How do you type somebody who´s bipolar?

[Red Herring]

Exactly what it says on the label:
tried to get a friend of mine to do the Keirsey test and we had a very hard time. His answers to most of the question came down to "it depends on the moment". Most people will show a micture of the two extremes (I/E, N/S, T/F, P/J), but in his case it is even more complicated, because he is bipolar and his mood and behavior strongly varies with themedication. On top of that he is from Colombia and adapted quite a bit when he came to Germany almost a decade ago. So he has two very different social influences and says that living in Germany made him more J, he also became more T with age. He is extremely extroverted during the manic and very introverted during the depressive phases. This makes it very hard to see through the consition and detect his "natural state/preferences"

Any advice? Somebody must have written something about it somewhere.

 

[Nicodemus]

There must be phases when he is neither manic nor depressive.

 

[Thalassa]

Unless he's actually in a state of psychosis there shouldn't be a real problem typing him. If he's medicated and he's not over-medicated he's still going to be himself.

 

[Onceajoan]

Maybe he was depressed when he took the test. "It depends on the moment" doesn't help identify his type. Bipolar states do not really define a person's personality. It only colors the personality. This makes things more challenging, but not impossible. Forget the test and try to figure it out on your own. Shouldn't be that difficult. Maybe not quite as scientific - but who cares. Try to figure it out, read the description and see if it fits at all. It probably will not fit perfectly. But that's the same for many of us who aren't bipolar. Plenty of Xs.

For P/J: does he plan and organize things or is he more spontaneous? If he is depressed, he may not be as organized - but at other times he is. Spontaneous is obviously a manic thing - but does he act happy go lucky and spontaneous when he's not fully manic? Does he make decisions easily or does he tend to be indecisive. If he's depressed he might not care. But at other times, I think you should be able to tell. Does he judge others or have a live and let live attitude?

For I/E: you should be able to figure that out on your own. Does he like to be by himself most of the time even if he's not depressed?

There are ways to determine his type other than taking a test. You just have to use your intuition and observation skills.

 

[Thalassa]

You might even be able to tell from the WAY he is manic...I'm not trying to be funny. I think Js may be more likely to become MOAR controlling and angry when manic, and perhaps Ps are the kinds that go into "whhheeee I'm going to gamble away my life's savings" type of mania.

Also, the fact that he says it changes in the moment may actually be indicative of a P preference.

There are seriously many bipolar people who are able to type themselves or who are typed by others. I'm honestly puzzled as to why this is such an issue unless he is extremely unstable and unmedicated.

You might be able to determine his type, also, by how cooperative he is about his own treatment, or if he has to be dragged into it, or if he's one of those people who is always going off of his meds.

 

[sleepy]

Only mentally fit people have a mbti personality, from what I understood. It seems ambitious to try to coin all people by only 16 types, inaccurate too.

 

[guesswho]

Only mentally fit people have a mbti personality?!

 

[sleepy]

Jung said as much if I remember correct. Wasn't usable on those considered 'insane'.

 

[You]

^WORD!

 

[Thalassa]

Jung said as much if I remember correct. Wasn't usable on those considered 'insane'.

Bipolar people aren't "insane." The only way they could be qualified insane is if they were in a psychotic fit of mania. People who are Bipolar II don't even achieve full-blown mania, so are never actually psychotic. In fact there's several people who are bipolar and at least one who is schizotypal on this site.

You need to remember that psychiatry has taken leaps and bounds since Jung's time.

 

[ajblaise]

When you're bipolar, so are your preferences. Give them 2 types.

 

[Red Herring]

Thanks for the replies! I just met him on the street today. Since he wasn´t too receptive of the test anyways, I´ll try and do it myself. He´s definitely more of an extrovert, even if he retires somewhat during the downs and severely cut down on his wild social life of the past. S is the easiest of them all. And I guess he´s more of an F. J or P is where it really gets difficult. In fact, during the last days I had already pinned him down to ESFP or ESFJ. He initially studied exonomics to please his father and social harmony is very important to him, but he moved to another continent and started a new life to become a musician and even though he get´s by just so he seems to be extremely happy with his life as a musician and music teacher for small children. There is a little bit of latin "mañana" but all together he´s rather disciplined and structured when it comes to things that matter to him.

So Fe/Si or Se/Fi? I see both Fe and Se. As for Si or Fi, that´s a bit difficult to tell from the outside. As you can see, he does seem to follow his own way (Fi?) but then again he´s pretty good at Fe (at least from my perspective). He doesn´t seem too focused on habits and the past, at least from what I can tell.

So...ESFP with a weak P? ESFJ with a weak J?

 

[Chloe]

Exactly what it says on the label:
tried to get a friend of mine to do the Keirsey test and we had a very hard time. His answers to most of the question came down to "it depends on the moment". Most people will show a micture of the two extremes (I/E, N/S, T/F, P/J), but in his case it is even more complicated, because he is bipolar and his mood and behavior strongly varies with themedication. On top of that he is from Colombia and adapted quite a bit when he came to Germany almost a decade ago. So he has two very different social influences and says that living in Germany made him more J, he also became more T with age. He is extremely extroverted during the manic and very introverted during the depressive phases. This makes it very hard to see through the consition and detect his "natural state/preferences"

Any advice? Somebody must have written something about it somewhere.

it's completely possible to type someone who is "bipolar". You need to determine their enneagram type (a 4?) which can influence MBTI type. Then you ask him individually about each letter, right questions, ignore functions, and then take into consideration e-type, example a 4 who is MBTI T can be confused about F/T, iNtuitive 6 can be confused for S, J-7 for P, P-3 for J etc.

 

[Arclight]

When you're bipolar, so are your preferences. Give them 2 types.

SO it would be like type and shadow?? What about just the extremes of a type? You know, like an INFP at an INFP's best versus an INFP at an INFP's worst .. same type, but coming from totally different directions. ?

 

[guesswho]

Yes it's more like type and shadow-type, but essentially the same type.

Extraverts don't become introverts if depressed, I've heard this more than once. Being introspective and retreating to yourself, doesn't make you an introvert, it makes you a depressed extravert.
But I don't know if it's the other way around.
Manic introverts becoming extraverts, I think that may be possible. Or not

 

[Thalassa]

Thanks for the replies! I just met him on the street today. Since he wasn´t too receptive of the test anyways, I´ll try and do it myself. He´s definitely more of an extrovert, even if he retires somewhat during the downs and severely cut down on his wild social life of the past. S is the easiest of them all. And I guess he´s more of an F. J or P is where it really gets difficult. In fact, during the last days I had already pinned him down to ESFP or ESFJ. He initially studied exonomics to please his father and social harmony is very important to him, but he moved to another continent and started a new life to become a musician and even though he get´s by just so he seems to be extremely happy with his life as a musician and music teacher for small children. There is a little bit of latin "mañana" but all together he´s rather disciplined and structured when it comes to things that matter to him.

So Fe/Si or Se/Fi? I see both Fe and Se. As for Si or Fi, that´s a bit difficult to tell from the outside. As you can see, he does seem to follow his own way (Fi?) but then again he´s pretty good at Fe (at least from my perspective). He doesn´t seem too focused on habits and the past, at least from what I can tell.

So...ESFP with a weak P? ESFJ with a weak J?

I'm serious when I ask about his "style" of mania. Everyone doesn't experience mania the same way, and I seriously think Js are more likely to get edgy/controlling vs. becoming extremely careless, which I think might be more common in Ps. Also, if he's extremely careful about his meds, won't take any risks with his treatment, I think he's more likely a J.

Just my two cents. Of course I'm speaking from the four dichotomies because I've decided against function theory for the time being.

 

[Red Herring]

For all I know he is very consciencious and no nonsense about his meds. I saw him during a concert last week and he was a rather hyper...in the "i want to embrace the world, live is so exiting" way.

 

[Thalassa]

For all I know he is very consciencious and no nonsense about his meds. I saw him during a concert last week and he was a rather hyper...in the "i want to embrace the world, live is so exiting" way.

Anyone could be happy or excited at a concert, and especially if he's an extrovert and a feeler that's pretty typical if he's in a good mood.

It's just something worth taking a look at because I've known of some Ps who refuse to take meds fearing that psychiatrists are just trying to control them, or they simply...forget and stop taking them for a few days ...or they don't seem to be as distressed by the idea of the fact that going off their meds will at least temporarily cause some kind of disruption in their life and make them less productive. When you've been around mental illness you'll note that there are those who take their meds like clockwork for years, and then there are those people who have to be chased down by a family member to practically force them down their throat, lest they end up having a severe breakdown.

There is "high-strung" mania which is the bossy, controlling, vindictive, angry, delusions of grandeur kind of mania (I am untouchable, I am in control, if I see one speck of dirt I'll freak out) and then there's that happy-go-lucky mania where people start stealing cars for joy rides or other extremely dangerous risk-taking behaviors. I have no proof this is connected to J or P, it's just an idea I have, because it seems like it would be an amped up, out- of-control version of one's normal brain functions. Bipolar disorder is an emotional illness.

 

[Synapse]

What does it mean to be on a emotional high...then be on an emotional low?
For instance you went to a concert with your friends left feeling on an emotional high and then you went home on an emotional low?

Is that Bi Polar?

 

[Nijntje]

Manic introverts becoming extraverts, I think that may be possible. Or not

This is true for me, I am type 1 Bipolar, so have manic and hypermanic episodes, my natural state is to be introverted, but during a manic episode i am a definite extrovert, extremely so.