In addition to being highly sensitive (sometimes to an extreme degree), many INFJs also struggle with high amounts of anxiety and depression. A lot of INFJs report that they experience a low-key depression running in the background of their lives, even when it appears that everything is going well on the surface.
When they're depressed or uninspired, they feel fatigued and drained. INFJs without a vision for the future feel listless and apathetic, as if they're lost in a fog and unable to find a light to guide them home.
In addition, being introverted is linked to spontaneously remembering more negative life events. Together, both personality traits — neuroticism and introversion — are linked to depression and anxiety. On the other hand, people with stable emotions who are more extraverted are at lower risk of depression and anxiety.
INFJs are extremely observant, and it's easy for us to see all the many ways in which we don't fit in with the groups around us. What is much more confusing though, is why we don't fit in. This leads most INFJ personality types to feel alone, misunderstood, rejected, or weird (and not in a good way).
They tend to dislike last-minute changes and repeated mistakes, which they see as thoughtless or uncaring. At work, INFJs may find it difficult to keep their personal feelings out of their interactions with others. They'll likely become stressed if they feel unappreciated, dismissed, or ignored.
INFJs are easily overwhelmed by bright lights, strong smells, scratchy fabric or loud noise. This is not simply overreacting. For them, it feels like the volume is always turned up too high, sometimes bringing them to tears or making them avoid people.
Because of how INFJs deal with past pain, they're likely to have similar reactions to trauma. These include: Avoiding people, places, or things that remind them of the trauma. Experiencing fear and anxiety about the outside world.
INFP is the type most commonly mistaken for INFJ, and they use Ne as their co-pilot process. If Signs 1 and 5 are both sound true for you there's a very good chance you're an INFP. ENFPs lead with Ne and have Fi as their co-pilot.
Sadly, INFPs ranked the lowest for happiness as well as the lowest for life-satisfaction. According to the third edition of the MBTI® Manual, these types also ranked second highest in dissatisfaction with their marriages and intimate relationships.
Some personality types that are prone to mental health conditions include isolated introverts, overachievers, dramatists, day dreamers, worry warts, and perfectionists. People with these personalities are at risk of anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and other mental disorders.
Depression is about 50% more common among women than among men. Worldwide, more than 10% of pregnant women and women who have just given birth experience depression (2). More than 700 000 people die due to suicide every year.
What Grip Stress Looks Like: Grip stress makes the INFJ suddenly start behaving like an unhealthy, imbalanced ESTP. We lose our long-range focus, our typical empathetic nature and become focused on indulgence and sensory pleasure.
Added to this is the fact that most INFJs have trust issues and it's difficult for us to open up to people and share our real selves. This results in INFJs feeling lonely and isolated, and also internalizing this loneliness as a belief that something is wrong with us.
INFJs usually feel happiest when they can be themselves and are accepted and appreciated for who they are. Finding deeply authentic people can sometimes be a challenge for them as they are not as comfortable putting themselves out there.
When INFJs are continually hurt or hurt bad enough, they slam the door on that toxic relationship. The well-known INFJ door slam isn't about punishing the other person. It's about protecting ourselves from more hurt. Even though many INFJs can seem to have a cold exterior, our hearts are soft.
INFJs tend to be especially drained by conflict with others. They're likely to avoid tension as much as they can, which may lead them to withhold information due to a fear of causing conflict.
When INFJs get angry, they're likely to process their feelings through Introverted Thinking before expressing them out loud. For example, imagine that you're an INFJ and you're angry because someone slacked off on a commitment and now you're running late on a deadline for work.
INFJs are enigmas to other types, and sometimes the way they think, speak, or function can look outwardly awkward. Most of these behaviors are easy to explain when they're analyzed. So if you or someone you know is an INFJ, remember not to dismiss these habits as awkward, but as evidence of how you tick.
Since they're so tuned into their emotions (and the emotions of others), INFJs often seem too sensitive to other people. Since they're sensitive, they're more likely to share their emotions with people close to them. Unfortunately, some people read their sensitivity as weakness instead of caring.
INFJs love when you help them out with something they may not be able to do for themselves, such as take care of them when they are sick or help them with housework (especially something they loathe).
Their introverted nature allows them to be excellent listeners. Careers for INFJs in counseling, therapy, or psychology are good choices to consider because of this natural trait. They tend towards introversion, so career paths involving writing and research can suit this personality type particularly well.
INFJs search for meaning and purpose in their lives and in the outer world. They tend to have an immense interest in deeply understanding culture, society, and the universe as a whole. INFJs naturally see how every thought or action could potentially have important consequences, either positive or negative.
Decisiveness. For INFJs, obstacles exist to be overcome and no problem can outmatch the strength and resilience that these types possess deep inside. INFJs follow through on their ideas with conviction, and have the willpower and decisiveness necessary to see projects through to the end.