INFJ in depression?

[Elis]

Introduction, pretty usless
Okey, before I start I want to apologize if this thread is misplaced. I saw that you could ask questions in the general discussion board, yet it seamd to be regarding the forum. I then thought that I'd might post it in the introduction section, as this thread is somewhat related to whether I belong here(INFJ) or not, but I figured that it would be rather embarrasing if I made an introduction just to find out that I didn't, and due to the fact that I believe that this thread would get more attention in this section.

Main questions:
So, on to the question for this thread; generally, how do those with the INFJ personality act in depression?
Does anyone here with an INFJ personality have any personal experience of a long term depression?
Is there any other type that acts like an INFJ under a depression?

Background/other question
The reason why I'm wondering is because I recently did the MBTI test and yet agin got the INFJ indication.
Everytime I take a test I get a very strong Introversion aswell as iNtuition, yet I sometimes get TP instead of FJ.
I've checked up both INTP and INFJ aswell as the specifics of the characters alone, and as far as I can see I seam to fit in the INFJ personality quite well. The reason why I might be a INTP, as far as I can see, is due to my logical thinking, I am good at argumenting, yet, INTP seams to lack the empathy which I'd say do not.

I do by no means think that INTP persons lack the ability to empathize with others, yet, that is a core 'whatever you call it' for me, thus making me believe that I do not belong to INTP.

I feel like I get kind of out of topic, but I will get to the point, I promise. The reason for this thread is because I read that many people believe themselves to be INFJ only to be informed that they are misplaced and because, which is why I am asking, I might only fall in here because I am in a depression myself.

So, if you do believe that you are INFJ and feel that you can relate to the charactaristics of an INFJ, is there a chance that you might belong to another type, and that you only get this indication since you're in a depression?

Regarding the TP or FJ struggle; I have a hard time acting on logics alone, when I see that someone get's hurt by doing so, so when a question like "brain or heart" comes up, I'm not sure what to answer, since I usually strive for a logical option which hurts none, if you get what I mean.

As for my depression, it is not some kind of short-termed brake up depression (or similair), I've been depressed without really knowing why for almost all my life (and it is, in a way, a part of my personality).

sorry for such a long and gibrish thread.

 

[Jana]

Hm, experts ( [MENTION=708]VH[/MENTION] for example will know better, but i think that more important is for you to deal with depression that with type
I think that some thing can be changabale acording to period of life.
When you read descriptions, where do you fit better. Not to the every letter, but in general. Wheree douyou feel at ho me? Not where do you want to be, but where you are?
And yes, you are 17, that means that you functions still develop...
Hm, not much help from me
So, young Jedi, how do you deal with your depression. (for that you can go in Emotional support because it is only for forum members, so you might feel more comfortable).

 

[Jana]

Btw. logical thinking can be influence of you Ti at third place. In high school I usually got good grades because of rather logical answers. I could explain it rather well. F does not mean you are illogical.

 

[lenina]

hi elis! welcome to the forum.

you bring up some very good points that i myself have wondered about from time to time.

in terms of depression, i have often thought i have many reasons to be sad, so i thought if i fix those problems, i wouldn't be sad anymore. of course after fixing one problem another would arise and my feeling of being sad has ebbed and flowed but never really out of being depressed. if 1 is suicidal agony and 10 is pure joy, the majority of my life i have been between 5-6. with a few happy moments and a few 2s in there too. i suppose i have minor depression if there is such a thing. with that being said, i recently went through/am going through yet another bad stage in my life. and after having gone through so many this time around i have tried to be less Introverted about things, by trying not to dwell or over think things and also by making sure that I am talking to lots of people about anything not feelings of theories related. normally i avoid people. I am also going from I to E by trying to avoid gaining depth of knowledge and rather trying to strengthen my breadth of influence. Also to curb my depression i have tried to be less iNtuitive about things. i am trying to do what makes sense politically rather than what feels right. so if i am in a gathering of people, rather than letting my sadness take over me and just leaving the gathering I am talking to people and building connections and strengthening my network. i believe by taking these actions i may become less depressed.

i am personally not sure if having depression leads people to believe that they are an INFJ. i do know that INFP are known to be pretty generally down in the dumps as well. so someone with depression may also think they are an INFP. i also believe that right now being an INFJ isnt serving me well, but that when i am happy, there are things i really enjoy about being an INFJ.

and on that note i recommend taking this quiz http://www.queendom.com/tests/access_page/index.htm?idRegTest=1121. it is about emotional intelligence. it was after taking this quiz that i realized some of my coping mechanisms for the shit that is life were really working against me. the report at the end was of little importance to me, i ws more interested in seeing what is considered to be an emotionally intelligent thing to do. in the end i believe i can still be an INFJ and emotionally intelligent, perhaps when that is the case my life will not be stuck in constant bleh mode.

i wish you best of luck with ur depression. i look forward to reading ur future posts!

 

[sassafras]

generally, how do those with the INFJ personality act in depression?
Does anyone here with an INFJ personality have any personal experience of a long term depression?
Is there any other type that acts like an INFJ under a depression?

I think its difficult to say. Symptoms of depression are different for everyone. I don't think there is any way we can cross-reference what depressive behaviors correspond to what individual type. From an MBTI perspective, it symptoms can be loosely related to a number of factors, such as which function you lean on the strongest when you're depressed. Is it your dominant? Is it your tertiary? Or, controversially, is it your 'shadow functions' that are bobbing to the surface? Any different combinations of these factors can make it easy to confuse yourself for a number of types.

Anyway, you might be interested in this post: Dominant/Tertiary Loops.

The reason why I'm wondering is because I recently did the MBTI test and yet agin got the INFJ indication.
Everytime I take a test I get a very strong Introversion aswell as iNtuition, yet I sometimes get TP instead of FJ.
I've checked up both INTP and INFJ aswell as the specifics of the characters alone, and as far as I can see I seam to fit in the INFJ personality quite well. The reason why I might be a INTP, as far as I can see, is due to my logical thinking, I am good at argumenting, yet, INTP seams to lack the empathy which I'd say do not.

All types are capable of logical thinking, just as all types are capable of feeling. Logical thinking does not automatically make you a TP or a TJ.

If you're scoring highly on Introverted intuition and occasionally getting 'INTP' as a test result, it could be that you're an INFJ that is relying heavily on their tertiary function, which is Ti (the dominant function of INTP).

Keep in mind, not all MBTI tests are created equal.

So, if you do believe that you are INFJ and feel that you can relate to the charactaristics of an INFJ, is there a chance that you might belong to another type, and that you only get this indication since you're in a depression?

Yes.

It's very hard to type someone when there is something that is clouding their normal functioning, whether its stress, mental illness or a mood disorder.

Regarding the TP or FJ struggle; I have a hard time acting on logics alone, when I see that someone get's hurt by doing so, so when a question like "brain or heart" comes up, I'm not sure what to answer, since I usually strive for a logical option which hurts none, if you get what I mean.

Brain or heart is a loaded question, me thinks. As I've said before, not all MBTI tests are created equal. There are some really godawful ones floating around the 'net.

Check out the online quiz forum. There are a few decent tests pinned up that might be of use to you.

As for my depression, it is not some kind of short-termed brake up depression (or similair), I've been depressed without really knowing why for almost all my life (and it is, in a way, a part of my personality).

I'm sorry to hear that. You're not alone in this, however. I've personally struggled with depression in the past and there are many other members here who have suffered similar and themselves are in different stages of the healing process. If there is ever anything on your mind regarding your journey, you're more than welcome to open up a topic in our Emotional Support and Advice forum. If there's anything INFJs are awesome at, it's listening and offering their compassionate support.

Oh, and by the way: Welcome to our little corner of the web

 

[Elis]

[MENTION=1069]Jana[/MENTION]
I haven't read up on that many types, but from those I've read about (all the IN**), INFJ have had the closest match. I've also seen a few brief comparisions of INFJ and INFP and agin INFJ seams closest to me.
I read somewhere that you can't decide by just looking at each individual character alone, so I haven't payed to much attention to the individual character.

I haven't really talked about my depression that much, this being the first time, part from when I told my mother about one year ago. She thinks that it is two years old :/.
However, my depression is something that I've learned to live with rather than dealt with.

[MENTION=4313]lenina[/MENTION]
I, personaly, have alway praised(not bragged, to my inner self) myself for thinking before acting, and I always try to think things through. This is something that I hold very high, but I believe that having this as high as I do in priority comes with its downfalls, not sure if this is seen as something bad, but I usually second guess myself and thus restricting myself from doing things. I am okey with that, but praising such thinking might be the cause for my depression waves when I actually do something really stupid that I regret. Everytime I open up, even the slightest, I tend to say things that I regret, which then comes up whenever I think of that person.
- had an entry about distancing myself from others here, but it was rather long, so I decided to cut it out. -

[MENTION=1360]TheDaringHatTrick[/MENTION]
I read that article and tried to grasp its content, but that was all new to me and it was a bit overwhelming.

I think I understood, at least, a bit of it, and that your primary and secondary attitudes can't be both extroverted or introverted, but that your teritary can have a bigger influence on you, if your primary or secondary attitude is undeveloped. More than that did I not really understand.

found this page aswell; http://typelogic.com/fa.html
not sure whether it is a reliable source, but I think it clearified atleast a little bit.

As for me sometimes getting INTP, would that mean I have a personal disorder?

I also took your advice to take one of the tests linked from the forum.

Ta-dah, your personality type is INFJ!
Introverted (I) 100% Extraverted (E) 0%
Intuitive (N) 95% Sensing (S) 5%
Feeling (F) 85% Thinking (T) 15%
Judging (J) 59% Perceiving (P) 41%

source: http://kisa.ca/personality/

I prefered this test as it had better questions and options, if both answers applied, you could say that both did.
I did still, however, almost get as much in Perceiving as in Judging, yet I've compared the two outcomes and INFJ seams, as said before, like the closer fit.

 

[bickelz]

Well, you might be getting intp because you use a lot of Ti, which is the lead function of INTP but the third function of INFJ.

In response to your first question, I'd say that most infjs have a melancholic mood most of the time (default mood). That's especially so if they're a type 4.

 

[Elis]

Heh, I had previously no idea what an enneagram was until I created this account yesterday, couldn't leave it blank, so I searched for it and took a quick test, got type 4.

 

[sassafras]

TheDaringHatTrick
I read that article and tried to grasp its content, but that was all new to me and it was a bit overwhelming.

I think I understood, at least, a bit of it, and that your primary and secondary attitudes can't be both extroverted or introverted, but that your teritary can have a bigger influence on you, if your primary or secondary attitude is undeveloped. More than that did I not really understand.

You definitely got the gist of it. This whole MBTI/Jungian Type theory can get a little convoluted sometimes; there are a lot of different interpretations of the system floating around and a great majority of us here have barely scraped the surface. We're all here to learn and explore. No worries.

found this page aswell; http://typelogic.com/fa.html
not sure whether it is a reliable source, but I think it clearified atleast a little bit.

Er, I'm some people might disagree with me, but I really don't like that site; it's not very clear and the profiles are incomplete.

I rather like The Personality Page. It has more comprehensive profiles. This is a good place to start for a good overview.

As for me sometimes getting INTP, would that mean I have a personal disorder?

Oh goodness, no. That would mean that everyone who ever takes the test more than once has a personality disorder. Few people ever test consistently, especially if they've taken the test more than once and have some prior knowledge of the types. Because it's a highly subjective exercise, there are biases involved; sometimes your current state of mind might have sway over which selections you check off; sometimes the questions are confusing; sometimes you truly can't decide between one option or another. And then, there are the qualities of the tests themselves--too simplified or too screwy and unclear.

The link I provided simply talks about the effects of certain dominant-tertiary pairs and how they might mirror other types or some common personality or mood disorders. By no means does this indicate that someone stuck in a Ne-Te loop (or any other of the combinations) truly have a personality disorder. It's meant as a model of extremes, not a diagnostic tool.

I also took your advice to take one of the tests linked from the forum.
Ta-dah, your personality type is INFJ!
Introverted (I) 100% Extraverted (E) 0%
Intuitive (N) 95% Sensing (S) 5%
Feeling (F) 85% Thinking (T) 15%
Judging (J) 59% Perceiving (P) 41%

source: http://kisa.ca/personality/

I prefered this test as it had better questions and options, if both answers applied, you could say that both did.
I did still, however, almost get as much in Perceiving as in Judging, yet I've compared the two outcomes and INFJ seams, as said before, like the closer fit.

Looks like you are leaning strongly into INFJ. If you are comfortable with it, and this is the profile that fits you best, then your search is over.

If you want to try another test, though, try taking a look at your individual cognitive functions and see which one comes out strongest. Have you tried this test?: http://www.keys2cognition.com/explore.htm

Try to be as honest and objective with yourself as possible with this one. Some of the questions require you to read them over twice to get them; a few are strangely worded.

 

[Elis]

Okey, for the last two days I've been researching about the differences of INFJ and INFP, since those are the two have been the closest to my results most of the time (INFJ being the one I tend to get).

@TheDaringHatTrick
A while after I posted my last reply I realized that I should do a cognitive test, since the two personalities are so different from each other, from that perspective. I found 2 or 3 tests, which all had dead result pages (what are the odds?) then I noticed your post, in which you added a test.

The test had the same layout, except for background colour and the exact same questions as the first one I tried, so I was a bit sceptical if this one would work(it did). Many of the questions were pretty hard to work out, so I wrote some notes on each question before answering.

Oh well, the results:
Cognitive Process
Level of Development (Preference, Skill and Frequency of Use)
extraverted Sensing (Se) ******************* (19.6)
limited use
introverted Sensing (Si) **************** (16.7)
limited use
extraverted Intuiting (Ne) *********************************** (35.3)
good use
introverted Intuiting (Ni) **************************************** (40.8)
excellent use
extraverted Thinking (Te) ******************** (20.6)
limited use
introverted Thinking (Ti) ****************************** (30.9)
good use
extraverted Feeling (Fe) ******************************* (31.9)
good use
introverted Feeling (Fi) ******************************************** (44)
excellent use

It suggested INFP, possibly INFJ or ENFP.

(note that I am very green at this and that this is just from my limited understanding)
What I can make out of this is that my two most dominant attributes are both introverted, and that one is the dominant for INFP and the other being the dominant for INFJ.

If we were to compare the two types possibility judging this board we would get this:
INFJ
Ni - 40.8
Fe - 31.9
Ti - 30.9
Se - 19.6

INFP
Fi - 44
Ne - 35.3
Si - 16.7
Te - 20.6

What to make out of this, I am not entirely sure. Both the dominant and auxiliary attributes in INFP are slightly greater, yet the Tertiary is far more undeveloped compared to Ti.

 

[barbad0s]

Is there any other type that acts like an INFJ under a depression?

When I was deep in suffering with major depression and anxiety, I felt and acted as if I could not reach my former self. I decided to take the MBTI test to see if anything had changed, and my result was INFJ... one I had never even come close to getting before. Months later, after recovering a lot from that time, I took the test again, and I returned to ENFP.

 

[ZcM4xzkjgzCjytBc]

When I was deep in suffering with major depression and anxiety, I felt and acted as if I could not reach my former self. I decided to take the MBTI test to see if anything had changed, and my result was INFJ... one I had never even come close to getting before. Months later, after recovering a lot from that time, I took the test again, and I returned to ENFP.

thank GOD you escaped INFJism

 

[sassafras]

Okey, for the last two days I've been researching about the differences of INFJ and INFP, since those are the two have been the closest to my results most of the time (INFJ being the one I tend to get).

@TheDaringHatTrick
A while after I posted my last reply I realized that I should do a cognitive test, since the two personalities are so different from each other, from that perspective. I found 2 or 3 tests, which all had dead result pages (what are the odds?) then I noticed your post, in which you added a test.

The test had the same layout, except for background colour and the exact same questions as the first one I tried, so I was a bit sceptical if this one would work(it did). Many of the questions were pretty hard to work out, so I wrote some notes on each question before answering.

Oh well, the results:
Cognitive Process
Level of Development (Preference, Skill and Frequency of Use)
extraverted Sensing (Se) ******************* (19.6)
limited use
introverted Sensing (Si) **************** (16.7)
limited use
extraverted Intuiting (Ne) *********************************** (35.3)
good use
introverted Intuiting (Ni) **************************************** (40.8)
excellent use
extraverted Thinking (Te) ******************** (20.6)
limited use
introverted Thinking (Ti) ****************************** (30.9)
good use
extraverted Feeling (Fe) ******************************* (31.9)
good use
introverted Feeling (Fi) ******************************************** (44)
excellent use

It suggested INFP, possibly INFJ or ENFP.

(note that I am very green at this and that this is just from my limited understanding)
What I can make out of this is that my two most dominant attributes are both introverted, and that one is the dominant for INFP and the other being the dominant for INFJ.

If we were to compare the two types possibility judging this board we would get this:
INFJ
Ni - 40.8
Fe - 31.9
Ti - 30.9
Se - 19.6

INFP
Fi - 44
Ne - 35.3
Si - 16.7
Te - 20.6

What to make out of this, I am not entirely sure. Both the dominant and auxiliary attributes in INFP are slightly greater, yet the Tertiary is far more undeveloped compared to Ti.

This test is a bit confusing sometimes, especially when it comes to the overlap of the extroverted versus introverted functions, but I think it is rather safe to say that you are not an INTP. Admittedly, I'm not stacking this claim against your results alone (although they do provide some support) but from what I've noticed of your posting style and from my own intuitive super powers (*grin*) In my opinion, I think an NF type would be a better fit.

Whether that's true or not, well, that remains up to you to decide.

As to whether you might be an INFP or INFJ as this test suggests, however, that's a different matter entirely. From a self-assessment standpoint, these two types are often mistaken for one another. This entire forum can tell you many, many stories of INFP's mistaking themselves for INFJ's... only to have them come out of the Fi-closet eventually

It's strange, but for some reason, when assessing themselves, people have a hard time differentiating between which behaviors and thought patterns constitute for a preference for Fi and which constitute a preference for Fe. Especially since both functions have a strong capacity for empathy and compassion.

The difference is often lined up as such:

Fi - Internal judgments and derives values from the self. Is chiefly concerned with being true to oneself. Often perceives environment as a distraction from self-authenticity and own feelings (rather than other's) occupy the thoughts. Concerned with subjective values; what's good for the individual. Fi wants to be perceived and recognized for their individuality (and/or often feels misunderstood). Doesn't particularly care for social systems unless the given social rules have been evaluated as being in line with personal values. It's basically the Ti equivalent of the F value functions.

Fe - External judgments and derives values from society at large. Is a much more formal, structured function. Concerned with group dynamics, social customs, etiquette, politeness and encouraging others to act according to social codes. Considers the feelings of other's first before considering their own.

This thread might be of some interest to you for further research:Confused About Fe versus Fi

Personality Page also has some comprehensive profiles on both INFP and INFJ. You could go about deciding between them in a more holistic way by deciding which one you think fits you best and just try and be as honest with yourself as you possibly can.

Which one do you think you are?

 

[sassafras]

You also might find this thread helpful: Discussion on Being Fe Dominant.

 

[VH]

Oh well, the results:
Cognitive Process
Level of Development (Preference, Skill and Frequency of Use)
extraverted Sensing (Se) ******************* (19.6)
limited use
introverted Sensing (Si) **************** (16.7)
limited use
extraverted Intuiting (Ne) *********************************** (35.3)
good use
introverted Intuiting (Ni) **************************************** (40.8)
excellent use
extraverted Thinking (Te) ******************** (20.6)
limited use
introverted Thinking (Ti) ****************************** (30.9)
good use
extraverted Feeling (Fe) ******************************* (31.9)
good use
introverted Feeling (Fi) ******************************************** (44)
excellent use

It suggested INFP, possibly INFJ or ENFP.

This test overscores Fi because of the way the Fi questions are worded. Ignore the Fi result here.

Your scores strongly suggest INFJ. (So does your profile pic)

introverted Intuiting (Ni) **************************************** (40.8)
extraverted Intuiting (Ne) *********************************** (35.3)
extraverted Feeling (Fe) ******************************* (31.9)
introverted Thinking (Ti) ****************************** (30.9)
extraverted Thinking (Te) ******************** (20.6)
extraverted Sensing (Se) ******************* (19.6)
introverted Sensing (Si) **************** (16.7)

 

[Elis]

Thanks, both of you, for clearing things out.
I read a bit in the links you provided, and even thou' I tend to help the victim of group pressures, I believe, after reading in your latter link that I might be more Fe oriented.

As for now, my migraine is picking up again and I need to stop thinking about this for a moment.