[ISFP] What does a depressed ISFP look like?

[Jeffster]

Unfortunately that's not the case: Dysthymia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't subscribe to the "order/disorder" theory.

 

[KDude]

^It's good if you don't experience it (not sure if you're saying that).. but it's kind of harsh to say she may be naturally depressed. I've felt like shit on and off since her age too. Started with bad hair day at 9. Evolved into some massive bullshit in my teens. Uh.. among other things. Nuff said. I don't want to get too serious about it. I know though that medications meant for depressive disorders helped my mood at least - but they also screwed up my metabolism, so I got off, and just deal with shit if it pops up. Not always easy, but my point is.. there's obviously something right about the diagnosis, for the medicines to work somewhat. And it's not conducive to survival at all, so why would it be natural?

 

[Sunny Ghost]

resentful and jealous of others, feeling inferior and inaquate.

but maybe he is esfp.

i know i experienced all that as well during my periods of depression. i hated when people spoke positively about others.

 

[Sunny Ghost]

I don't subscribe to the "order/disorder" theory.

i mean, there are cases where people have an imbalance of some sort which may effect mood. lack of serotonin, etc.

 

[Kasper]

I don't subscribe to the "order/disorder" theory.

So be it, the medical profession doesn't share your view though.

 

[prplchknz]

i find it insulting for people to be like their's no hope for you, your just that way. why don't i go fucking hang myself hmmmmm?

 

[Jeffster]

i mean, there are cases where people have an imbalance of some sort which may effect mood. lack of serotonin, etc.

Is anyone truly "balanced?" I doubt it.

So be it, the medical profession doesn't share your view though.

Yeah, that's true about a lot of issues. The "medical profession" also incorporates a lot of people who disagree with each other on many things, and who change their minds often about pretty significant things.

i find it insulting for people to be like their's no hope for you, your just that way. why don't i go fucking hang myself hmmmmm?

I would find that insulting too. I think there's hope for everyone. Sometimes it takes a radical change in habits or lifestyle to break out of a funk, though. I have had periods in my life where I just wished things were better and that didn't do anything. Action is the answer! As it usually is.

 

[Sunny Ghost]

Is anyone truly "balanced?" I doubt it.



Yeah, that's true about a lot of issues. The "medical profession" also incorporates a lot of people who disagree with each other on many things, and who change their minds often about pretty significant things.



I would find that insulting too. I think there's hope for everyone. Sometimes it takes a radical change in habits or lifestyle to break out of a funk, though. I have had periods in my life where I just wished things were better and that didn't do anything. Action is the answer! As it usually is.

i'm sure. but some are more so than say, the "norm." however, i don't think that a disorder is a permanent state. i've experienced extremely painful, down in the pits of hell, type of depression before. i'm much better now, but something wasn't right for a very long time.

 

[beep1]

My ISFP friend doesn't look like anything when depressed because she drops of the face of the planet. She just becomes so overwhelmed that she withdraws completely from non-essential activities. She can't cope with communication and avoids anything that might conceivably add any potential stress - she is a natural worrier but this just goes into overdrive with depression.

Its really awful too, not only because I can't help her, but also because I don't even know that something's wrong until afterwards.

Wow, this description is pretty spot on. Kudos to you for understanding your friend so well, even if it is after the fact.

I do this exact same thing, and I would suggest that (while you become frustrated by how she handles depression) your friend probably feels bad that this is how she reacts. I do the same things -- I've never really found another way around it. Fortunately my short attention span leaves me bored of fixating on being sad and after a few months I come back around and you wouldn't even be able to tell anything was wrong. Usually when I am going through a spell of depression is when I grow the most and feel somewhat transformed, so there is a silver lining or you and your friend.

 

[cascadeco]

Well I think I was a fairly unhappy isfp for the bulk of my teenage years, but I think I approached close to actual depression for a few years in my mid 20's, and it took a long while to break through all of those years of getting stuck in my head and becoming healthy and well balanced again. In my teenage years I was withdrawn to the point of not really socially interacting at all- or at least, there wasn't any actual deepness or intimacy, and I had maybe one or two friends. In my 20's it was more an existential crisis and I think also I was working through everything that had accumulated in my teenage years. I do agree with the above poster that the silver lining ends up being more inner awareness and growth, also it's probably resulted in my having developed Ni way more than I otherwise would have, being pretty much 100% in my head- but very unbalanced and unhappy when in that state, very anxious, stuck. I still externally functioned, did some things socially, maintained a job, all of that, but then would be emotionally overwhelmed when home. So yeah.

 

[Kheledon]

My ISFp wife becomes distant (moreso than usual) when she's depressed, and she is more inclined to act impulsively--anything to restore her natural inner comfort and naturally peaceful and harmonious inner balance (and she can be outrageously selfish during such periods--restoration of harmony and comfort must come before everything else in her world). She will often escape into fantasy in order to avoid whatever is causing disharmony or discomfort in her life.

Speaking of typical ISFp mental disorders, it appears that ISFp tends (when unhealthy) toward Cyclothymia, or so I discovered here: PTypes - Cyclothymic Personality Disorder Criteria

 

[prplchknz]

when you're depressed do you look like me? because i've dealt with depression on some level most of my life. right now i'm not too bad but yeah so think when i'm at my worse depressed wise and do you look like me. as i am 76% sure i'm an ISFP. of course not all ISFPs when depressed will look like me. you shouldn't take my advice.

 

[Kheledon]

As an ENFj, when I am depressed I lean toward obsessive-compulsive behavior. I become hypervigilant (just trying to figure out how to "fix" my all-consuming emotional turmoil, yet seldom coming up with a satisfactory "answer" or "solution"). I start to distrust my strong Ni. I can't "see" the future as well, so I can't figure out what to "do" to fix the problem. I then become cranky and critical.

ENFj is a natural "performer," and my "performance" in all areas of my life suffers when I am depressed. I procrastinate. I fail to perform as well for people who are depending on me. Since I want to perform well (I want the applause and admiration, you see), I start to hate myself even more when I am not performing well. That spirals down into more hypervigilance in trying to find a "fix" or an "answer" that can calm my emotional storm and allow me to perform well once again. I often turn to foreign substances to allow me to "calm down" emotionally and then focus on the things I need to do in order to feel like an "almost adequate, but never quite good enough" performer.

I don't think that resembles how an ISFp would respond to a lengthy period of depression.

 

[SearchingforPeace]

A depression ISFP should look like a this in some way

 

[Poki]

A depression ISFP should look like a this in some way

Introverted Feeling types are flexible, open, complicated, mild, modest, and often self-effacing.Though difficult to get to know, they are seen as trustworthy confidants who are tolerant of a wide range of differences.Their habitual approach to people is nonjudgmental, understanding, and forgiving. They place a high value on affirming both their own and others’ individuality and uniqueness.They seek to affirm all parties in a controversy and thus readily see the validity of contradictory points of view.

I find this interesting as the common perception people hold seems to be the opposite, not this. This is actually what I use to determine IFP.

 

[Poki]

My ISFP friend doesn't look like anything when depressed because she drops of the face of the planet. She just becomes so overwhelmed that she withdraws completely from non-essential activities. She can't cope with communication and avoids anything that might conceivably add any potential stress - she is a natural worrier but this just goes into overdrive with depression.

Its really awful too, not only because I can't help her, but also because I don't even know that something's wrong until afterwards.

This is what I do when depressed. I just disappear from life as much as possible which I already keep to myself as is so it becomes a crazy extreme. I don't think you can tell a depressed IP unless you early get to know them. We are usually good at distancing ourselves when needed for short bursts when we have to. We will dissappear alot more then normal. I am not an ISFP, one letter off, but I would go to bed at 7:00pm to escape life. Just lay there and process and think about stuff. Was a really bad part of my life and a couple times I had to get up and walk off a tightness and pain in my chest because I didn't want to go to ER. My emotions were destroying me, no one had any idea. Not even others who were around me or lived with me. I would say an ISFP would be destroyed by thought. They knew something was up, but not the depth of what was going on.

 

[Kheledon]

[MENTION=25377]SearchingforPeace[/MENTION] Excellent link, thanks.

And, if I haven't said so before, I am very fond of your sig. line: Jesus said "Blessed are the peacemakers" not "blessed are the conflict avoiders.....

To me, and for me, conflict avoidance has been a complete and lasting nightmare from which I hope to one day awaken.

 

[SearchingforPeace]

[MENTION=25377]SearchingforPeace[/MENTION] Excellent link, thanks.

And, if I haven't said so before, I am very fond of your sig. line: Jesus said "Blessed are the peacemakers" not "blessed are the conflict avoiders.....

To me, and for me, conflict avoidance has been a complete and lasting nightmare from which I hope to one day awaken.

I had that ephihany while talking with my INFJ 9w1 sis who is separated from her bipolar ESFP husband. I had a lot of great help to see that we can not truly love unless we love with our entire heart, the bad feelings with the good. Only when we don't hold back do we get show trust that we can be loved even when there is conflict. And peace often requires conflict in order to secure true peace.

And as I learned through tremendous effort, there is nothing you can do to fix your wife except work on yourself. By you getting healthier, either she does too or you get healthy enough to break free. Your efforts really need to be focused on yourself and loving yourself.

 

[Silent]

pure withdrawal including mental withdrawal from the world and self is what ISFP will do.