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What Happens When Type XXXX Becomes Depressed?

ChocolateMoose123

New member
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Messages
5,278
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Man, I become an inanely cruel ISTP when I get pissed/depressed. I will flat out criticize the person on something that hurts them to the core and laugh about it. Also, I could care less about any insult they throw back at me.

In my regular state, I worry way too much about offending people and get offended pretty easily.

I've seen this in an ISTP friend. Luckily, this wasn't toward me but man. It's harsh. I agree with Steph. I think enneagram type has a lot to do with this.

When I get depressed I don't want to be around anyone. I actually get very emotional - in private. I feel out of control. It's an overwhelming feeling.
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
yeah I agree w/ you guys. I'm am an ENFJ 3w4. I was describing my ISTP shadow so it's probably an exaggerated form of an ISTP.
 

Vie

Giggity
Joined
Jun 9, 2010
Messages
792
MBTI Type
ENTJ
Enneagram
8
Depression hits its hardest when I have failed at something that I feel should be easy as pie. I feel especially upset when something doesn't come to me as easily as I feel it should. The triggers that have sent me into an emotional whirlwind of disaster have been betrayal, not understanding what has gone wrong, or when I've

Basically what Pitseleh said. I find where to poke the sharp stick and I show no mercy as I stab a person repeatedly in their weak spots, laughing maniacally as I saunter away. I begin to do things to excess whether it be eating, exercising, drinking, drugs, etc.

Or I cry. A lot. :D
 

OrangeAppled

Sugar Hiccup
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Messages
7,626
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
My ESTJ shadow is more of a stress thing - then I get very snappy & critical. I have a rather nasty temper too, but it takes a lot of provoking to get there. Most people just see a mildly moody surface. Depression is more like a suction into a blackhole that makes me blank & detached on the outside.

Although I think my depression is pretty standard: lackadaisical, unmotivated, defeatist attitude, sluggish, weird sleep patterns, indulgence in comfort food or loss of appetite, escape into fantasy to block out unpleasant realities, lots of wasted days getting lost in musical & literary landscapes, glass of wine (or 2 or 3) to drown it out, isolation & withdrawal from friends/family/society, hopeless & cynical attitude....I think the Fi-Si loop explains it well. There's no motivation because perception of future possibilities has been stunted by focusing on the past hurts & disappointments. The only escape perceived is to block out the external world, be it through self-imposed exile or substances. But again, doesn't that sound like most depressed people?
 

Saslou

New member
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
4,910
MBTI Type
ESFJ
For me personally..

Cause: Being overwhelmed with responsibility and willingly taking on too much. Trapped with little options for escape. Other peoples negativity.

Symptoms: Withdrawn, smoke like a chimney, lose weight, upset tummy and i don't behave like my bubbly self. Push people away and become self destructive in that i will find fault and be critical of myself.
 

King sns

New member
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
6,714
MBTI Type
enfp
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
For me, (seriously): My depression comes from being lonely or feeling abandoned or insecure. Critical, tightly wound people make me feel this way as well. Yelling and screaming make me feel like a scared child.

In this case I drink a lot and keep odd hours and sleep a lot and stop eating and am always tired and withdrawn.
 

soft

New member
Joined
May 1, 2010
Messages
61
MBTI Type
infp
cause: i got really depressed my first semester at school because i only had 3 or 4 friends there for a while. i've also been kind of depressed lately because of problems with a female friend at home. i think generally i get depressed when i feel that i'm lacking depth in my relatonships. or when i can tell that someone close is very upset with me (parents, friends).

behavior: lazier, less enthusiastic about everything, too little or too much sleep, irritability, more introverted. i also self medicated heavily with weed when i was really depressed.. i was consciously making the decision to smoke to forget about my problems. i just didn't care about anything.. only made sense to feel good the only way that worked. it's still kind of a problem but definitely not as bad as it was before. for a period of time i really hated going even 12 hours without getting high :\
 

21%

You have a choice!
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
3,224
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
behavior: lazier, less enthusiastic about everything, too little or too much sleep, irritability, more introverted. i also self medicated heavily with weed when i was really depressed.. i was consciously making the decision to smoke to forget about my problems. i just didn't care about anything.. only made sense to feel good the only way that worked. it's still kind of a problem but definitely not as bad as it was before. for a period of time i really hated going even 12 hours without getting high :\

INFPs, please, please, please take care of yourself when you're depressed. For people who love you, it hurts so much to see you go through so much pain, especially when you refuse to be cheered up and there's nothing anyone can do for you until you come out of it.

The world loves you more than you think :hug:
 

Southern Kross

Away with the fairies
Joined
Dec 22, 2008
Messages
2,910
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
My ESTJ shadow is more of a stress thing - then I get very snappy & critical. I have a rather nasty temper too, but it takes a lot of provoking to get there. Most people just see a mildly moody surface. Depression is more like a suction into a blackhole that makes me blank & detached on the outside.

Although I think my depression is pretty standard: lackadaisical, unmotivated, defeatist attitude, sluggish, weird sleep patterns, indulgence in comfort food or loss of appetite, escape into fantasy to block out unpleasant realities, lots of wasted days getting lost in musical & literary landscapes, glass of wine (or 2 or 3) to drown it out, isolation & withdrawal from friends/family/society, hopeless & cynical attitude....I think the Fi-Si loop explains it well. There's no motivation because perception of future possibilities has been stunted by focusing on the past hurts & disappointments. The only escape perceived is to block out the external world, be it through self-imposed exile or substances. But again, doesn't that sound like most depressed people?
Yeah, I identify with this, literally down to the fantasy world and the wasted days absorbed in books and music. I've never listened to so much music, watched so many movies and read so many books as when I was going through a really rough time - it was pretty much the only ways I could feel pleasure (aside from food). I guess I would add:

Causes: soul destroying job, feeling completely spiritually unfulfilled, extreme stress and pressure from university studies

Symptoms: short fuse, living in a hermit-like state, becoming completely and utterly self-indulgent. I have trouble denying myself anything I desire and selfishly pursue whatever I want, with little regard for cost, my health or the inconvenience of others. Also the stress tends to cause health issues - in other words, I worry myself into illness. I got bad stomach problems and at one point I actually lost my appetite altogether and had to force myself to eat at meal times purely for the sake of remaining alive. And strangest of all, I burst into tears in front of others completely unexpectedly on several ocassions - this is never happens to me :shock:
 

Randomnity

insert random title here
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
9,485
MBTI Type
ISTP
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Every Myers Briggs type has a shadow side that they convert to when under extreme stress. This is a new development, but very widely accepted so far. It's generally very much the opposite of your true nature.
I'd prefer that this wasn't stated as fact. It's not true for everyone, and particularly untrue for me. Under stress I don't at all resemble an enfj, more like a really grumpy ISTP or perhaps ISFP, since it's usually emotional stress that bothers me.

When I'm sad (I assume this thread refers to that and not clinical depression), I withdraw from most people and become more likely to seek out the company of a few close friends. I tend to be bored all the time because I don't feel like doing anything, so I'll read a lot or watch tv or something. I'll get really short-tempered and irritable, and I might eat a bit more than usual, and sleep a lot in a conscious attempt to feel better - I get really grumpy when I don't get adequate sleep (at least 8h/night).

Causes are typically stress in relationships, or feeling like a failure. I don't get really depressive often enough to really analyze it, though.
 

Randomnity

insert random title here
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
9,485
MBTI Type
ISTP
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Everyone, please, please, please take care of yourself when you're depressed. For people who love you, it hurts so much to see you go through so much pain, especially when you refuse to be cheered up and there's nothing anyone can do for you until you come out of it.

The world loves you more than you think :hug:
Fixed yer post. :cheese:
 

EaTToast

New member
Joined
Sep 26, 2013
Messages
3
MBTI Type
ENFP
I can't imagine myself behaving like an ESFP. Hellz no.

You won´t act like an ESFP; the theory of shadow functions says you get your functions in order but opposite energy.

Ni
Te
Fi
Se
Ne
Ti
Fe
Si

You will start act like an ENTP - like the fight club character Tyler Durden. You should embrace your shadow traits, it makes you evil enough for world domination.
As for an ENFP I start acting like a miserable INFJ and that ain´t a pretty sight - a pity egoistic INFJ that usually see the world full of wonders we start to see the world full of shit and thanks to Ni shadow function we can really imagine deep shit aswell.
 

anastasiatremaines

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Mar 14, 2014
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13
Enneagram
3w4
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
So, how does each type handle depression and/or what is most likely to cause each type to become depressed? Also, what does each type look like when depressed, ie, apparently, INTJ's are prone to becoming violent drinkers; I suppose, a better way to say this would be: how does each type behave when they are depressed?

I'm not certain with my type, but I was hospitalized for depression and anxiety, and have spent months and months in recovery. Before hand, when I was at my worst and didn't realize it, I tested as INTx, and after I got out of hospitalization, I tested as INFP.

Most of my depression (and anxiety), was caused by unhealthy thinking patterns since I was a child. I felt like I had to be the best at everything, that failure was in no way an option. I was made fun of, didn't develop close friends, felt my parents were unattached and didn't care about my feelings. I bottled things up, which caused traumatic breakdowns. I had such low self-esteem and self-worth I would put on a narcisstic facade, that I was better than everyone else. I was hyper-critical of myself and others, and a control freak.

I ended up crying a lot, or just staring at the wall in depressed despair. I was always tired, I wouldn't eat. As I slowly started getting better, I would be trigged by the future, because I had no idea how I could be happy, how I would be happy, what I would be doing. I feared not having friends or family, being alone and unhappy for the rest of my life. My mind would spiral, causing panic attacks. I eventually just crashed, I couldn't stop crying and I was suicidal and I had to hospitalized. I acted very, very drastically - I fell, and I fell hard. The thing is, no one knew how bad I really was because I tried so hard to hide it from everyone, hide it from myself even because I didn't want to admit it.
 
L

LadyLazarus

Guest
They lose an X, and transition into type XXX, also know as hardcore porn.

Seriously though, although I've only been depressed once in my life, the one time I was I felt like my head was full of fog all the time and like nothing was worth doing, all I wanted to do was sleep, I didn't cry or anything like that, it was beyond that, like I didn't even have the energy to cry. I felt like I was in a bottomless pit, when I finally clawed my way out of it, I decided I was never going back and I never have.
 

Firebird 8118

DJ Phoenix
Joined
Sep 22, 2012
Messages
3,134
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
279
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
When I'm depressed, I tend to physically, mentally, and emotionally isolate myself from other people. Sometimes if I'm upset enough, I will say things to others that I don't mean to say before walking off (and then regret it later on, which in turn pulls me down into an even greater state of depression than before).

I really don't know how to describe what it feels like, except for this: my depression is a bottomless ocean, and the further I fall, the more difficult it will be for me to swim back up to the surface on my own. If I don't swim upwards quickly enough, I'll drown.
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
Hm... Looks like I posted in here before I really experienced depression.

My longest depressed period coincided with 1) being doorslammed by a friend, 2) bad grades, and 3) unforgiving family. It piled up until I felt everything that I'd usually used as a mental support -- especially familial support and the belief that "I can get things done because I always get them done" -- started to collapse. My internal standards turned against me and ate away at me for several months. Even now, whenever I'm depressed, it usually has something to do with failure to meet my own standards, or unfairly blaming myself for something I had no control over. Or, alternately, punishing myself disproportionately for things I did wrong.

I don't get irritable when depressed. I become very quiet and withdrawn -- mild and "sweet" and non-confrontational. If people notice that difference, they don't tell me.
 

greenfairy

philosopher wood nymph
Joined
May 25, 2012
Messages
4,024
MBTI Type
iNfj
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
It's extremely rare that I feel genuinely depressed as opposed to just stressed or sad, but the effects are similar to being sad- I just don't expect to be not sad anymore in the near future. I was withdrawn, cynical, feeling like nothing matters or is really worth doing, quiet, less interested in food, focused on negative thoughts, and tired. I don't know if this is type related though, as these are similar to symptoms of clinical depression; mine wasn't as it only lasted short periods of time. A medication caused me to feel this way for a few hours a day after taking it, and along with some of those things I felt like crying for no reason and just curled up in a ball on my friend's couch.
 

Odi et Amo

To here knows when...
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
Messages
143
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Different familial relationships have been huge triggers for depression (which I'm neurochemically predisposed to and which runs in my family) that first set me off when I was 13 or 14. When my young sister was beginning to grow up around that time, it was extremely difficult on me. My older sister had a two or three year period of suicidal depression (starting when I was 14 and ending when I was 16 and she went off to college last summer) and extraordinarily strained relationships with my parents, which was utterly traumatic and unbearable for me, triggered some chemicals and sent me into a massive depressive tailspin last spring that I'm coming out of now.

When I am depressed, I can't eat, can't sleep (then can't sleep enough), can't talk to anyone, can't go anywhere or do much of anything.
 

á´…eparted

passages
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
Messages
8,265
I have depression and it comes and goes in severity depending on what's going on in my life.

Basically, I mope. I lose the ability to self-motivate and can only do the most basic of basic things. I sleep a lot, I don't want to think, or expend any sort of energy at all. I don't want to eat. I mope a lot, and just want things to get better. When it goes for a long time, I lose the ability to give a fuck about, well, anything really. I just don't care, everything seems meaningless and pointless. I become really unenjoyable to be around, and as a consequence I self isolate. My feelings and empathy sort of shrivvle away. I also just feel icky around other people when I am upset so I keep to myself and don't go out.
 

Opal

New member
Joined
Jan 16, 2014
Messages
1,391
MBTI Type
ENTP
My causes have varied. When I was younger (10-12 or so) I'd recently moved from my hometown and was slow to rebuild social connections. Left to my thoughts I was overcome by the inherent meaninglessness of existence and the magnitude of avoidable suffering in the world. During these summers I often slept late into the afternoon without feeling rested and seriously strained my relationship with my family. When I was 14 I fell for a girl who painted in colors I'd never seen before, but, as it turned out, did so for everyone. Since 16 or so my lapsing into nihilism has been followed by some form of hedonistic downward spiral.

Every depression I retreated into my head and focused most of my energy on expressive, creative writing. My social connections atrophied and my grades slipped. I usually stopped exercising and ate less. If I wasn't allowed enough time to myself I became very irritable.
 
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