I've been at levels 7/8 for years at a time throughout my life, with health levels corresponding to e4 and e5 on the enneagram institute site. I think I'm average levels nowadays > levels 5/6.
I think there's a lot of unhealthy people out there, but what is viewed as "health" or "unhealth" is what blurs things. For instance, a "suck it up" attitude is valued in many parts of the world, so 9s and 8s at average to unhealthy levels will be viewed as healthy.
I think, maybe for this type it might be harder to get healthy, than for any other. I think I've been fluctuating between levels 4 and 7 for quite a time now, depends on what day it is.
I find it hard to get out of the unhealthy circle, because I idealized it to the point everything else seems fake, untrue and superficial to me. And that's the basic problem of an e4, whenever you find yourself in a rut, you connect the emotions to your ego to create the false image that you desperately need to feel true to yourself, then any distribution of this image seems like a personal attack you can't bare and find yourself in more and more routine, that is not healthy. I personally don't want to be healthier, because I'd feel it's a betrayer of myself, even though I know I am not good for me.
I think there's a lot of unhealthy people out there, but what is viewed as "health" or "unhealth" is what blurs things. For instance, a "suck it up" attitude is valued in many parts of the world, so 9s and 8s at average to unhealthy levels will be viewed as healthy.