# Could Traumatic Stress Make It Difficult To Type?



## slightlycrazed (Dec 26, 2011)

I was wondering if traumatic stress could make it difficult to type correctly. Particularly, take on some qualities of a 6.

The reason I am asking is because when looking at the wings of a 5, I fit both descriptions. However, it wasn't until the past few years that I could fit the 5w6 description. The reason being, I think, is because I had recently been through quite a few traumatic things within the past couple of years. Maybe the initial events cause me to be more paranoid and aware of possible dangers. If it wasn't for these events, I would definitely side towards the 5w4 more.

Has anyone else had this dilemma? Are there any existing articles pertaining this? What is your opinion on the matter?


----------



## Wake (Aug 31, 2009)

I had a friend on here who was typed as a 6 for a while then a 3, and in the end decided she couldn't be typed due to the childhood trauma from her mother shaping her. She sent me think link in the end Emotionally Abusive Mothers

I don't know how much credibility this argument should be given.


----------



## slightlycrazed (Dec 26, 2011)

Wake said:


> I had a friend on here who was typed as a 6 for a while then a 3, and in the end decided she couldn't be typed due to the childhood trauma from her mother shaping her. She sent me think link in the end Emotionally Abusive Mothers
> 
> I don't know how much credibility this argument should be given.


Interesting. I wouldn't say that my trauma would deem me untypeable, but rather alter my wing. I have never been much of a paranoid person, but lately I have been more cautious and fearful. I do think childhood trauma would make it more difficult because you would never be able to truly see your personality as it once had been. Trauma later in life would probably just alter you from what you once were. Personality and trauma both are mental components so I could see how it would link together. Also, there are theories about the Enneagram in relation to brain chemistry (The Enneagram and Brain Chemistry).

I feel like I just answered my own question...


----------



## Wake (Aug 31, 2009)

The Enneagram people seem to want to slap any shift in position from a typical type into a category of 'unhealthy', and I think this is what would happen to my friend. Have you ever noticed that you never hear the words 'low self-esteem' or any other attribute than levels of health? Probably because the Enneagram's levels of health aren't either understood well enough or defined well enough to tell what definitely is a health matter and not.

My theory isn't really far enough along to grasp exactly what healthy and unhealthy Etypes should be considered, and what attributes should be excluded from such labels. I have an idea... but I would have to investigate the matter at a later time.

Just my two cents. I hope you find what you're looking for.


----------



## Paradigm (Feb 16, 2010)

Apologies for getting on a soapbox, but my first concern is the way you seem to equate 5w6 with paranoia/fear. My understanding of 5w6 isn't that they're more paranoid that 5w4, but that they feel more connected with humanity and are a little more "linear." And, of course, any type can be paranoid or fearful if traumatized.
(Disclaimer: I'm not 100% sure what happened, how you feel, or what you mean, so I might be misinterpreting.)

To answer your question... Yes. Sometimes we tend to focus too much on behavior when we type. I'm more of the opinion that life circumstances often put a "mask" on what we're really like. Even something little that we do every day, like going to work, could make us look different; a 7 could look like a 2 if in nursing, as a quick/rough example. So, following that, stress (a bad situation) or a traumatic event could easily make us appear as a different type, even to ourselves.



Wake said:


> Have you ever noticed that you never hear the words 'low self-esteem' or any other attribute than levels of health? Probably because the Enneagram's levels of health aren't either understood well enough or defined well enough to tell what definitely is a health matter and not.


The problem is that they tend to just use blanket terms which confuses everyone... So yeah, you're not wrong.

I think things like "low self-esteem" is similar to "unhealthy," because you're not at your best when you're not confident. I also think that the Enneagram tends to be too rigid in the definition of "health" and "health levels," but I'm possibly in the minority about that. For myself, I have all sorts of unhealthy things going on in my brain (phobias and depression), but I still seem to _act _like a higher-average 6 rather than a low-average/unhealthy 6... Which, as far as I can tell, makes no sense. Then again, I never really made a study into this, either.


----------



## slightlycrazed (Dec 26, 2011)

Paradigm said:


> Apologies for getting on a soapbox, but my first concern is the way you seem to equate 5w6 with paranoia/fear. My understanding of 5w6 isn't that they're more paranoid that 5w4, but that they feel more connected with humanity and are a little more "linear." And, of course, any type can be paranoid or fearful if traumatized.
> (Disclaimer: I'm not 100% sure what happened, how you feel, or what you mean, so I might be misinterpreting.)
> 
> To answer your question... Yes. Sometimes we tend to focus too much on behavior when we type. I'm more of the opinion that life circumstances often put a "mask" on what we're really like. Even something little that we do every day, like going to work, could make us look different; a 7 could look like a 2 if in nursing, as a quick/rough example. So, following that, stress (a bad situation) or a traumatic event could easily make us appear as a different type, even to ourselves.


How would you describe it, then? I know you kind of described the difference, but not completely. I tried asking about the difference between a 5w6 and 6w5 before (Difference Between 5w6 and 6w5?), but came empty handed as regards to answers that helped. I appreciate your help throughout my threads. I have a lot of questions, but have only recently thought of asking them.


----------



## dollybones_90 (Jan 22, 2012)

I think that traumatic stress can DEFINITELY make it difficult to type someone and might even alter their type. After a very stressful period in my life I identified a lot more with type 6 than 4 (my actual type). I still feel pretty 6ish.


----------



## SadLuckDame (Dec 30, 2010)

Being a type 5w6 is like I'm wanting to build bridges to get to people, but it takes a bridge because I don't want to lose sight of where I stood/stand and I don't expect they'd want to leave their's nor should they. A bridge leaves a visual point before it begins and ends of our 'last' foot-print and we meet on a bridge, well it's my hopes anyway, I try to with people. My focus isn't that I'm not like them, it's pointless in a way, my focus is how to meet up without having to not have our 'home' to return to after words, exchange. 

I hope that helps clarify.
I prefer visuals to be the bridge in response when writing, conversing.
So what I see is that I'm trying to build a bridge to you, I want to make attempts in meeting with people.
That's a 5w6 in my best description at the moment.

As far as trauma goes, I'd had abuse as a young child, then peppered throughout my life, but though I've always been careful with what I'll allow with people, I still want to safely view them, sometimes interact after deeming them o.k. enough and being able to put a bit of caution on the relax. It's this driving desire to understand who they are and what reactions they might have with me, combination of our interacting, etc. I usually just dabble with them a little then draw away and release their grips, if they've made one. But, it is the only way to learn of them and satisfy my curiosity and what-nots.

I mostly like most by way of just watching, I don't always invite them to build a bridge with me. I don't want to give that impression, usually the just watching can be enough. I don't know, but I generally like people from a distance at least and meet, then pull away.


----------



## Paradigm (Feb 16, 2010)

slightlycrazed said:


> How would you describe it, then? I know you kind of described the difference, but not completely. I tried asking about the difference between a 5w6 and 6w5 before (Difference Between 5w6 and 6w5?), but came empty handed as regards to answers that helped. I appreciate your help throughout my threads. I have a lot of questions, but have only recently thought of asking them.


I'm very busy this weekend, so I can't really answer you as well as I'd like. Plus I'm no expert on type 5. I can point you towards a few places, though.

5 vs 6 
Typewatch
Enneatype 5 and wings.
An Overview of the Five and it's Wings
Google search: 5w4 vs 5w6

It's just, one thing that annoys me when people start talking about 6 is "fear." Both 5 and 6 are head types, both are driven by fear, both can be smart and introverted. I don't think descriptions emphasize enough how disconnected 5s can be, or how curious 6s can be.
EDIT: To clarify, I'm not saying 6s aren't anxious... I'm saying that 5s are as well


----------



## slightlycrazed (Dec 26, 2011)

Paradigm said:


> I'm very busy this weekend, so I can't really answer you as well as I'd like. Plus I'm no expert on type 5. I can point you towards a few places, though.
> 
> 5 vs 6
> Typewatch
> ...


Thanks for the links. I have actually read most of them already, but definitely plan to read the other ones thoroughly shortly. 

I understand that head types usually are all considered to be fear and anxious types (as seen in the article I provided earlier in a reply). I'm not trying to say otherwise. In fact, that is why I need such clarification. I don't have enough understanding to be able to properly decipher between a 5w6 and 6w5. 

It's not that I don't want to have anything to do with a 6, but rather that I relate so much to both wings of the 5. I know you answered in my other thread as well, so you might remember how it was brought up that my tritype could also be fooling me (as with the case of having a 5w4 potentially combined with a 5w6/6w5 could seem to be a 'true' 5). That is the real reason I wanted to know, not because of the stereotypes attached to a 6 (for whatever reason).

Don't feel obligated to answer in a timely manner, or at all. I appreciate the help that you have provided. I'm sure I will figure it out someday eventually, anyways.


----------



## LibertyPrime (Dec 17, 2010)

The more on "edge" someone is the more fracked up  the easier to type if you know what to look for.


----------



## Douglas Rosestone (Feb 20, 2012)

The simple answer is yes. The more we are knocked off center by life's shocks the more muddled is your enneagram style.


----------



## unico (Feb 3, 2011)

I have PTSD m early childhood abuse and I am a type 4. I think I would still be a type 4 even if I hadn't been traumatized. However, 4 traits probably could be common in people with trauma (the melancholic tendencies, feeling alone, etc.)


----------



## Malx (May 17, 2011)

So, say it does influence the ease of typing and muddies the water so to speak; how would you type someone like that then?


----------



## mushr00m (May 23, 2011)

I think its definitely made for being more tricky to be typed in my case as someone who suffers with ptsd. Trauma has made me have a pretty unstable sense of self to being someone who is sure of themself. I think it definitely distorts my behaviour in a way that it isn't always consistant and also I have felt that 'I am my ptsd' which of course isn't an accurate representation of someone's core, its merely say a survival mechanism. Although, some proclaim its better to type someone when based on their negative attitudes, you still have to look at 'the whole' person, good and bad. I sometimes wonder if it was actually a good idea to get myself typed in the first place whilst suffering with this traumatic disorder, I had to refer to those occasional times where I am actually feeling more myself and give responses via that which brings me to when people have been typed and say they make a recovery from their ptsd, what would change because many people undergoing intensive therapy for things like ptsd and bpd make significant changes not only to their outlook but to their desires, in fact, saying that brought about a good point in that actually, do their desires change? Now im thinking about that, my actual fundamental, core desires havn't changed significantly because they are just part of my make up and who I really am but then of course, people desires do change with maturity and life experience but how much? When I use the word 'desire', it can be interchangeable with core wants, it possibly means the same thing. Also with reference to behaviour, there must be some exception that core desires do gererally dictate our behaviours but can be misleading. Its about self honesty.


----------



## Curiously (Nov 7, 2011)

Good question. I have wondered had I not encountered a traumatic event in my life, back when I was but a baby pretty much, would I be an INFJ? Would I be a Type 5? Long before I discovered Enneagram and MBTI, I always sensed that if I didn't go through my childhood trauma, I likely would have been an extrovert; perhaps I would have been an ENFP - arguably the most introverted of the extroverts but still an extrovert nonetheless. And maybe type as a 3 or 7 instead. Who really knows, right? In the end, things happen for a reason, and I choose not to dwell in 'what ifs' so much now because my reality is that I have this life of mine and I will make the most of it. And let me also say that I quite like being an INFJ and Type 5 and learning more about these facets of me.


----------



## Douglas Rosestone (Feb 20, 2012)

*One is born with one's enneagam style. Trauma primarily shows up in ones stress point*



unico said:


> I have PTSD m early childhood abuse and I am a type 4. I think I would still be a type 4 even if I hadn't been traumatized. However, 4 traits probably could be common in people with trauma (the melancholic tendencies, feeling alone, etc.)


So no, there is no more FOUR content than any other archetype due to abuse.


----------

