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Your personality has a big impact on how you see the world, so it has the potential to affect your mental health. Although personality assessments aren’t used to diagnose mental health conditions, they can help you choose the right self-care measures. Find out what to do if you have Enneagram 9 depression or other symptoms related to your personality type.
Introduction to the Enneagram
The Enneagram of Personality is a figure used to represent nine distinct personality types. These nine types are organized into three centers: instinctive, feeling, and thinking. Overall, the Enneagram helps you understand how you perceive the world around you, making it a useful tool for personal development.
Overview of the 9 Enneagram Types
Once you complete the assessment, you should know which of the nine personality types best describes you. Here’s an overview of each one.
- Type 1. If you have a Type 1 personality, you’re known as The Reformer. People with this Enneagram type are extremely rational and principled. It’s also common for The Reformer to be a bit of a perfectionist.
- Type 2. Also known as The Helper, a Type 2 individual is extremely generous and helpful. The Helper easily expresses emotions and demonstrates care for the people around them.
- Type 3. If you’re a Type 3 personality, you’re The Achiever. People with this personality type tend to be ambitious and committed to success. You may also be particularly conscious of how others perceive you.
- Type 4. Type 4, The Individualist, tends to isolate themselves from others. It’s also common for the Individualist to be highly sensitive.
- Type 5. If you end up with a Type 5 result, start telling loved ones to call you The Investigator. Type 5s are innovative and mysterious. The Investigator is also extremely intense.
- Type 6. Type 6 personalities are concerned with commitment and security. As a result, Type 6 is known as The Loyalist.
- Type 7. If you’re a Type 7 personality, aka The Enthusiast, fun is your middle name. Your friends may describe you as spontaneous or easily distracted.
- Type 8. Also known as The Challenger, a Type 8 loves to demonstrate their power. Type 8 personalities commonly dominate conversations or show off their decision-making skills in groups.
- Type 9. If you identify with Type 9, you’re The Peacemaker. Type 9 personalities are easygoing and spend much of their time trying to get along with other people.
How Each Type Experiences Mental Health
Every personality type experiences mental health differently. For example, someone with a Type 1 personality may develop anxiety related to their perfectionism. They may be dissatisfied unless they get straight As or receive accolades on their latest work project. Someone with a Type 2 personality may put others’ needs first, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope.
Here are more examples of how each personality type experiences mental health:
- Type 3. Type 3 individuals are extremely driven, which may cause them to experience anxiety or depression symptoms. People with Type 3 personalities are also image-conscious, so they may struggle with low self-esteem or disordered eating.
- Type 4. The Individualist is often sensitive and withdrawn, making depression symptoms more likely.
- Type 5. Type 5 personalities tend to isolate themselves from others, increasing the risk for depression and substance abuse.
- Type 6. The Loyalist is known to be anxious and suspicious of others, making anxiety a common mental health concern.
- Type 7. Type 7 personalities tend to be “scattered” and easily distracted, which may contribute to anxiety or low self-esteem, especially if getting distracted prevents them from reaching their goals.
- Type 8. The Challenger is dominating, confrontational and willful, which may interfere with maintaining rewarding relationships. A lack of support may lead to depression.
- Type 9. If you have a Type 9 brain, you may allow others to treat you unfairly just because you want to be agreeable and get along with everyone, increasing the risk of anxiety and codependency.
To better understand how your Enneagram type is likely to affect your mental health, look at the traits of each personality. Although many traits are positive, they can quickly turn negative if you allow them to influence your self-confidence and ability to maintain positive relationships with others.
Common Mental Health Changes by Enneagram Type
The Enneagram isn’t a diagnostic tool, but it can help you understand your mental health a little better. These are some of the most common mental health challenges by Enneagram type:
- Type 1. Anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Type 2. Anxiety, codependence
- Type 3. Anxiety, depression
- Type 4. Difficulty building or maintaining relationships due to temperamental behavior
- Type 5. Enneagram 5 depression, anxiety, loneliness
- Type 6. Difficulty maintaining relationships due to a high level of suspicion, anxiety
- Type 7. Enneagram 7 depression, anxiety, difficulty paying attention
- Type 8. Difficulty maintaining relationships due to a confrontational nature
- Type 9. Enneagram 9 depression, codependence, anxiety
Benefits of Understanding Your Enneagram Type for Mental Health
Understanding your Enneagram type has several benefits. First, it provides insight into how others are likely to perceive you and how you perceive them. Therefore, knowing your personality type may help you build better relationships, reducing the severity of certain mental health symptoms.
Second, knowing your personality type provides insight into the type of self-care you need. For example, if you’re always caring for others, you may benefit from having someone demonstrate the same care and generosity toward you.
Finally, knowing your personality type may help you understand your past behavior, giving you more control over your current situation. For example, if you frequently argue with your loved ones, it may be because you’re a Type 8. If you know you’re confrontational, you can take steps to change your attitude and your approach to disagreements with friends and family members. As a result, knowing your Enneagram type may help you avoid loneliness and isolation associated with relationship problems.
Integrating the Enneagram With Traditional Mental Health Approaches
The Enneagram isn’t a substitute for professional treatment. Once you identify your personality type, it’s important to seek help from a licensed mental health professional. You may benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, medications or other treatment options.
If mental health symptoms are interfering with your life, you aren’t alone. FHE Health has trained counselors available to help you recover from depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions. Contact us today to begin your recovery.
