why were depressed

[INTPINFP]

you know when you were camping and like the routine was set up and everything. well, i think this routine, scheme, game were playing now has gotten stale. and thats why we're depressed.

 

[Devercia]

???

What game? What scheme? What depression?

 

[Ermine]

I think INIFEN....etc means that we are depressed because we're bored with daly routine. I'm definitely bored most of the time unless I learn to laugh at boring routine, but I usually get depressed because I often hate myself for rationalizing myself out of everything and regretting it afterwards.

 

[INTPINFP]

I think INIFEN....etc means that we are depressed because we're bored with daly routine. I'm definitely bored most of the time unless I learn to laugh at boring routine, but I usually get depressed because I often hate myself for rationalizing myself out of everything and regretting it afterwards.

well yeah, like life has no goal, its like our life's goal is to become rich and famous and die lol, or believe in religion and die lol.

but what do you mean. like you mom says do the dishes and you rationalize reasons why you shouldn't, or am i misunderstanding?

 

[Pixie]

I think you may be projecting your experiences on everyone else, or projecting the rest of the world's experiences onto INTPs.
If you're depressed by routine and by the 'game that you're playing', demolish it or make a new game. May be difficult for P types to put that into action, but I guess we'll get around to it eventually.

well yeah, like life has no goal, its like our life's goal is to become rich and famous and die lol, or believe in religion and die lol.

Who is "our"?? I don't know about you, but none of those things are part of my life goals. Except for die (eventually! long time from now!), because, you know, that's inevitable.

 

[Ermine]

well yeah, like life has no goal, its like our life's goal is to become rich and famous and die lol, or believe in religion and die lol.

but what do you mean. like you mom says do the dishes and you rationalize reasons why you shouldn't, or am i misunderstanding?

No, the rationalizing is more in social situations, though I tried that technique for getting out of doing the dishes when I was a kid.

And I actually have hugely different life goals, so I don't see why you're saying "we". I want to learn how to live life to the fullest, and create (art, music, change, etc) as much as I can. I'd hate to be famous, and I already believe in my religion, though not all religion as a whole.

 

[Devercia]

I haven't been depressed since I was 13(9 years ago.) I mostly see my life's goal at learning and passing that knowledge on. Fitting that Education is my major. I am often board out of my mind alongside self induced lethargy, but I wouldn't say thats depression.

 

[Tiger]

I think you may be projecting your experiences on everyone else, or projecting the rest of the world's experiences onto INTPs.
If you're depressed by routine and by the 'game that you're playing', demolish it or make a new game. May be difficult for P types to put that into action, but I guess we'll get around to it eventually.



Who is "our"?? I don't know about you, but none of those things are part of my life goals. Except for die (eventually! long time from now!), because, you know, that's inevitable.

???

the figuartive camp sounded like family to me.
i'm an alien stranded on this planet, thats why i've always been depressed. you'd think about suicidie daily if you were one, i did between ages of 10 and well... its less passionate and fading away now. as ive gotten older and more confident its chaning into delicious anger. as they're forcing me to fit into society i'm kicking down their tents so to speak.
all of their stuff that is supposed to envoke happiness is meaningless to me. i thinks thats what you mean too, INIFENwhat-blah-blah.
the dope medication society gives out doesnt work on intps - or me atleast.
they who took the blue pill. we who took the red.
(did i get that right? havent sseen the matrix in years)

 

[Vrecknidj]

I'm too busy to be depressed.

Then again, three other people's lives depend upon me going to work every day, so, that's not really fair.

Before anyone lashes out about my not understanding depression, believe me, I do. I've not only talked people back from the edge (as it were), I've spent years nursing my wife back to health from a depression about as dark as there can be.

Dave

 

[Wisp]

Why, oh why didn't I take the damned blue pill as a fetus?! I kid, I kid... For some strange reason, I'd rather suffer brilliantly than slog alon gin blissful ignorance.

 

[Rikka]

I agree with the whole boredom thing, but i'm also severely depressed due to my traumatic childhood. Although, i think that's what lead me to being an INTP in the here and now.

 

[flow]

Are you sure you weren't born an INTP?

 

[Rikka]

I don't know if i was born an INTP. Who would be able to? I guess i was a pretty INTP-like child, but it's only been very apparent in the past couple of years.

 

[Thaklaar]

Depression. Why? Hell, it's hard to say. Could be that I come from a long line of mopey micks, almost every one self-medicating with his favorite whisky. A lot of it could have been that I lived on the west coast up on the Canadian border, we got less than 8 hours of sun a day at mid-winter...when it wasn't raining. And it was always raining. I've certainly felt better since moving down where sunshine isn't a rarity. And then a lot of the time my life was generally shitty. No girlfriend, crappy job, no money, doing poorly at school. The girlfriend and school bits I can blame on my INTPness at least. And lastly, back then, I was still awash in hormones. God knows what that was doing to me. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm still not exactly a happy, bubbly ball of cheerfulness. I'm just more apathetic than morose. But whether that's a factor of my personality or something else, all I can say is hell if I know.

 

[bdubs]

The only time I felt I may have been genuinely depressed was in highschool. I was forced to take a class that I put no intrinsic worth in. Because of this I had a hard time working up the motivation to study for the class. The side effect of this was (unsurprisingly) low marks in that class. Oddly enough, although I had put very little value in the class it still hurt me to see the bad marks. (The disapproval of my parents was not helping things much either) Who knew latin was so important?

 

[Zezon Vice]

My depression is a result of extreme change by technicality. I am not bored with my life.
I miss the past as things are much worse now.

 

[lemonsunite]

i used to be really INTP-ish in 5th grade, and people hated me for that because i would correct the teachers or tell people that thier barbie-girl fantasy will never come true. then, we moved to another state, and i got better at hiding the intp side and acting happy and hyper and preppy. but then after a year, we moved back to the same exact place, even the same house we were in. everyone started judging me on who i was, and then when i turned out to be really happy and stuff, they told me that i was just trying to fit in.

so yeah, for a year that made me depressed. now though, i still think about depression and all that, but it lost the meaning it had back then.

 

[Perseus]

It's the judgement call of the other people that makes me depressed. Notably, all the Horsemen (ESFJ), most of the Bullies (ESFJ), the Wolfman (ENTJ) and the conniving secretive Hawks (INTJ). They all judge me wrongly. I am not so keen on the games Bears (ISTP) and Cats (ISFP) play either.

That leaves just the Skylarks (INFP), Rainy Day Butterflies (ESFP), Eagles (INTP), Dragons (INFP), Snakes (ENTP), Ferrets whom I love (ENFP), with a wary open mind about the dangerous Panther (ESTP).

Dogs (ISTJ) are boring. Which leaves the Beaver (ENFJ) which mostly I don't get on with and the last one is the Mouse (ISFJ) which contaminate. Clean Hamsters (ISFJ) are tolerable.

Biggest disdain for the Camelhead (ESFJ variant) and an enemy Wolf.

 

[Gorgrim]

Persues; Have you found any ISTJ's that you can't tolerate? i know they are boring. But in my POV they can be a huge pain. There is no way to get a long.

 

[Perseus]

Persues; Have you found any ISTJ's that you can't tolerate? i know they are boring. But in my POV they can be a huge pain. There is no way to get a long.

The trusted Dogs. They can do the Accounts. It really depends on their Master. Some are well trained, some are not.

Life coaching is for the flying animals.

 

[ConsumeYou.]

I'm depressed because one, I grew up in a rich neighborhood and was bullyed constantly all my life, everythings gone wrong for me, I have the worst luck...Ever since I was 7 years old my mom knew I was going to have problems, I'd grab on to her screaming and crying and I wouldn't beable to breath and the teachers would literally have to pull me off of her. I could never pay attention, just because I didn't wanna be there because it was liek a jail for me..Now I only have 6 hours of school a week in a independant learning center...All through my life I struggled so hard with copeing, like I had a really weak soul and mind, I could never sit in assemblys. Every single day when I walked in the doors of my old school I felt this felling like I didnt wanna be there. I couldnt stand the bells, people pushing past you being crouded, people screaming and laughing, rumors and all that jazz. I can't take much.. And I've been close to the edge many times.. I'm 17 years old still takeing grade 10 cources.

 

[Da Blob]

FYI
everyone gets depressed on occasions, there are a lot of de-pressing events in the environment.

However, for those who really have trouble, there is usually a chemical imbalance involved. Proper medication can be used to partially correct that imbalance.

One thing I've noticed with the chronically depressed is that they are often obsessed with the Past. It's like their Tomorrows were Yesterday. They often are hopeless (hope being the anticipation of Future pleasures) because they are not aware of the Present much less the Future.

That's why I commented on another thread that I thought that Existentialism was a 'Safe and Secure' belief system. I think anyone who can live the Now consistently does not have to worry about Depression...

 

[Thread Killer]

In my later childhood and early to mid-teens, I was rather depressed (though I only started talking to other people about it during the latter years of grade school). I am not particularly emotional but when I am, it's bad. I even considered suicide a few times, no that I am happy to admit that. I rarely ever get depressed anymore though I come off as depressing.

Hmm...yeah, that's about it...but I think I agree that boredom combined with laziness and inactivity is a large factor into the depression INTPs may be more prone towards. While we are not a particularly emotional bunch, I think the lot of us have dealt with some very strong and very painful emotions in our lives that I don't think a lot of people would really expect INTPs to have. However, a lot of times, depression can be that empty hole you feel in your stomach that may result from over indulgence in a narrow range of activity or by being caught in a web of overly avoidant, comfort-seeking behavior and running away from the more painful aspects of reality.

 

[Zezon Vice]

I'm depressed because one, I grew up in a rich neighborhood and was bullyed constantly all my life, everythings gone wrong for me, I have the worst luck...Ever since I was 7 years old my mom knew I was going to have problems, I'd grab on to her screaming and crying and I wouldn't beable to breath and the teachers would literally have to pull me off of her. I could never pay attention, just because I didn't wanna be there because it was liek a jail for me..Now I only have 6 hours of school a week in a independant learning center...All through my life I struggled so hard with copeing, like I had a really weak soul and mind, I could never sit in assemblys. Every single day when I walked in the doors of my old school I felt this felling like I didnt wanna be there. I couldnt stand the bells, people pushing past you being crouded, people screaming and laughing, rumors and all that jazz. I can't take much.. And I've been close to the edge many times.. I'm 17 years old still takeing grade 10 cources.

Some things must have gone correctly because your brave and confident enough to say this. Im not attacking you but i know that my social life is crippled because i was picked on. I have been withdrawn ever sense. I find myself afraid to post on here about my problems because i believe there are others worse off than i, though my symptoms say other wise which confuses and conflicts me. Im not sure i understand though how, if everything went wrong in your life, you can confedently tell us about how awfull things were for you. How do you find confedence? Im seriously asking out of curiousity not to attack you.

 

[Ermine]

This all makes me wonder how weak I am in comparison, since I've been in significantly better circumstances and I am still somewhat depressed. I'm hardly ever made fun of, my grades are great, and yet I still don't always know what I'm living for. I congratulate those of you who have pulled through much worse circumstances than I have.

 

[MattSeven]

Seems like a lot of young (<30) people on the forums.

I can relate a lot to some of the sentiments presented. I think it is a mistake to imagine that INTP's, as a rule, are depressed or lost for meaning in life. I do think that INTP's are more likely to strive for some framework of meaning in which to live, however. And when you're young, in a society with little or no structure of meaning, it is easy to become depressed.

However, some INTP's are either born into a family context or philosophy that is already rich with meaning. And others pursue meaning as their investigative pursuit.

 

[Fordy]

This all makes me wonder how weak I am in comparison, since I've been in significantly better circumstances and I am still somewhat depressed. I'm hardly ever made fun of, my grades are great, and yet I still don't always know what I'm living for. I congratulate those of you who have pulled through much worse circumstances than I have.

I think the same.

Recently some friends have shared their hardships with me, and it stops me thinking about my own seemingly insignificant worries and I start to try and care for and look out for others.

 

[Agent Intellect]

i think INTP's, no matter what situation they're born into, are easily disillusioned. our tendency to question social norms and the world around us, along with our penchant for living a solitary life in our heads, wanting to face everything on our own, gives us the propensity to become depressed.

 

[Wisp]

@Ermine

Lots of people don't know their purpose. I suppose one can't be sure save through divine intervention...

 

[Mars]

it's all just a shadow puppet charade to me, a twisted world with a despoiled story. yet somehow a smile seems hilariously inappropriate enough to be acceptable.

A joke if you will that everything can be twisted and broken yet there is still room for something as joyous and simple as a smile.

EDIT: I believe my avatar suffices for an example of something hauntingly twisted, yet cute.

 

[poppy]

people are always trying to get me to acknowledge that i'm 'sick,' but i've thought for a long time that my depression is inextricable from my personality and way of perceiving the world. finding out about mbti has only reinforced this idea, as it seems that these fixed personalities have such a strong effect on our behaviour. my depression is normally catalysed by extreme boredom and a sense of aimlessness, which cause me to remember how meaningless life is (when i'm stimulated i don't obsess over nihilistic theories). perhaps for intps the problem is that if a concept is logical we have to accept it, even if it is an unsavoury or dangerous idea for a human to believe. other types might find it easier to separate abstract thought and concrete action, meaning something like nihilism does not affect the way they live their lives even if they believe it to be correct on a theoretical level. personality types that are either concerned with the concrete or have more developed emotions are probably immune to the type of existential depression i suffer from.
on a side note, does anyone else find the commonly accepted way of talking about depression useless for intps? whenever i have to talk to doctors or psychologists they try to communicate with me on an emotional level, asking how i feel about something. when i try to explain that it is more related to my thoughts they ignore me and return to talking about my parents' divorce or something. when i explain that things like that don't really affect me they think that i'm just repressed, which is really annoying as i actually have very good self-awareness!
-of course, being consistently misunderstood even by those in the medical profession (as well as by teachers, friends, family etc.) is also a major factor. being on a 'camping trip' where no one understands you and you don't understand how to put up a tent (or even why you should want to) is never going to be a barrel of laughs!

 

[RobertJ]

you know when you were camping and like the routine was set up and everything. well, i think this routine, scheme, game were playing now has gotten stale. and thats why we're depressed.

Though nebulous and vague, I know exactly what you're saying here without reading further. And I agree, for example I'm an INTP architect type, and while my primary interests are trying to comprehend the world around me, it is already so structured and controlled that I feel stifled within it. I always feel a deep sense of wanting society, culture, and people to revert to their baser levels so we can get a purer and truer sense of reality and what we are as human beings.