INTP and anorexia

[Fleur]

Is it right, that INTP females are more possible to have an anorexia than most of other types?

 

[Decaf]

I'm referencing the MBTI Manual with this, so I'll just add what I was able to find that is statistically significant...

NP females:
overrepresented among female substance abusers
underrepresented among chronic pain patients

ITP females:
married most number of times compared to other female groups

NT females:
tended to have much shorter marriages than female NF's

INTP:
rated among 3 most likely types to have trouble in school
most frequent among college students referred for alcohol and drug violations
In national sample ranked 3rd highest for "No" and 2nd highest for "Not Sure" for belief in a higher power
Ranked 3rd highest in dissatisfaction with "Marriage/intimate relationship"

INTP females:
most female group to persist in engineering school


There didn't appear to be any data on eating disorders, but I'll keep looking. I left out some of the more positive correlations because we're used to reading that stuff in type descriptions.

 

[Kuu]

Why would they?

If anorexia is the result of social pressure and low self esteem, then I can see how they might be susceptible to it; specially considering the INTP's total conflict with "traditional" female gender roles... but why would a rational NT be so troubled about social pressure / self image? Having deep personal insecurities that suddenly flash out (our inferior extraverted F) is not the same as acting out our emotions self destructively because of a need to conform with external opinions.... At least I think INTPs are the most skeptical type towards the social order and its demands and critiques...

Perhaps ESFJs would be more prone to such things. Their sensitivity to the opinions of others, need for external approval and respect for social conventions coupled with inferior T seems to make them more likely candidates...

(Eh I've just realized that ESFJs are the INTPs functions in reverse order...)

Of course, I'm no woman, psychologist or doctor, so I could be completely wrong...

 

[Jordan~]

"most frequent among college students referred for alcohol and drug violations"

This one seems odd, I would have thought it was the other way around.

 

[Decaf]

"most frequent among college students referred for alcohol and drug violations"

This one seems odd, I would have thought it was the other way around.

INTPs are intuitives, which means they're more likely to go to college. They're also perceivers, which means they tend to define rules as "guidelines that carry potential punishments". Being somewhat unaware of the totality of their environment the way sensors are means they're also more likely to get caught. Of course all of that is just me talking like I know something

I've never done substance abuse in or out of college, so I wonder if its an either/or situation. Either the INTP in question finds the rules work fine for them and they behave, or they find that they don't, so they throw 'em out.

 

[Thread Killer]

I don't think we have any reason to be more prone to anorexia than other types. However, I'm not sure if our type affects our diet. I'm very slim and don't eat much because I'm usually preoccupied with thinking or doing nerdy things to care, so I was called anorexic in the past.

 

[Jordan~]

INTPs are intuitives, which means they're more likely to go to college. They're also perceivers, which means they tend to define rules as "guidelines that carry potential punishments". Being somewhat unaware of the totality of their environment the way sensors are means they're also more likely to get caught. Of course all of that is just me talking like I know something

I've never done substance abuse in or out of college, so I wonder if its an either/or situation. Either the INTP in question finds the rules work fine for them and they behave, or they find that they don't, so they throw 'em out.

I'm with Aristotle:"I have gained this by philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law." That is, that laws aren't necessary to one who keeps tighter moral (or in this case, just sensible) control over themself than the law keeps over others.
​

 

[Ermine]

I don't see why they would tend towards an eating disorder that's fueled by a warped self image and social pressure. I don't care if people think I'm not skinny. I'm at a healthy weight for my age and height, and I'm fit enough to do any athletic activity I want without getting tired too quickly. What else could I want?

 

[Jordan~]

It seems to me that a sort of "failed" extravert would be more likely to be anorexic. One who desires social acceptance and a large network of friends, but doesn't have it.

 

[tesseracter]

I agree with everyone else, here. Although, I wish I could add an original thought, lol. Anyway, a close friend of mine is anorexic. It's very painful for me to watch her do that, and it doesn't make sense to me. I literally can't understand how anyone can think it's sane to starve yourself. I'm pretty thin, myself, and can understand not wanting to eat, just because I'm not in the mood, or something has gotten really gross to me - so I lose my appetite. But, then, I hit a point that tells me making my stomach hurt (to gain weight) is healthier than allowing myself to destroy my muscles. Anorexia is so opposite of trying to be healthy, it's totally senseless.

The only thing I can think why INTP college students had substance abuse problems is because, I think INTP's are prone to depression. I wonder why ITP females were married the most. I can't imagine being married more than once. I've often said, if my husband dies, that's it - I won't get married, again.

 

[Saturnine]

I occasionally feel the extreme need to starve and lose large amounts of weight...but usually go back to normal.

 

[creepingcharlie]

According to the book Type Talk, the type most likely to develop an eating disorder is ENFP followed by INFP.

 

[Radioactive_Springtime]

ITP? maybe its that they are more prone to paranoia? but then again what do I know, eh?

 

[Saturnine]

I get paranoid about my weight, but I was taunted by a lot of people growing up for being a little chubby...so my body image has been completely skewed over the years....

 

[Radioactive_Springtime]

In times of stress I get hungry but lack the ability to stomach foods. Maybe its just the stress itself. But I cant seem to fight the feeling that I may just be INxP.

 

[Fleur]

Stuff like anorexia is good indicator for seeing, how far people can go.

(And I have a thought, that eating disorders are rather J thing, for P it would be more like "Ugh...I`m going to start starving tommorrow".)

 

[grrreg]

I'm pretty vain, not for the 'social pressure' so much as the 'social satisfaction' I get from looking good. I'm not the best small talker , so I need that edge to get the attention I nearly want, but not really. I like to think of myself as a bit of a mystery in public eyes.

ha ha, i think INTPs have such large imaginations and spend so much time inside their heads they can create an extremely distored self image, good or bad. I can definitely see anorexia as a consequence.

and drug abuser, i can see that too when the 'bad imagination' needs a break...i smoked a lot of pot in college, did x, shrooms, drank..i enjoyed the altered perception as long as I was with other interesting people, it was a lot of fun. However, i never got caught.

I second the tendency towards depression someone else mentioned. But not necessarily as the reason for sub abuse in the first place. And I wouldn't say I abused so much as used. i never needed an intervention or felt like I wasn't in control of myself.

However, I did have an OCD prior to going to college, which pot seriously cured me of.

 

[fullerene]

ha ha, i think INTPs have such large imaginations and spend so much time inside their heads they can create an extremely distorted self image, good or bad. I can definitely see anorexia as a consequence.

very, very true. I've never thought twice about how I look (being a guy can't hurt... obviously not nearly as much pressure), but I can easily see myself creating a self-image with no real basis in reality at all. Scary.

 

[Apathy]

In one description of anorexia I have seen described them as neat, tidy, and disciplined. Wouldn't a judging type be more prone, perhaps a TJ, since they are emotionally undeveloped and J's have the discipline to keep to a strict diet.

I would think that Perceiving types would be more prone to Bulimia, as I have heard bulimics are usually messy.

 

[grrreg]

yeah, vomit has a tendency to make a mess..

 

[Agent Intellect]

i generally have the opposite problem of anorexia lol. i eat when i get bored, even if i'm not all that hungry. i used to weigh a lot more, but i lost a LOT of weight (about 100 pounds) in the last 2 years. of course, it took me about 4 or 5 years of putting it off before i finally buckled down (and getting a job that requires a lot of physical labor helps too) and shed the weight. of course, i haven't bought any new clothes since then either so i look like i'm wearing bed sheets, but i don't much care about my vanity anyway lol.

very, very true. I've never thought twice about how I look (being a guy can't hurt... obviously not nearly as much pressure), but I can easily see myself creating a self-image with no real basis in reality at all. Scary.

i do it all the time. all day at work i'm completely lost in my head, usually thinking about all the books i want to write (i LOVE making the ideas, just hate writing them lol) and sometimes thinking about how great it would be to be a famous author.

 

[grrreg]

i would love to be an (in)famous author also...ah the dream

maybe not nearly as much pressure to look good for you, but if you add a) living in new york=metrosexualism (which admittedly isn't as bad as LA, but still) plus b) being gay...it's no longer one of those 'it's so much easier for guys' things ,
consider yourself luckier ...

 

[Jordan~]

I shed weight because I forget to eat. If I lived along, I'd probably only eat when I hungry enough that I had to.

 

[Agent Intellect]

i would love to be an (in)famous author also...ah the dream

maybe not nearly as much pressure to look good for you, but if you add a) living in new york=metrosexualism (which admittedly isn't as bad as LA, but still) plus b) being gay...it's no longer one of those 'it's so much easier for guys' things ,
consider yourself luckier ...

i find that the people that i care to have like me will like me no matter how i dress and look. of course, they make fun of me, but i guess thats just the crowd i roll with, because i make fun of them too.

 

[Mandy Bruno]

Is it right, that INTP females are more possible to have an anorexia than most of other types?

I've always been thin because I don't like to waste my time cooking and cleaning. However, I've been diagnosed with anorexia, and might be anorexic still... I don't really know. I don't OBSESS with weight, but I don't like eating either.

 

[Carnap]

I think anorexia is a social fact following certain natural laws that all humans are bound to (advertising, libidinal capitalism, etc) , in this case type does not matter. I have never had eating disorders and have had loads of friends with them, none of them remotely close to being INTP.

 

[Ermine]

Odd. I like food a lot, though I don't overeat or have an emotional attachment to food. Though comparing to some people I know, I'm better at going without food if I have to. Sometimes I have lunch at about noon and don't end up having dinner until 9 or 10 PM. Even if I am engrossed in something fascinating, I still stop for food, or at least eat while I'm doing what I'm doing.

 

[shatterspike1]

There was a time when I would forget to eat until an angry stomach would remind me to get food. Even now, I don't eat half as much as some people.

 

[severus]

I have been told that anorexia is more about gaining control than actually losing weight. INTPs are prone to depression, life has no meaning, everything is random, etc. So, in that context, I think it makes at least some sense that INTPs might also be prone to anorexia.

Also, I do care about how I look. I just don't follow society's guidelines to make my judgements.

 

[chocolate]

Interesting. I always thought anorexics would be J-types. I only know one anorexic whose type I would guess to be INTJ or ENTJ. I know a near-anorexic (as is scary-skinny, obsessed with not eating but doesn't seem to have a disorder) who is ENFJ.

(I didn't like the stats on the NT-female marriage )

 

[severus]

Should the P/J matter, as far as "will power"? Ultimately this is a psychological disorder, and so sticking to the "diet" would be more compulsion than will, yes? Speaking of which, does the type lead to the disorder OR does one appear to be a certain type because of a disorder?

 

[brain enclosed in flesh]

I have been told that anorexia is more about gaining control than actually losing weight. INTPs are prone to depression, life has no meaning, everything is random, etc. So, in that context, I think it makes at least some sense that INTPs might also be prone to anorexia.

Also, I do care about how I look. I just don't follow society's guidelines to make my judgements.

Old, but I wanted to reply to this. (Primarily because maybe it can help others experiencing this.) I had an eating disorder.

When I was in high school, the idea of having an eating disorder was unfathomable to me. I never thought about food. I ate when I was hungry and stopped when I was full. That was pretty much it. But then I got to college and I was eating cafeteria food, not my mom's healthy food, and I started to gain a little weight. (I say 'little' because I probably got up to like 115 lbs. I'm just naturally small.)

It was freaky. Food and calories were nothing I ever had to consider. And I think I was eating a lot of baked goods, sweets because I was depressed. I hated my school. It was totally the wrong place for me. And then I think at Christmas my 'J' dad said something to me about how I had gained a little weight. Not to mention, he couldn't understand why I was unhappy at college, because to him it was the perfect school. It was just me and my typical "flightiness". I needed to commit and get over it.

Primarily, I really don't think anorexia (at least for INTPs) has much to do with body image at all, but with self-image. (there is a difference- internal vs. external) Even though I had gained some weight, I still knew I was thin. Also it was a big f-you to the world (my dad)- "Look, you say I'm undisciplined and can't commit to anything? Check this out, I bet you can't go for a week just eating carrot sticks!"

The few times in my life that food has become an issue it has been due to depression, stress (probably due to my difficulty with processing and understanding my emotions- come to think of it, this is probably the biggest trigger of them all), and general disgust with myself and my life.

So yes. Control. Defiance. Emotional release. Not to mention self-inflicted punishment for being a lazy piece of shit.

(I don't view myself like that now. But that's how I've thought about myself in the past.)

 

[Mute]

I agree with everyone else, here. Although, I wish I could add an original thought, lol. Anyway, a close friend of mine is anorexic. It's very painful for me to watch her do that, and it doesn't make sense to me. I literally can't understand how anyone can think it's sane to starve yourself. I'm pretty thin, myself, and can understand not wanting to eat, just because I'm not in the mood, or something has gotten really gross to me - so I lose my appetite. But, then, I hit a point that tells me making my stomach hurt (to gain weight) is healthier than allowing myself to destroy my muscles. Anorexia is so opposite of trying to be healthy, it's totally senseless.

The only thing I can think why INTP college students had substance abuse problems is because, I think INTP's are prone to depression. I wonder why ITP females were married the most. I can't imagine being married more than once. I've often said, if my husband dies, that's it - I won't get married, again.

I read somwhere (looking it up now..) that most guys are Ts and most women are Fs, not sure how accurate that is.

Thinking-Feeling
Thinking-Feeling differences affect how we make decisions. Thinkers (T) make decisions objectively and impersonally using logic. Feelers (F) make decisions subjectively and personally based on what they feel is "right". This personality grouping is the only one that shows any gender difference, with male Thinking- Feeling preferences being 60%-40% and female Thinking-Feeling preferences being 40%-60%.

http://powerscourt.blogspot.com/2008/11/myers-briggs-and-gender-differences.html

if that were the case, males might find INTP women particularly attractive-

 

[Liontiger]

I know this is an old, but I stumbled upon it on google (imagine that). I had what I have decided was a mild eating disorder during my freshman year of high school. I'd say I'm about an average weight for my height (if not slighly below average), but for some reason I got it into my head that I wasn't skinny enough. Most of my friends were skinnier than I was, so I just felt huge and gross when I was with them. So I decided to eat as little as I possibly could. I still ate dinner and breakfast (because I knew eating in the morning kick-starts your metabolism) but I only ate a tiny bowl of salad for lunch. I had it every day without fail. I would also buy clothes that were too small so I would be motivated to fit in them, and I constructed a work out plan to help me lose weight.

I know this is very mild compared to what many people have gone through. I never really caused any physical harm, but I did wreak havoc on myself psychologically. The constant worry stressed me out to no end. I was socially awkward (even more so than usual) because I lacked self-esteem. However, I was able to snap out of it on my own. It took a lot of inner wrestling, but it was relatively easy to overcome. I do believe I could have allowed it to get worse, but luckily that never happened.

Constricting my eating habits was, ironically, one of the very few things I could commit to. I actually grew to be more self-disciplined. So I don't think you have to be a J to have an eating disorder. You just have to have the drive. I think the people who would have the most issues with this would be those that can't get outside of their heads. I know that when I lose touch with reality, things can get out of hand.

 

[Enne]

Is it right, that INTP females are more possible to have an anorexia than most of other types?

Dude, I LOVE food.

 

[walfin]

Dude, I LOVE food.

This one must be the bulimic then.

 

[JoeJoe]

Is it right, that INTP females are more possible to have an anorexia than most of other types?

Didn't read the thread, but I learned that especially perfectionist types tend to become anorexic.

 

[Seducer of the Homeless]

very possible, i continually consider starving myself...

so...yes, possible

(i love food but am still considering starvation)

 

[Enne]

This one must be the bulimic then.

>:O ;^;

 

[Zero]

I love food. I don't always remember to eat or know to eat, but I love food.
I kind of have to be in the mood to eat, but I snack constantly.
I don't think INTPs are more prone towards starving themselves. I might not eat if I'm angry...
Or distracted... Food, destroyed, because I forgot about it.

I'm "skinny", but I don't normally eat large meals and meat's a rarity for me. I also hate fast food. I do sometimes eat it, but it always manages to make me sick.

When I was younger my parents and doctor were somewhat concerned about my weight, but it never turned into a problem.

 

[severus]

@Zero, have you always had that avatar? Else, what did your old one look like?
I think I remember you from when I first joined....

 

[Trebuchet]

I was recently reading a book called The Body Has a Mind of Its Own by Sandra and Matthew Blakeslee, about how the brain has a map of the body, and some of the consequences. It discusses things like phantom limbs, and how when you are wearing a tall hat, you duck when going under a low doorway, because your brain includes the hat in your body map.

One of the things they mentioned was the possibility that anorexia could result from a broken body-map. People who are anorexic really, truly don't see how thin they are. They aren't making it up or exaggerating. The authors presented some evidence, but there wasn't a conclusive study cited to back up this idea.

Assuming the Blakeslees are right, I don't see a reason for INTPs to have more broken body maps than other people, so I wouldn't expect a lot of anorexia.

 

[SEELE01]

Im just kind of playing with ideas here but, perhaps it has to do with geder identity.
I read alot of posts about how NT women tend to not feel like they fit in with their peers, and Ive heard alot about how some NF men(especialy Fi ones) have a habit of overplaying masculine stereotypes to cover up the fact that they are complete pussies. Mabye this is the same/similar concept, an NT woman dealing with the fact that at heart shes a cerebral nerd becomes insecure with her femininity/ overplays feminine stereotypes and eventualy this all leads to her sticking her finger down her throat.

Upoun reading this over it sounds incredibly retarded.

 

[shoeless]

okay this is really interesting to me, i was actually just browsing the forum and joined to reply to this thread.

i'm an intp female who has a history with being eating-disordered, and i think a lot of it has to do with a conflict of the intuitive and the thinking part of my personality. they're constantly bashing against each other and not agreeing and it drives me CRAZY.

my gut (lolpun) always tells me that i'm eating too much, that my food is going to go straight to my belly flab, that anything i consume is working against me. this obviously isn't true, and the rational, thinking part of me knows that. the rational, thinking part of me knows that i need food to sustain myself, and that merely being alive burns off most of the calories and things that would go toward my weight. since both these sides of me contradict so frequently, i spend a LOT of time thinking & obsessing over whether i should eat, whether it's the right thing to do, whether it is harmful to me or not, whether it will make me fat.

and the time i spend thinking about it is the same time i spend not eating. it's like there's no way to rationalize the information my intuition is taking in, so it puts me in a tailspin.

does that make sense? obviously something like this doesn't apply to all intp women. obviously. there's a lot of social background to it, and i personally believe some sort of genetic predisposition to it, to why my intuition would tell me that in the first place. but to those of us who do have issues with self-image, i absolutely think intp's could be more prone to anorexia and eating disorders in general than other types.

bear in mind, i don't really know what i'm talking about, i haven't studied up or anything. but, yeah.

off to read the rest of this thread now!

 

[Trebuchet]

and the time i spend thinking about it is the same time i spend not eating. it's like there's no way to rationalize the information my intuition is taking in, so it puts me in a tailspin.

does that make sense? obviously something like this doesn't apply to all intp women. obviously. there's a lot of social background to it, and i personally believe some sort of genetic predisposition to it, to why my intuition would tell me that in the first place. but to those of us who do have issues with self-image, i absolutely think intp's could be more prone to anorexia and eating disorders in general than other types.

You know, I think you are on to something here. I don't obsess about weight particularly, but I sure obsess, often about nutrition and health. I make myself crazy all the time, about things that I know rationally are untrue, or very unlikely, or aren't important, and I haven't been able to stop. I haven't been diagnosed formally, but I certainly meet all the criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder, so I am pretty sure that is part of my problem. Anyway, if this kind of relentless obsessing is part of being INTP, I would imagine weight would be one of the more common things to obsess about.

 

[aperfectgircle...or is it]

Im sure I will have a very good answer for you....Im just going to have to think about it a while first!...lol

 

[CodeOmega0]

There are times, when it's not like I chose not to eat... I just forget.

I'll be at work, or working on my home computer, and realize that I haven't eaten in 12 hours.

 

[nickgray]

57kg/185+cm. Yeah, I don't eat a lot

 

[Invoke Ninja's True Power]

When I was eating a lot and working out a bit in my first college I was about 5'9"(175cm) 150lbs(68kg). Went down to about 145(66kg) for 3 or 4 years. lost a bunch of weight during a particularly hot week camping/concert outdoors 2 years ago(100+degrees F, 75%+humidity) been at 130-135(59-61kg) ever since(fluctuates) doesn't matter how much I eat, I usually lose weight when I don't eat even just sitting around. One time I didn't eat for 2 or 3 days and lost over 4lbs(1kg+) I blame it on my overactive brain using so many of my vital resources

 

[aracaris]

I've actually had people think I'm anorexic. I'll always be happy to accept food, and lots of it to prove them wrong. I'll even let them watch me wolf it down if they'd like.

As for the drug issue that's gotten into this discussion, I have my own reasons for not touching them, but can see why they'd appeal to some INTPs. I think that for some INTPs drug use is likely a result of curiosity about altered states of consciousness, and the potential to gain new insights into the workings of the universe.