INTJ Depression Hypothesis
So here is my hypothesis:
INTJs tend to experience depression on a more common basis, due to the fact that they see things as they really and how they could unfold. Since INTJs are very logically oriented, they tend to be realistic in assessing the current state of a particular situation. If that situation seems as if it could logically "go south," then the INTJ could display signs of depression or present a low mood.
I will say that there are likely other factors that are involved with depression. Common ones could include, recent troubles with a relationship, death of a friend/family member, a problematic childhood, or really any life-altering experience.
This concludes my hypothesis on this topic. I welcome other observations, research, hypothesis, or theories.
I would like to say though that depression is something that INTJs are more likely to experience. However, it is important to keep moving on with life. Find something that you are really interested in and pursue that aspiration. I have found that when I am in a depressed state, I am usually in a position in my life that I do not particularly like. This could be anything from a bad relationship, poor living conditions, or maybe hanging out with people that make me depressed. What worked for me in those situations was to find new ways to improve my current surroundings. I did this by finding new friends, researching other apartments, and finding new ways to occupy my time. After those changes were made, I was not experiencing as much depression and things actually got better for me. You have to find the joy in things around you. Avoid situations that bring you down and do not let other people convince you to do things you don't want to do. Life is short and we all need to enjoy it. Life isn't always the fun and games that people play it up to be. We need to make the best of our current situation and keep pressing onward with our lives.
If there is further interest in this topic, I am in the process of compiling some statistical and medical information on depression and the causes of it. I will update this article as I become aware of more details on depression and how it may relate to the INTJ personality type.
- Andrew
Hi Andrew,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, good writing and sense of humour. I landed on your page by accident because a colleague of mine pointed out that I was an INTJ personality type. Quite against my will I did the test and scored far above 50% for all elements, 88% for thinking.
Anyway, my point is regarding depression and how I have been able to deal with it over the last years. I would not call it depression, seriously, there is a huge gap between feeling depressed and being depressed. Rational people can easily get out of the second while the first is more serious and takes a careful project to overcome it, sometimes external help and in the worse case scenario chemicals.
I had no idea that I was an INTJ in the first place, but I have been able to overcome most of the situations by finding a quick hobby. Sort of an improvement project.
The procedure is simple and takes less than two weeks: I would pick some stranger with something that looks like talent and help intensively in a way that the learning curve and the outcome are clearly visible. This charity projects are most of the times easy and while it fixes your state of mind by distraction, it also helps somebody else (which is supposedly a good thing). In my specific case I would pick up random MSc students, usually not the ones that I am required to supervise (because of ethical issues), and just solve their work to the extent that I know that they are in the steady flight.
It is usually a good challenge, and if it is close to your research field, even better since keeps you open-minded. Sometimes these random and quite capable people have different perspectives and the benefit is not only the overcome of the depressive state of mind, but learning and self-improvement as well.
Btw, I am a researcher for living.
Take care and keep up this nice blog,
A
I like the way you phrased your first point about differentiating between feeling depressed vs. being depressed. As you probably gathered from reading my post, the primary focus was more on the feeling of depression rather than the actual medical depression.
DeleteI especially like your idea of finding a stranger that seems to have a good idea and working with them on a project. Not only does that help them, but it also allows you to expand your knowledge and understanding of a particular subject, while also mitigating some of the feelings of depression. Do you mind if I borrow your idea for my blog?
Thanks again for your insight!
Cheers!
- Andrew
Andrew,
DeleteSure, feel free! My ideas are not really mine, they are just a gathering of everything surrounding me now and before. :)
Take care,
Alex
Hi Andrew,
ReplyDeleteI ran across your blog as I was doing a bit self discovery (for the thousandth time). I was professionally cataloged as an INTJ personality, scoring in the 85th percentile of I, 70th of N 98th of T and and the 80th of J. I have suffered from moderate to severe depression since I was 7 and am now 27. I am inclined to believe your hypothesis linking INTJ's to depression as (in my experience) we tend to try and play out every possible scenario for a given situation/topic. Given the state of the world and the kinds of people filling it, most of these scenarios do not play out positively. Combine this with our need for perfection and the desire to fix what many others don't even see, and it results in a very frustrating outlook on society.
I would also like to add (if I may) on your hypothesis in that part of our ongoing depression is the human need to be around others, but that INTJ's generally seek solitude. Physical contact has been proven to raise our mood enhancing chemicals in our brains, and the lack of it has had the opposite reaction.
I have been in and out of Psychiatrist/Psychologist offices more times than I care to count and to date the only things that have truly helped stave off the tempest storm have been by trying to stay physically active, incredibly spicy foods (for the endorphin rushes), and by distracting myself as best I can every day. Having a solid relationship helps as well, but those are generally short lived as my companions simply don't understand me. How can they?
Anyways, I wish you the best of luck with your research.
-M
I personally found that expanding onto the inherent INTJ trait of not caring, helps a lot and makes me a very happy person.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with this at all. I fell into a deep depression at 18 years old for absolutely no reason. I searched for hundreds of hours for a reason and two years later still don't have one. It wasn't because I'm more realistic or logical. Also, my depression completely destroys my logic circuits. I reach conclusions that I know must be false, like my friends hate me or I'm a complete failure who's better off dead. This is a disease that I don't think can be attributed to just logical thinking.
ReplyDeleteI am on three anti depressants as I type. I am the exhibitor of all the worst of INTJ BEHAVIOR/personality. I pretty much hate everything, have major testing in my head, lots of memory lapse, and on and on and...
ReplyDeleteRecently, I have been toying with the idea that I may be perfectly normal, and that those around me are true idiots, and most people don't see how screwed up our daily lives are, and that my job, third career teaching 8th grade math is totally screwed up, between students, parents, administrators, the county and state ed authorities are filled with mine less cretins.
The problem is "I will try to be nicer if you try to be smarter
The problem is not "i will try to be nicer....", forget it, its chic disposable humour by-passing making any committment. Either commit to be a cunt as you see it or commit to be a saint, don't be half-assed and you might learn something.
DeleteDepression is a relative feeling that can be overcome through reverse psychosymatism. Hold your head high smile and before you know it endorphins and dopamine will be coursing through your neurotransmitters. And maybe it won't but constantly thinking about the probability of us finding a suitable companion to share our ideas and or our genetic makeup is folly. And yeah sure we are surrounded by idiots butit makes no sense to sit around wasting time when you could be helping the world advance into the next stage of humanity. Remember to control your emotions don't let them control you
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew - thanks for this. I'm an INTJ that's struggled with depression and anxiety on/off since about age 14. It's a very disconcerting experience to not be able to trust your own brain. I agree with the anonymous poster above - in my clearer moments, I can realize the things I was worried about were totally irrational, but in the grip of the disease, they seem like the most real and important things in front of me. My brain won't let them go.
ReplyDeleteA huge help for me has been cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is a structured form of therapy in which you and a therapist examine the underlying beliefs that are reinforcing negative feelings and consider whether or not they are really true. The objective isn't to make all the bad feelings go away; it's to see if they are reflecting a realistic picture of the world or not. CBT has been demonstrated to have similar efficacy to medication in many cases. Most important for me is that it relies on rationality to change the way you respond to negative feelings. I disagree with the quote's implication that the world really is a depressing place - but I agree with the base assumption that it's more important to see things as they are than to feel happy. CBT has helped me to understand that when I'm down in the dumps, my thinking is actually muddled - not clearer.
Exercise, healthy habits, and friends are a big deal too. Don't neglect your real friends.
As a side note, depression and anxiety have helped me develop my feeling side. Experiencing how much your ideas and very self are dependent on your neurotransmitter levels is humbling. I think I'm less of an INTJ jerk now.
Thank you for your input! I'll definitely do some research on CBT!
DeleteI also agree with your last sentence. I also have found that exercise, healthy habits, and friends can really be instrumental in molding one's personality and how they present themselves. If anything, it can help reduce unnecessary stress and anxiety.