stick a knife in my head!". Why? IDK....I think it's some underlying stress rearing it's ugly head. It just wells up all of a sudden when I think I had it squashed down. Other times, I might be quite down and then remember something funny, or feel some light of hope, and my mood lifts.

If my overall life circumstance sucks, then I might feel slightly depressed all the time, and so when I do feel very happy and then revert back to my typical state, it feels much more like a "mood swing". I might think of it as something distracting me from my general feeling though.
 
V

violaine

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This may not be helpful but my moods don't cycle much. I feel like a good mood will always rise to the top given time and I am either usually quite joyful or contemplative. Which are my preferred states.

I definitely inhabit my moods though and oftentimes I can't just snap out of it if I'm hurting about something, which is when I will get down. It also takes a little time for anger to clear and I prefer to be alone during those times so I can just get it out of my system. I do not like getting angry at all because it is volcanic when it happens.

I have noticed that it takes a while for a mood to fully build and to fully dissipate.
 

sculpting

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Interesting. Not to say that Ts can never have mood disorders, but this seems to be an indicator that maybe Fs are more inclined towards this diagnosis. Studies on this would be interesting.



Also interesting. I wonder what the deeper connection is with this and the drug/alcohol abuse. From my and my fathers experiences, the drug/alcohol abuse was more of a symptom of the disorder and less of the cause, but I've known others for whom drugs and alcohol were what put them over the edge. Either way, interesting that drugs or alcohol usually seem to play a big part.

Some of my entps can also be very, very moody, but not so much in an emo Fi way. I think excessive Ne/Se can cause all types of issues. However Fi can hurt very deeply at times and doesn't always lend itself to stability, at least in my family. I agree drugs/alcohol are actually attempts at self medication.

My guess is that it is the rapid fluctuation in moods that is problematic. However Mitrell (who hasnt been around as of late) also mentioned once that perhaps overuse of Te could be due to biochemical imbalances. Lots of room for potential here.

For me, I dont qualify as bipolar or borderline by any convential definition at all (just moody and bitchy), yet I can see trends in my behaviors that, an order of magnitude worse, would be a disorder. By analyzing and classifying root cause as fluctuation in functions, I can develop tools to address the root cause, and recalibrate and modify how I respond when I see the trends emerge.
 

mwv6r

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It sounds like rapidly changing emotions, a.k.a. mood swings, afflict xNFPs the most. xNFJs are affected but not to the same degree. I experience pretty strong mood swings maybe once a week or so. I hate them and wish I could control them, but trying to control them seems to make it worse so I try to just ride it out. It must be really tough to have the emotional rollercoaster even more often. I'm really glad I read this thread though, I think it will help me better understand where xNFPs are coming from.

Quick story -- I am a political junkie and love debating politics. I'm very liberal and my roommate, a male INFP, is very conservative. Before I got to know him better, I would sometimes try to spark debates with him. For me it was fun and lighthearted, but in the middle of one conversation he turned to me with a pained look in his eye and earnestly begged me, "Please don't do this," and I realized the debating caused acute emotional turmoil for him. Perhaps related to the rapidly changing emotions? Of course, after that I laid off the political conversations!

This also makes me think of my best friend from college, a female INFP, and my bestfriend from childhood, another INFP. Both of them were on medication for depression, had substance abuse problems, and were self-cutters. (Both are doing much better now.) I knew they both wrestled with a lot of emotions beneath the surface, but now I'm beginning to understand just how powerful and challenging those emotions must be for them. Is there something I can do for my xNFP friends when intense sad emotions strike? Is it better to leave them alone or try to lighten the mood?
 

alcea rosea

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My moods are more day-based but it can change if something interrupts my day with negative or positive impact. But I'm not definitely all stable and every day the same... I'm probably very unpredictable with my moods even if I know myself very well and I know most of the time excactly what I'm feeling and why. I also radiate my emotions around me but if i'm surrounded with T-people, they just don't care and I can freely express my emotions. :D With F-people I'm more careful I guess. ;) But I would rather be happy all the time. Peace and love. :D

But my mood swings aren't hour-based or minute-based swings, like I change from angry to happy in one minute. I think my moods are pretty much related to the hormones but daily stuff can interrupt my "normal" monthly mood cycle. :laugh:

So, my mood cycle month goes like this:
- one week almost neutral
- one week angry and restless
- one week energetic
- one week happy-happy-happy

Well - at least something like that. ;)
So, at the end, my moods are predicable, I just didn't realize it before. :D
The female hormones, blame them. :dry:
 

CrystalViolet

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I can be changable...it depends. I'm more changable when I'm dissatisfied, or bored.
 

Silent Stars

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I'm almost always very stable, though at a much lower energy level emotional state than most people, regardless of if I'm happy or sad or whatever. It takes quite a lot to get it to move anywhere.
 
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