Bi-Polar with MBTI Types

[Fedayeen]

Would being bi-polar put you into different groups at different times, or overall put you into a specific group?

I am Bi-Polar, but I don't fully understand it. Just on the most basic level as well as how the MBTI stuff is done. It would make sense that is the first thing, but I also think that then it would seriously mess up a personality test.

I feel like INTP is certainly my most dominant personality, but I also think that it wasn't always that way. when i was younger i was much more of an extrovert.

Just looking for some insight.

 

[Wisp]

When you're on an upswing, you prob'ly present more of an E type, and a downswing would bring out the I, and possibly your shadow, depending on how depressed you get.

That said, I doupt BP has a real effect on your actual MBTI, but it could cause it to fluctuate with circumstance and make you hard to type.

 

[fullerene]

Decaf would probably be the best one to explain this to you... I think he's the one here who's had the most legitimate psychology training. I'm inclined to agree with Wisp, though... I don't think bi-polar would affect your actual type (although I'm really starting to think that these types aren't "really" what's going on anyway), but you'd definitely be harder to type if your brain chemistry shifts you one way or the other.

 

[Agent Intellect]

i don't think the personality types are the be all end all of your personality. thats why its called personality. its a decent frame of reference, but i've read quite a few of the descriptions, and while i'd say a good 75%-80% of it describes me very well, its not 100% accurate. humans simply have a need to have to categorize things, to simplify it.

as for bipolar, i'd say that its an anomaly. it really has nothing to do with who you actually are. people make type fluctuations quite often. i know that i'd have to say that when i'm drinking, i probably become more of an ENTP, but that doesn't necessarily change who i actually am. i hope this makes some kind of sense lol, it does to me, but i'm not always that great at explaining things.

 

[Fedayeen]

Agent of Intellect, I was mainly wondering to see how it would effect the results. I want to know more for Curiosity reasons, and seeing how the system works. Then actually classifying myself. Though i do feel like INTP is definitely my primary personality and it fits me almost 100% most of the time. Sometimes I feel different though.

 

[Radioactive_Springtime]

I took the test on a downswing and I ended up INFP instead of INTP.

 

[Decaf]

Decaf would probably be the best one to explain this to you...

Oh jeez... pressure

I haven't read anything I'd trust that deals with how MBTI and most psychological dysfunctions interact, but I have a theory (run away! save yourselves!). There's a part of our brains that is highly active when we are sad or depressed and dormant when we're happy. Having dealt with a number of depressives I started reading up on new neuroscience research where they are developing a first generation brain pacemaker that "settles" that area of the brain when it becomes overactive (because the brain lacks the enzymes that shut down the "sad center" of the brain when the brain would normally trigger that reaction). OK, so that doesn't really deal with bipolar, but my theory is that bipolar is the brain attempting to be its own pacemaker, calming down the overactive depressive center, but it overdoes it. The manic side of bipolar is due to the completely dormant center that should normally have activity, and the brain shutting down the calming effect, which lets the center go back to overdrive. Basically, I believe bipolar is a disorder of that function that regulates the corrective part of the depressive center.

*gasp* *inhale*

MBTI, right. Your four letter code helps define what order your functions are in. So for INTPs it goes:

Introverted Thinking
Extraverted Intuition
Sensing (There is still disagreement on whether or not this is extraverted or introverted)
Extraverted Feeling

When we are in a good mood, we find that we are confidant in our top function and enjoy the creative use of our second function. That's how we are most productive and tend to be most skilled.

When we are sad, however, we lose confidance in our top function and lose our desire to be creative. We end up relying on our least developed functions and our table flips upsidedown. We end up using immature versions of our third and fourth functions instead. For INTPs that can exhibit itself as attempting to blame the world and its misplaced values (extraverted feeling) for our problems. The way that most INTPs that I've worked with deal with this is trying to engage their slightly less immature function (for me its extraverted sensing) to rebuild confidance in myself. I proofread old work, or I read a reference book I'd been meaning to get to. Its very tough to learn as a habit, but if you can harness your down-state, you may find that you can be productive and feel better about it later (because obviously you can't feel better about it when your depressive center is still in overdrive).

I believe bipolar would make it hard to type you, but not impossible, and I don't think that it pushes you into behaving like another type... just a depressed version of the type you already are.

Oh, and yes I agree that personality type is only a facet of what makes up a person's mental process. We define what we can in an attempt to find clarity, but people are just too complex for a system of only 16 types. Maybe if we had a system of 5 billion types we'd stand a chance.

*edit* actually, now that I think about it... the only reason my apartment is clean is because sometimes I feel frustrated and sad. I can' motivate myself to do much of any real cleaning if I feel good about myself. Go figure.

 

[Fedayeen]

Thanks Decaf. Also the main reason that made me think of this whole thing is because I had taken 2 tests. The first was INTP the other was very different. I don't remember exactly what it was i think it was ENTJ, and it said I was very outgoing and athletic/active. which was quite the opposite from INTP, and it fits me as well pretty well...some of the time.

 

[Decaf]

Remember that introvert as defined by Carl Jung does not mean the same thing as introvert in many other cases. Here it means that an introvert is someone who gathers their energy from solitude. That solitude can be anything from reading a book to watching television to lifting weights. Many introverts are quite outgoing, enjoying the company of others and enjoying public speaking. Many extraverts are terrified of public speaking and tend to alienate those around them with their "anti-social" behavior. Introversion/extraversion isn't a question of outgoing vs. shy but rather of the order of events.

When in a conversation or argument, when are you most likely to make a silly statement. At the beginning of a conversation or at the end?

Extraverts tend to make those kind of embarassing mistakes at the beginning of an argument because they are using the conversation to build their side. Introverts tend to make those mistakes at the end because they need to step back and reflect on what has been said but haven't been given the opportunity.

But notice I said tend. When we are being creative (engaging our auxiliary function) we will reverse that trend because our secondary function is the opposite orientation as our primary. So you should also pay attention to the subject matter. Our introverted thinking is most likely to make bad conjecture when it has run out of actual information to analyze. Extraverted intuition is mostly likely to suggest ridiculous ideas or solutions at the beginning of a conversation because it operates primarily as verbal brain storming, allowing us to spew out ideas unfiltered by critical thought (which can be embarassing).

___

I believe the athleticism of a person is based more on upbringing than genetics. ISTPs are generally accomplished athletes in some form, so why would INTPs be completely devoid of that ability? I'm not particularly good, but I enjoy snowboarding and martial arts a lot (not at the same time though). I think its tempting for many INTPs to read about some activity rather than do it, but once they get over the hump of moving forward can quickly become avid participants. We tend to dive into lots of subjects that retain our interest and its important we don't immediately disqualify ourselves from active pursuits because of the stereotypes we often believe about ourselves (the nerd stereotype is immensely destructive for us and those who will do anything to avoid being 'uncool').

http://www.personalitypage.com/INTP_per.html

put athlete into your find bar and you'll see:
"With a well-developed understanding of their environment and the ability to act very quickly, they may [make] good athletes."

It's frustrating to see people living up to the stereotypes applied to them. Embrace that you are a nerd and redefine what it means. Don't let ENTJs and ISFPs tell you what it means to be an INTP.

 

[grrreg]

It's frustrating to see people living up to the stereotypes applied to them. Embrace that you are a nerd and redefine what it means. Don't let ENTJs and ISFPs tell you what it means to be an INTP.

totally best advice

 

[Fedayeen]

I never was any good at expressing what i mean. I think what I tried to say, and what you thought I meant were 2 (some what) different things. I don't remember exactly what I said, but most of the time I am a very private person and like to keep to my self. I hate small talk, and large groups. However there is another side where sometimes I am very talkative, and social. My parents have even said I can be as different as night and day.

As for the athleticism, I have always been very self-critical, and never considered myself that great at sports. However my team mates and coaches seem to think rather highly of me (in basketball, tennis, soccer, and volleyball).

I never have been one to fit into a stereotype. My "close" friends think/know I'm a bit of a nerd as you put it. while a lot of other people consider me a lot of other things including an athlete and quoting my soccer coach here "a stud"...lol

I never have tried to live inside a stereotype. I have always tried to stay as unpredictable as possible. In fact it annoys me if someone can figure out what I am going to do before I do it.

 

[Decaf]

I'm sorry... I actually trimmed a lot of what I was gonna say because I felt like maybe I was going off on a tangent. Being affected by a stereotype and allowing it to limit you is not restricted to those who allow those judgments to be true about themselves. One of the things I regret about my own choices was when I decided to distance myself from the computer "geeks" because they were just too "geeky". I hid the fact that sometimes at lunch I hung out with "reject" groups playing cards or occasionally Magic: The Gathering. Eventually I stopped hanging out with them entirely because other "cooler" groups stopped treating me like I didn't belong. Now I'm trying to teach myself computer programming (mostly unsuccessfully) and wish I'd taken the opportunity those years ago instead of thinking that it was beneath me.

I'm not saying that's what's going on with you. Just wanted to say that in case my personal experience might be enlightening.

Something you might want to search through in this forum or others is the INTP power of mimicry or being a chameleon. One of the perks and curses of being who we are is that we can learn to literally be all things to all people, but sometimes find it difficult to be ourselves at will unless with those we feel very comfortable with, finding it easier to keep a collection of masks.

 

[Jesin]

Now I'm trying to teach myself computer programming (mostly unsuccessfully)

Somebody said computer programming! I can help!

 

[Wisp]

...Predictable.

 

[Agent Intellect]

i do find it interesting that i can be quite the "social chameleon". when i'm at work, i'd say i'm more extroverted with the people that work in my department (although i'm DEFINITELY and introvert to people who don't work close by to me) and i'm more of an extrovert with close family/friends, where i'll go off on a lot of tangents and shit, but on the average, i'd rather just sit and home and read or think to myself lol.