Any INFJ personality types here?

Hey all. I have a theory based on some other folks I know with similar issues to mine (actually quite a lot of them)

Myers-Briggs INFJ (sometimes ENFJ) personality types tend to be the ones who internalize their feelings which results in pain. This isn't a scientific question as I can't tell how many people are NOT replying, but any INFJ's out there?
Anyone have any thoughts on this? This could be potentially helpful in preventative techniques for that demographic.

 

What an interesting question, @lowella! I took the test in about 1985 when I was engaging in a lot of personal work which significantly improved my life and relationships And I saved the results because I felt it had a lot of validity. I tested ENFP but the P was almost 50/50 with the J.

I wonder how it would come out today, 33 years later! I also kept a blank copy...

 

I took the test almost 30 years after the first time and surprisingly I was still the same. I'm an E, but I think a big part of my repressing of emotions came from the work and home environment of recent years that didn't want me expressing myself openly. (I love my hubby dearly, but he didn't grow up in a family that emots like mine. )

 

Here's a link, no sign-ups needed etc. I will be very curious about the results...
https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test (Free personality test | 16Personalities)

 

INFJ here, although only the I is very clear. The N, F and J are just slightly above 50%. We love to put labels on things, like our personality, but luckily we aren't that black and white. Fun to do a test like this, but I suggest to not put too much time in it and not to take the outcome too seriously unless you score 80+% for each trait.

 

Thank you! It's a generalization, but it works much of the time - I'll provide some stats from another forum at some point We are all different but this stuff is emotion-dependent so naturally follows our personalities.

 

Me! I'm one.

 

I'm ENFJ, but not super E.

It makes sense that J's would be more liable to develop symptoms. Internal pressure, perfectionistic.

A close friend is INFJ and they have more psychosomatic symptoms than most people, I'd say.


I agree with Gigalos though, it's interesting but for recovery just stick to the tried and true methods. Prevention works the same way too, IMO.

 

Thanks, yes I'm looking at this from a prevention standpoint because if I'd known about this before it would have helped me with prevention and I also would have known what hit me when the illness came, instead of bouncing around to docs for a couple years.

 

Hi Iowella, I don't understand. How would knowing your Myers Brigg personality type helped you with prevention?

 

I was trying to say that if there were an awareness that personality type was involved, those with that type may have heard of it from others who have dealt with it. I spent a long time searching for the cure, it was not easy to find, and I've also done a ton of reading on personality types, but never saw anything about this being a factor until recently. I also just put the pieces together for two different friends (a married couple) who have both been dealing with some back issues - I checked and they are INFJ as well. They are now both reading Sarno & Steve O's books. So - how cool would it be to have an awareness, or even a study, which showed a positive correlation?

 

I like this list a lot!

http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/TMS_Personality_Traits (TMS Personality Traits)

 

Dr Sarno does talk about personality characteristics in his books, as does Steve O and other authors and this website. Goodist, perfectionist, analytical (ie overthinking), and not expressing feelings. I have to wonder if your mind is trying to throw you a red herring. Knowing my personality type from taking Myers Briggs almost 30 years ago didn't help me in prevention.

 

I appreciate the thoughts, Eileen. But again, it didn't help you because it wasn't publicized that there might be a connection. I am well aware that I overanalyze, but I believe it's only bad to overanalyze our illness. It's not bad to make valid connections that will help other people - that's what Sarno was all about. I am not overanalyzing my illness here, though, I am trying to explore if this connection could help other folks. I hope you can understand what I mean...

 

I don't understand what you mean, but that's ok.

 

Hm, I'd expect the (over)Thinking people to have more pain/TMS than the Feeling people.

 

That's an interesting point, Rosebud! I would too, now that you say it. But I class myself as an overanalyzer, yet I'm INFJ. I know it's not all carved in stone, though. Thanks for adding to the conversation

 

Here's a great summary of the INFJ that actually mentions the *tension* we feel. http://www.annholm.net/2009/08/the-mysterious-infj/