Mental Health and Relationships

What is Insight-Oriented Therapy and What Happens?

Annie Winner on October 7, 2024

Insight-oriented therapy includes a branch of therapies very often recommended to individuals with disorders such as eating disorders, substance use disorders, personality disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders. Insight-oriented therapy or IOT is sometimes known as psychodynamic therapy or insight therapy and focuses on helping the patient get to know themselves and their responses better. Here, therapy relies on intensive talks between the therapist and that patient to help the patient uncover and understand their behavior, reactions, and emotions – so that they can be more self-aware, can recognize behaviors as they happen, and can make meaningful steps to changing behavior, improving emotional regulation, and resolving internal conflicts.

If you or a loved one has been recommended insight-oriented therapy as part of mental health treatment, it means your therapist thinks you might benefit from insight into yourself and your behavior. It’s also commonly used in cases where patient motivation for treatment is getting in the way of seeing results with other forms of therapy. Let’s take a look at what insight-oriented therapy is and how it works.

What are the Goals of Insight-Oriented Therapy?

Insight-oriented therapy is a talking therapy in which you first work to build trust and a bond with your therapist and then work on exploring yourself. This means that you spend sessions of 45-60 minutes 1-3 times per week for 3-24 months with your therapist. The length and duration of therapy depends on you, your goals, and the complexity of the situation, as most IOT is delivered on a personalized and needs basis. This means you’ll get a different program depending on your initial assessment during intake and your program will be updated as you progress (or don’t) along the way.

The primary goal of insight-oriented therapy is to understand how past experiences and patterns limit and cause problems today, so that you can take steps to change those patterns.

Exploring the Unconscious Mind – Much of IOT is based on psychotherapy and the idea that unresolved conflicts from early life shape your behavior, thoughts, and feelings. That means exploring the unconscious mind as part of therapy, which can help you to understand processes that influence your actions and reactions now. This is often used to understand transference – where you project feelings, responses, and beliefs from the past onto current people. E.g., some of us feel anxious and like our loved ones may abandon us because we were emotionally neglected as children, and moving on from that means dealing with that trauma.
Understanding Patterns – Another primary goal of IOT is to help you understand your own patterns and behaviors. That means what you do, how you do it, and how you respond to things. For example, defensive mechanisms, coping mechanisms, automatic habits, and behavior patterns that are automatic responses rather than thought out and chosen. For example, if you rely on patterns of denial to avoid painful emotions, if you act defensively when people ask you for change, etc., you may be able to work past that by simply understanding those patterns and the root cause and acknowledging that at the root.

Insight-oriented therapy is a long-term program intended to deliver treatment over a period of months or even years. That’s significantly different than many approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy, which may deliver the entire therapy in as little as 10-15 sessions. Therefore, your relationship with your therapist, your long-term adaptation, and growth over time all become important.

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What Happens in Insight-Oriented Therapy?

Insight-oriented therapy is a talking therapy where you sit down and talk to your therapist over a period of months or even years. It’s the classic picture of a patient leaning back on a couch with the therapist sitting on a chair listening.

Intake – You’ll have one or more sessions with your therapist that are entirely about sharing basic details, getting to know your therapist, and allowing the therapist to figure out a good approach to start your treatment. These sessions will mean sharing your life information, relationships, current concerns, current mental health symptoms, and establishing current goals.
Exploration of Childhood Experiences – Most IOT begins with multiple sessions designed to help patients explore and share their early childhood experiences. This means sharing family dynamics, sharing emotions, sharing things that happened and notable experiences, etc. This is in part to set an easy starting point to share with your therapist and to build trust, while giving the therapist insight into why you might act, behave, and think in the ways that you do.
Exploration of the Self – Insight-Oriented therapy will then switch to sessions designed for self-reflection, exploring current behaviors, and building insight into what’s underneath current behaviors. That means reflecting on current emotional state, thoughts, and behaviors. Here, you’ll likely be asked to connect thoughts and emotions or reactions to influences from the past. This stage can be tricky, as it’s easy to make “false” breakthroughs, without truly understanding the root of a problem. Still, your therapist will work with you to help you understand what’s underneath coping mechanisms, defensive behaviors, avoidance behaviors, etc. This includes sessions and time spent on self-reflection, on interpreting dreams, fantasies, and imagery, and on building insight into the self.
Catharsis – Insight-oriented therapy has a significant focus on exploring and releasing previously repressed emotions – leaving room for emotional distress and experiencing feelings. However, this stage is normally very late in the therapy and requires significant trust and relationship with the therapist.

Depending on your progress, these sessions can take you years to work through. In addition, they won’t always be delivered in order. You might spend a few sessions focusing on childhood experiences then explore how those affect your life now – and then go back to exploring more of your childhood. Your therapist will determine how your treatment program is paced based on your needs and your responses in session.

Who Can Benefit from Insight-Oriented Therapy?

Insight-oriented therapy is one of the oldest therapies delivered to patients. It’s intended to deliver self-awareness and an understanding of the “gears” that make you tick. That means taking time to look at what’s going on underneath your problems, so you can work on resolving the root causes of issues.

That’s ideal for individuals struggling with mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, personality disorders, mood disorders, trauma, and interpersonal problems. However, it’s not intended to be a crisis intervention. It’s intended to be a long-term look into solutions that help you improve your life, your emotional understanding of yourself, your relationships, and your relationship with yourself.

It’s also ideal for individuals who show resistance to traditional behavioral therapy techniques, where you might need a deeper exploration and understanding of what’s going on to make progress with changing behavior.

Insight-Oriented Therapy is not a quick fix. It’s not ideal if you need emergency treatment right away. Instead, it provides long-term structural support and safety, where you get to explore yourself, your emotions, and how you work and then learn to apply those insights to your behavior while continuing to get therapy. That can make it extremely helpful for individuals with chronic and long-term mental health disorders where longer-term support and room to work through problems has the most benefit.

Take the first step toward recovery today! Reach out to a qualified therapist to discover how Insight-Oriented Therapy can guide you on your journey to healing and self-discovery. Your path to a healthier, more fulfilling life starts now!

How to Talk to a Loved One with Mental Illness

Annie Winner on October 3, 2024

Supporting a loved one with mental illness can be challenging, especially when you don’t know how to approach sensitive conversations. Mental illness can distort a person’s thinking, affect their mood, and make communication difficult. However, approaching these situations with care, patience, and understanding can make a significant difference.

At Redeemed Mental Health, we know how essential it is for families and friends to be part of the healing journey, and one of the most important ways you can support someone is by learning how to talk to them in a compassionate and effective way.

This article will guide you through some key strategies for speaking with a loved one who is struggling with mental illness, emphasizing empathy, active listening, and support.

Understanding Mental Illness

Before diving into strategies for communication, it’s important to understand mental illness. Mental illnesses are health conditions that affect a person’s thinking, mood, and behavior. These conditions can range from depression and anxiety to bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and more. Each illness comes with its own set of challenges, but one common thread is that they can deeply affect the way a person interacts with the world around them.

People with mental illness may:

Struggle to communicate their emotions clearly
Withdraw from social interaction or become overly dependent on others
Experience mood swings or emotional instability
Have difficulty managing day-to-day responsibilities
Feel misunderstood or stigmatized by society

These challenges often make it harder for them to reach out for help or talk about what they are going through. That’s why having open, honest, and supportive conversations is essential for both their healing and your relationship.

1. Approach with Empathy

The foundation of any conversation with a loved one who has a mental illness is empathy. Empathy involves not just understanding their situation but also actively imagining how they might feel and responding with care. When speaking with someone about their mental health, avoid coming from a place of judgment or frustration. Instead, approach them with kindness, compassion, and a willingness to listen.

How to Show Empathy:

Validate Their Feelings: Even if you don’t fully understand what they’re going through, it’s important to acknowledge their emotions. Phrases like, “I can see that you’re really hurting” or “It sounds like you’re feeling overwhelmed” can help your loved one feel heard and understood.
Avoid Minimizing Their Struggles: Mental illness can sometimes cause frustration for both the individual and those around them. However, it’s important not to say things like, “It’s not that bad” or “You just need to snap out of it.” These statements can feel dismissive and may cause your loved one to shut down.
Be Patient: Recovery from mental illness takes time, and progress can be slow. Remain patient and avoid rushing them to feel better or demanding quick changes. Your patience will show that you are there for the long haul.

2. Choose the Right Time and Place

Conversations about mental health can be intense, emotional, and deeply personal. It’s essential to choose the right time and setting to approach the topic.

Consider the following:

Private and Comfortable Environment: Choose a quiet, private location where your loved one feels safe and at ease. Avoid bringing up sensitive topics in public or when other people are around.
Timing: Make sure you’re both in a relatively calm and stable state before initiating the conversation. If your loved one is in the midst of a mental health crisis or feeling particularly agitated, it might not be the best time to engage in deep discussions.
Be Ready for Silence: Mental illness can make it hard for someone to express their feelings or even find the right words. There may be moments of silence during your conversation, and that’s okay. Give them space to think and speak when they’re ready.

3. Practice Active Listening

One of the most powerful things you can do for a loved one with mental illness is to listen—really listen. Often, people struggling with mental health issues feel isolated and misunderstood. By practicing active listening, you demonstrate that you care about their experiences and are willing to hear them out.

Tips for Active Listening:

Give Them Your Full Attention: Put away distractions, including your phone or TV. Make eye contact and focus entirely on the conversation.
Reflect What You Hear: Use phrases like, “What I’m hearing you say is…” or “It sounds like you’re feeling…” to ensure you’re interpreting their feelings correctly. Reflecting back what they’ve said shows that you’re paying attention and trying to understand.
Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of asking questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no,” try to ask open-ended questions that encourage deeper conversation. For example, “Can you tell me more about how you’ve been feeling?” or “What has been the hardest part for you lately?”
Avoid Interrupting: Resist the urge to offer solutions right away or interrupt with your thoughts. Allow them to express themselves fully before responding.

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4. Offer Support, Not Solutions

It can be tempting to try and fix things for a loved one who is struggling. However, mental illness is complex, and there are no quick fixes. Offering unsolicited advice or trying to “solve” their problems can come off as dismissive or controlling.

Instead, focus on offering support:

Ask How You Can Help: Rather than assuming what your loved one needs, ask them directly: “How can I support you right now?” This gives them the opportunity to express their needs and feel empowered in their recovery.
Be Supportive Without Being Overbearing: Offer your support in a way that respects their autonomy. Avoid pushing them to make decisions or take steps they’re not ready for, and instead be a steady source of encouragement.
Respect Their Boundaries: While it’s important to offer support, it’s equally important to respect their boundaries. If they’re not ready to talk about certain things or need space, give them the time and room they need.

5. Be Mindful of Language

The language you use when talking to someone with mental illness can have a significant impact on how the conversation unfolds. Words are powerful, and using the wrong language can unintentionally cause harm or perpetuate stigma.

What to Avoid:

Avoid Blame or Shame: Refrain from using language that suggests your loved one is at fault for their mental illness. Phrases like “Why can’t you just get over it?” or “You’re being so difficult” can make them feel guilty or ashamed.
Don’t Label Them by Their Illness: Your loved one is more than their diagnosis. Avoid using terms like “crazy” or “insane,” even in casual conversation, as these words can feel stigmatizing and hurtful.

What to Say Instead:

Use person-first language: Instead of saying, “She’s schizophrenic,” say, “She has schizophrenia.” This reinforces the idea that their illness is just one part of who they are and not the entirety of their identity.

6. Encourage Professional Help

While emotional support from friends and family is crucial, professional help is often necessary for managing and treating mental illness. If your loved one is not currently receiving treatment, it can be helpful to gently encourage them to seek professional help.

How to Approach the Topic:

Frame it as a Positive Step: Instead of implying that they need help because something is “wrong” with them, frame professional treatment as a positive, empowering choice. You can say things like, “Talking to a therapist could give you some extra tools to manage what you’re going through,” or “There’s no shame in asking for help.”
Offer Assistance: Navigating the mental health system can be overwhelming. Offer to help them research therapists, make an appointment, or accompany them to their first session if they’re nervous.
Respect Their Autonomy: If your loved one isn’t ready to seek professional help, respect their decision. Continue offering support and gently revisiting the topic when appropriate.

7. Take Care of Yourself, Too

Supporting a loved one with mental illness can be emotionally draining. It’s important to remember that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Make sure you’re also taking care of your own mental health during this process. Consider seeking support from a therapist, counselor, or support group for family members of individuals with mental illness. Taking time for self-care allows you to show up as your best self for your loved one.

Conclusion

Talking to a loved one with mental illness can be difficult, but it’s also one of the most important ways to show your support. At Redeemed Mental Health, we believe that open, empathetic conversations can play a crucial role in the healing process. By approaching your loved one with patience, empathy, and a willingness to listen, you can create a safe space where they feel heard and supported.

Remember, you don’t have to have all the answers. Just being there, offering your support, and encouraging them to seek help when they’re ready can make a world of difference.

Overcoming Trauma from a Narcissistic Parent

Annie Winner on September 30, 2024

Narcissism or narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition that affects between 0.5% and 5% of all people in the United States. It’s extremely common and, until recently, very often left untreated. Today, we know that narcissistic personality disorder can be treated and mitigated with therapy, counseling, and ongoing work – providing the individual is motivated. Yet, for many of us, that lack of treatment in the past meant growing up with parents who were not in control of themselves or their behavior around others – including their children.

The result can very often be that you are exposed to trauma, as a child and as an adult. Your parent may be manipulative, selfish, may gaslight you, and may create a situation in which it is difficult for you to have self-esteem or a sense of self trust. That can be extremely difficult to navigate, and it does count as emotional abuse and trauma, even if your parent doesn’t intend anything that they do.

Acknowledge the Abuse

The first step to moving on from abuse and from trauma is to recognize it and to frame it. If you go to therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy, much of your treatment is based on the concept of framing things that happened to you in a way that allows you to acknowledge them, regain control, and move on.

That often means:

Understanding that how you were treated was actually abusive, even if your parent loves you and they mean well
Categorizing whether your parent is hurting you by accident or if they have had chances and conversation and refuse to work on themselves
Understanding that it is okay for you to feel trauma, your pain is valid, and you deserve to get help and support for it.

A narcissistic parent may mean that you have trouble not telling yourself you’re just blowing things out of proportion, that they are fine and you are taking things badly, that things didn’t really happen that way, etc. You’re likely not used to being validated that things were bad for you and that it’s okay to feel bad about them. But, that’s an important step, even if your parent doesn’t agree.

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Set Boundaries

If your parent is still part of your life it’s important to set boundaries. People with narcissistic personality disorder will often push boundaries as much as they can. They’ll also push and try to go around boundaries once you set them. What does this mean for you? It means:

Set boundaries around emotional safety. Which behaviors are you willing to put up with, which are you not?
Set repercussions for your parent crossing boundaries
Be ready to cut off contact or reduce contact with your parent if they can’t respect your boundaries.

Good boundaries look like, “If you try to manipulate me, I will step out of the conversation”, “If we are going to continue to have a relationship, I need you to go to family therapy with me”, “I cannot accept you raising your voice at me, if you raise your voice at me I will step out of the conversation”, “I need you to acknowledge how you made me feel when you hurt me, even if you didn’t do so on purpose”. You can’t expect people to be perfect, even if they are trying as hard as they can – but you can set steps that allow you to protect your own mental health.

Whether those boundaries are about not having your parent in your life or your parent interacting with you in healthy ways is up to you. However, it’s important that you trust yourself enough to back up your boundaries and follow through on them. Otherwise, boundaries won’t help and will just set up more scenarios in which you will feel hurt by your parent.

Let Go

Your parent has a mental health disorder. That means you have to detach from the idea that they will ever be able to treat you in a way that is not inherently narcissistic. If your parent is getting therapy they may be able to mitigate and manage those symptoms. However, they will always have narcissistic personality disorder. Your goal should be to acknowledge that your parent hurt you, decide how much you’re willing to continue to invest in them, and then get help for yourself. That means letting go of ideas of your parent recovering, turning over a new leaf, or somehow making things better. It also means letting go of having expectations for your parent to do better because chances are very high that if they could with the tools they have now, they would.

Rebuild Your Trust in Yourself

If you’ve grown up with a narcissistic parent, you’ve probably learned not to trust your own experiences or your memory. That means it’s important to figure out how to rebuild trust in yourself and in how you feel. Going to therapy is a good start. However, most people also benefit from steps like recording experiences, going over them later, validating experiences with others, and working to have healthy experiences and conversations with others.

Write down how you feel and keep a mood journal or a diary
Ask to record conversations if you feel you’re being gaslit
Build a network of supportive people you can talk to and talk about things with
Validate your feelings and acknowledge that you feel hurt, even if you aren’t sure what the situation was.

Rebuilding being able to trust that your emotions are valid, that your experiences are valid, and that your experience of things is not something that should be brushed off is important. That’s even true if you also have mental health problems because you don’t have to be right or to remember things correctly in order to be hurt.

Get Professional Help

It’s important to talk to your doctor, to look into mental health treatment, and to get professional help with trauma. That often means starting at your doctor and being referred into a mental health treatment program that can help you work through your experiences, their effects, and help you to feel more in control of your life and your emotions. It might also include family therapy, which will help you better understand your relationship with your parent and to work out how to have a healthy relationship together. Eventually, that professional support may mean working through your experiences and problems and cutting your parent off, or getting them into treatment and working to build a future together. However, that will depend on you, what you want, what your parent wants, and what they are willing to invest in.

Narcissistic personality disorder is extremely common. It can also be difficult on everyone around you – because people with narcissism have difficulty managing their behaviors around others. That can mean you have a parent who is entitled, manipulative, envious, and lacks empathy – even if they care about you a great deal. Eventually, that can and does result in trauma and it’s important that you take steps to acknowledge that and to get treatment, so you can recover and live your life.

How to Cope with Insensitive Comments About Your Mental Health

Annie Winner on September 13, 2024

If you’re struggling with mental health, it’s a given that not everyone will understand. An estimated 59.3 million Americans, or 23.1% of the total population, struggle with mental illness. Yet, the popular perception of mental illness is still rife with stigma, misconception, and beliefs rooted in outdated medical practice. As a result, people can be deeply unkind about mental health problems. While it’s not your responsibility to educate the people around you, you can take steps to ensure that you can cope with their insensitive comments.

Most people will have mental health problems at some point during their lives. Whether that’s temporary depression, grief, anxiety, or a diagnosable mental health disorder doesn’t matter. Mental health problems are something everyone faces, so it’s important to keep that in mind. In addition, you’ll want to accept that dealing with these kinds of comments is hurtful and make space for yourself to process, feel, and recover from those emotions.

Acknowledge and Recover

Insensitive comments are hurtful. That’s true whether or not the person saying them meant anything bad with them. It’s important to give yourself that space.

“They didn’t mean anything bad by it but that still hurt, and I get to feel hurt”

Here, it’s also important to set boundaries on how you get to feel hurt. E.g., taking a few minutes to be sad and to acknowledge that something hurts is good for you. Wallowing for several days and allowing yourself to replay the scene over and over in your head is very bad for you. Acknowledge and recover is a technique where you make 10-60 minutes to go “This made me feel bad, I get to feel that” and then go back to your life. The amount of time you dedicate to it should depend on how badly you’re hurt and how good you are at moving on from things. And, when you go back to life, you probably want to start with something distracting (like doing something with your hands or playing a game) rather than doing nothing or watching TV which would allow you to continue thinking.

Set Boundaries

Boundaries are important for reducing the amount of hurt you feel in the future. For example, if you see someone often, you may want to set boundaries around insensitive comments.

A good boundary politely establishes a line that should not be crossed and then establishes a consequence if that boundary is crossed. Here, it’s important to follow up on consequences.

For example:

“I am not comfortable with how you talk about my mental health. I find it hurtful. If you keep talking about my mental health when I see you, I will stop seeing you”
“I’d appreciate if you could treat my mental illness as an illness, if you can’t, I will be engaging with you less”
“Please be more considerate of me when you make comments, I’m sure you realize that saying that is hurtful. I’m not up for talking to someone who keeps casually hurting me”.

Some people will be very receptive to receiving boundaries and others will not. Unfortunately, there’s very little you can do when people are not but exercise your boundaries and practice the consequence you set. Good consequences include things like:

Limiting seeing the person
Reducing contact
Only seeing the person when you have a safe person present
Discussing the person’s behavior with your therapist and discussing next steps with them
Refusing to engage with insensitive comments

You should never set a consequence that you are not willing or able to follow up on or practice. If it comes time to exercise the consequence and you can’t do it, your boundary is manliness. So, boundaries have to be set with care.

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Educate Where You Can but Choose Your Battles

Many people are open to education and learning about mental illness. If your close family and loved ones are behaving in an insensitive manner, chances are very high that they don’t want to. You can work with them to offer learning material, books about your mental illness, and to talk to them about what it’s actually like for you. Especially with family, you might find that family members are a lot more receptive and understanding than you’d think, because mental illnesses tend to run in families. You might be surprised to hear things like “oh, like aunt X has” or “I have that sometimes too” or “I struggle with the exact same problems”.

Not everyone is open to education. Try to engage, if you don’t get anywhere or only get resistance, you probably want to stop investing in trying.

Get Professional Support

It’s important to keep in mind that you may want and need professional support dealing with insensitive comments. The worse your mental health, the more likely it is you’ll want to be able to talk to a professional about comments, to work out what the comment actually means for you, and to structure it. For example, if someone says you’re lazy, talking to a professional and working out that your loved one feels invalidated because you don’t do as much work as they do and they don’t feel appreciated can help you to take steps to make your loved one feel more appreciated, fixing the root cause of the issue. Therapy can also be about helping you cope, by giving you a way to place the comment, skills to deal with comments, and next steps you can take to make yourself and your loved ones feel better.

For example, you can work with your therapist to develop a resilience plan. Here, you work to build your support networks, work to identify which people in your life are educatable, know who you can turn to for support and help, and list and reinforce positive coping mechanisms. E.g., talking to your loved one, acknowledging pain, venting emotions by going to the gym versus having a tub of ice cream. Resilience plans vary a lot per person because they have to reflect your actual capabilities – which means you’ll get a plan that specifically fits your social circles, your coping mechanisms, and your skills – alongside plans to build up the skills you don’t yet have. That often means engaging in ongoing learning and ongoing mental health help so you can be resilient enough to deal with emotional upsets.

Getting Help

Most people don’t make insensitive comments out of malice. Instead, they’re likely to be ignorant of issues, to feel insecure or defensive, or even to feel invalidated by how you are being treated versus how they are being treated. The result can feel extremely bad for everyone involved. If you’re not managing that, if you don’t have the resources to talk to your loved ones or to try education, or if you fall apart when you hear this kind of thing, you will need help. In addition, comments are very often based in truth, such as you not being able to handle things – which may be a sign that you do need more help than you’re getting. Talking to a professional, getting insight, and working to improve your ability to manage comments and people in your life is always going to be the right way to go. Good luck.

What Are the Rarest Personality Types?

Annie Winner on June 22, 2024

For millions of people, feeling like you fit in can be difficult. In fact, most of us, at some point or another, feel like we don’t fit well with everyone around us. Sometimes, that tracks down to your personality type, which often links to your complex personality traits, mental health, upbringing, and socio-economic status which contribute to stress, education, and how well you’re able to handle things. Personality tests attempt to capture snapshots of this, and can give you a broad impression of what your personality is like. And, it’s true that some traits are rarer in certain combinations than others. Sometimes, you really do have a rare personality type, or really one that’s less common than others.

For example, if you look at the Myers Briggs Personality Test, one of the most commonly used personality tests in the world, the rarest personality still covers 1.5% of the population – or 119265000 people. That’s a big number! It also means if that’s your personality, you’d be one of three people with that personality type in a room with 300 people. Not so bad right?

So, rare personality types don’t mean you don’t fit in, they just mean you have a lower chance of meeting people who are exactly like you. And, that’s okay. Often, we get along best with people who complement us rather than exactly matching us.

So, What are Personality Types?

There are a lot of personality type systems that we use today. Myers-Briggs is the most common in business settings.

We’ll take a look at the big three here:

ABCD Type Model:

This model organizes people into four personality types:

Type A – Competitive, perfectionist, highly motivated and organized
Type B – Lacks ambition, relaxed, flexible in thinking
Type C – Conscientious but struggles with expressing emotions
Type D – Introspective and empathetic but isolating

You probably know this model from memes about Type A.

Myers-Briggs

Myers-Briggs uses 8 personality points to map people into 16 different personality types.

Introversion (I) opposed by Extraversion (E)
Sensing (S) opposed by Intuition (N)
Thinking (T) opposed by Feeling (F)
Judging (J) opposed by Perceiving (P)

The idea of this personality test (the 16 types or Myers-Briggs Personality Test / MBTI) is that everyone leans more to one or the other of the opposed personality traits. Everyone has all 8, but your decision-making and rationalization will tilt towards one or the other.

So personality types like ENFJ mean “Extraversion-leaning, Intuition-leaning, Feeling-leaning, and Judging-leaning. They don’t say anything about what other traits you have, just that on this measurement scale, you lean towards those methods.

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Five Factor/ Big Five:

The Big Five model uses five personality traits to rank individuals on how they show those traits.

1 Openness to experience
2 Conscientiousness
3 Extraversion
4 Agreeableness
5 Neuroticism

This means you’re scoring on individual traits and not as a “personality”.

Of course, there are many other personality tests. DISC models are also very common. However, this gives you a good baseline for understanding what the rest of this article is talking about.

What are the Rarest Personality Types?

Rare personality types depend on the test and who’s taking it. Personality develops from attachment, social learning, learned experience, experience, and private decision-making. Further, people can score very differently on personality tests based on factors like what time of day it is, their mood, and how often they take the test.

In addition, many personality tests don’t actually score how common the type is. E.g., ABCD Type and the Big Five / Oceans tests don’t score or attach any kind of rarity to personality expressions. Often that’s good, because they aren’t measuring your whole personality, just a series of traits that you may or may not show.

Myers-Briggs does, however, measure how commonly its 16 personality types are. For example:

INFJ – 1.5% of the population
ENTJ – 1.8% of the population
INTJ – 2.1% of the population
ENFJ – 2.5% of the population

That sounds like it’s not much. Still, it means over 100 million people in every category. It also just represents that intuition-leaning and judging-leaning combinations are rare in any combination of other traits. Further, if you look at the rest of the list:

ENTP – 3.2% of the population
INTP – 3.3% of the population
ESTP – 4.3% of the population
INFP – 4.4% of the population
ISTP – 5.4% of the population
ENFP – 8.1% of the population
ESFP – 8.5% of the population
ESTJ – 8.7% of the population
ISFP – 8.8% of the population
ISTJ – 11.6% of the population
ESFJ – 12.3% of the population
ISFJ – 13.8% of the population

The scale isn’t as dramatic as calling INFJ rare might sound. Instead, it means there are about 1 INJF personality types per 9 ISFJ personality types. That’s less common, but certainly not “rare” in the truest sense of the word.

So, What Does a rare Personality Type Mean for You?

In most cases, your personality type has little bearing on who you are as a person. Instead, it records your capabilities as measured by a test in that moment, with your mood, stress levels, and recent activity taken into account. These tests are useful for businesses because they tell businesses what you might be able to achieve in the near future and what you’re likely to be like in the near future. They can also be useful for mental health professionals to provide a baseline of your outlook, responsiveness, and mood right now. However, many personality tests will change every time you take them if you take them every day for a week. That means they aren’t reliable as a measure of who you are tomorrow or who you are next week.

What else? Personality tests don’t actually measure your personality. They measure how you’re feeling and how they answer the questions. They also don’t measure compatibility with others, ability or willingness to learn, or your ability to fit into a group. Instead, general interests, ability to be agreeable, ability to compromise, and ability to open up to others. Those factors, more than anything else, will determine how you’re able to connect to others.

In fact, modern science isn’t sure if it’s valid to measure personality types at all. With no clear boundaries and significant overlaps in personality types, it’s usually better to measure personality traits and then understand that, for most people, those traits go up and down based on mood, stress, and current situation. Personality is flexible, because life requires it.

Does that mean you can’t use your personality test to make judgements about yourself? Absolutely not. Your personality test is likely a reasonable snapshot of your behavior and your answers right now – providing you’re honest when you fill it in. You can also broaden the perspective of those tests by taking more assessments, looking at measures of personality traits rather than judgements of overall personality, and also figuring out how that changes or goes up and down based on things like mood. Eventually, it means you’ll have more insight into how your personality affects your life and what you are capable of – which will help you in other ways.

Navigating Mental Health: A Comprehensive Guide for Patients and Families

Andrea Wagner on August 22, 2023

Mental health, often overshadowed by physical well-being, plays a pivotal role in our overall quality of life. It influences how we think, feel, and act, making it essential in all stages of life. From childhood and adolescence through adulthood, understanding and addressing mental health concerns is crucial. This guide aims to shed light on the various treatments and services available, helping individuals and families navigate the often complex world of mental health care.

In today’s fast-paced world, where stressors abound, it’s more important than ever to recognize the signs of mental health disorders and know where to turn for help. With a plethora of treatments available, from intensive outpatient programs to individual therapy, there’s hope for everyone.

Understanding Mental Health

Mental health refers to our cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. It’s not just the absence of mental illness but the presence of positive attributes, such as the ability to cope with stress, work productively, and make sound decisions. Unfortunately, misconceptions about mental health persist, leading to stigma and preventing many from seeking the help they need.

Types of Mental Health Disorders

Depression: More than just a bout of the blues, depression is a persistent feeling of sadness that interferes with daily life. It affects how one feels, thinks, and handles daily activities.
Psychosis: Characterized by a disconnection from reality, psychosis can manifest as hallucinations or delusions, often requiring specialized treatment.
Anxiety: While occasional anxiety is a normal part of life, chronic anxiety disorders can be debilitating, causing excessive fear or worry.
Personality Disorders: These are deeply ingrained patterns of behavior that differ significantly from the norm, affecting interpersonal relations and daily functioning.
Trauma: Traumatic events can lead to conditions like PTSD, where individuals relive the traumatic event and experience heightened stress levels.

Treatment Options

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP):
- What is PHP?: PHP is a structured mental health treatment program designed for individuals experiencing severe mental health symptoms. It offers a middle ground between full hospitalization and outpatient care.
- Benefits and who it’s for: PHP provides intensive care, allowing patients to return home at night. It’s ideal for those who require more support than traditional outpatient care but don’t need 24/7 hospitalization.
Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP):
- Understanding IOP: IOP focuses on group therapy, offering a more intensive treatment approach than standard outpatient care.
- The role of group therapy: Group therapy offers a supportive environment where patients can share experiences and learn from others.
Individual Therapy:
- The importance of personalized treatment: Every individual’s journey with mental health is unique. Personalized therapy addresses specific needs, ensuring more effective treatment.
- When is individual therapy recommended?: It’s ideal for those in PHP or IOP programs or those who’ve completed these programs.

Get Your Questions Answered Now

Choosing the Right Treatment

Selecting the right treatment is paramount. Factors to consider include the severity of symptoms, personal preferences, and the presence of co-existing health conditions. Always consult with a mental health professional to guide this decision.

Dr. Andrea Wagner: A Beacon of Hope in Mental Health

Dr. Andrea Wagner’s dedication to mental health care is evident in her extensive experience and patient testimonials. With a background in Clinical Forensic Psychology and roles in diverse settings, from the U.S. Army to the California Department of Corrections, Dr. Wagner brings a wealth of knowledge to her practice. Her patient-centric approach ensures that every individual receives the care they deserve.

Conclusion

Mental health is a journey, not a destination. With the right support and treatment, individuals can lead fulfilling lives, overcoming challenges and embracing well-being. It’s essential to keep the conversation about mental health open, destigmatizing it and ensuring that everyone has access to the care they need.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does mental health really mean?

Mental health refers to our cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. It’s about how we think, feel, and act in daily life, and it plays a crucial role in our overall quality of life.

How many people are affected by mental health issues such as anxiety and depression?

Millions of people worldwide are affected by mental health issues, with anxiety and depression being among the most common. These conditions can impact daily functioning and overall well-being.

How can individuals with a mental illness access the services they need in the mental health system?

Accessing mental health services often starts with consulting a primary care physician or mental health professional. They can provide referrals to specialized treatments or programs tailored to individual needs.