ENFP Depression (What you need to know)

In this brief guide, we will look at the personality ENFP and Depression. We will explore why ENFP may experience depression, whatmakes them feel better, and how to help them.

ENFP Depression

An ENFP in depression may go from their normally friendly and cheerful natures to irritable, emotional, defensive, and reactive. They may feel overwhelmed or struggle to communicate and may even shut out other people and reject new ideas.

ENFP Depression may be characterized by them feeling trapped, they can become extremely critical of others, out of control and unable to find a way out, lashing out, blaming and finding fault with everything as they try to figure out what is wrong.

On the contrary in some ENFPs, depression may be characterized by them enforcing strict order on everything and trying to get everything under control, to gain some normally in their lives.

ENFP Depression from stress

When a person of the type ENFP is under stress, they may fail to see any fault in themselves, this may be a form of coping as accepting they are fault may cause more conflict and cause them to be depressed or more stressed out.

The stressed-out ENFP may eventually start to feel hopeless and head into a depression as their energy turns inward and they begin to feel numb inside from all the pretending that it is not their fault.

ENFP is a normally energetic type, and therefore may also feel the effects of stress physically, and an ENFP in depression may become exhausted and suffer from fatigue very frequently.

 ENFP has a tendency to give too much and do too much, and this often causes them to neglect their own needs for sleep, rest, and relaxation, and this may not change even when the ENFP is in Depression or is stressed out.

Sadly, owing to their energy and otherwise upbeat personality, ENFP in depression or stress is unlikely to recognize when stress has affected them and it’s only when they become ill or depression occurs or gets worse, that they realize how stressed out or depressed they’ve become.

Why do ENFP become Depressed?

An ENFP may become depressed when they are not received with the same kind of positive attitude that they exhibit or when they take on too much and ignore their health, due to their momentary enthusiasm about their project.

Other common reasons why ENFP experiences depression is:

Lack of Practical skills

ENFPs are great at ideas and creativity, but the finer details and administrative work that is needed to follow projects through to completion is not their strong point which may cause many of their ideas stagnant and unrealized, leading to some very negative feelings and maybe even depression.

Lack of focus

ENFPs can be curious, philosophical individuals who are always interested in other people and ideas.

However, this innate curiosity and highly philosophical ideas can lead them to explore the next exciting concept rather than the work at hand, which leaves things halfway and can eventually take a toll on the ENFP making him depressed.

Independence

Autonomy is considered healthy in most people but taken too far it can be harmful, as it may detach one from other people and ENFPs tend to have a hard time accepting rules or regulations, causing them to struggle with restrictions of any kind and making them feel suffocated and tied down.

This kind of reaction to any rules is not healthy and may lead to depression or depression-like symptoms.

Overthinking or ruminating

ENFPs tend to question everything due to their analytical, curious nature, but they can become obsessed with trying to figure out why people act the way they do, what everything means and the lack of knowledge and what they should do about it, leaving them worried and anxious constantly, and the constant questioning of themselves may also lead to them feeling helpless and hopeless, leading the ENFP to depression.

Intense emotions

ENFPs are empathic socializers and sensitive dreamers, and they tend to be prone to emotions.

Sometimes they may have passionate outbursts of feeling when the ENFP is under stress, and this can be very damaging to their relationships.

ENFP is also known for their avoidance and dislike of conflict and as a result, they are likely to withdraw rather than deal with difficulties that their behavior has produced.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity is a trait that is sometimes a problem for the ENFP, who is highly aware of others’ feelings and may take any criticism or rejection personally, which can weaken their self-esteem. It is a known fact that low self-esteem can lead to depression, and ENFPs also overextend themselves and give too much in response to people’s demands for help and end up feeling overwhelmed, which can also lead the ENFP to depression.

ENFP traits that help with depression

ENFPs are typically extroverted and curious, looking forward to new things to do and new ideas to bring to life, and as with other personality types, they have their own strengths that can help if they are in depression or are feeling particularly stressed out.

Below are some ENFP traits that may help them with depression:

They are curious

ENFPs are highly curious individuals, they are explorers of new ideas and places, and they want to go out and experience things, which can be a trait that can be tapped into if they are too stressed out or depressed, their attention can be grasped with something new that they have not seen or experienced before.

 ENFPs also don’t hesitate to step out of their comfort zones to explore and figure out new things and ideas, and they are imaginative and open-minded, so therapies like Guided Imagery or other relaxation exercised can work very well with them if they are stressed out.

They are Observant

ENFPs are very observant and don’t think of anything that happens as irrelevant actions, and they firmly hold the opinion that every shift in sentiment, every move, and every idea is part of something bigger.

This ideology can come in very handy to help an ENFP with depression as they can be taught to focus on the bigger picture and let go of the things that may be holding them down.

They are Energetic

ENFP is an extroverted subtype, and they are always forming new connections and ideas, and bustling with energy to go work on these new connections and ideas.

ENFPs are also easily excited about their friends and ideas and like to share them with anyone who cares enough to listen.

Their enthusiasm is infectious and has the dual benefit of giving the ENFP a chance to be social and try to find new connections and ideas that excite them when they are experiencing depression, so that they may be able to get back to their original self.

They are Great Communicators

ENFPs can express the brilliant ideas they have very well, ad it bodes well for them if they ever feel depressed, as they are able to describe what is happening to them and communicate their feelings better than most people.

They also have strong people skills, and this can lead to some deep, meaningful conversations, and conversations with an ENFP can feel very natural and unforced, even if they are in depression

They know how to relax

ENFP is not strung out all the time, and most of the time they are good at taking a break from their energy and just getting a little laidback.

ENFPs know that sometimes, simply having fun and experiencing life’s joys is crucial. The Intuitive trait of ENFP lets them know that it’s time to shake things up, and take a break from things. This can be helpful to them when they are in depression as they may be able to understand the merit of therapy.

They have good social circles

Given their extroverted nature, the ENFP has great social circles and may have a lot of people to turn to for support when they are in a depression.

 The ENFPs spontaneity comes together to form a person who is easily approachable and friendly, interesting, and exciting, and has a cooperative and altruistic spirit.

The ENFP is blessed with an empathetic disposition.

The ENFP can get along with pretty much everyone, and this circle they cultivate all the time provides great comfort when they need to communicate their sadness and get some help.

How can ENFP cope with Depression?

The ENFP can cope with depression but trying to take a pause from the activities they are currently involved in to assess their mental state, every once in a while.

They also need to work on looking for the practical details of projects they are interested in and stop ignoring the so-called “Boring” stuff to other people who may be taking care of the administrative work.

Some other tips for the ENFP to deal with depression are:

·       They need to attend to their own physical needs, as the ENFPs spend too much time bouncing from one activity to the next that they won’t know when they may have been way too much energy, they need to take a pause and look after their mind and body.

·       ENFP needs to learn how to say “no”, as they are sensitive souls who love to engage with others, but sometimes they just give too much and try to take care of al their many friends, ignoring their own psyche in the process.

·       ENFP also needs to learn to check in with themselves, and see if they are being too detached from details about themselves or being overly critical or unnecessarily controlling about their circumstances.

·       The ENFP also needs to spend some alone time to get back in touch with their own thoughts, being around people all the time and trying to take care of everyone can take a toll on a person and lead them into depression

·       The ENFP in depression or extreme stress would benefit from exercise, as it is a great stress reliever for any personality type. ENFP can look into a particularly engaging and high-intensity cardio exercise that has a fun element to it as well, such as Zumba or dancing aerobics.

·       ENFP is a creative soul that appreciates similar things, and when they are suffering from depression or stress they can turn to music to feel better, they just need to ensure that they listen to happy songs to uplift them and not sad ones that just make them even more depressed.

·       Meditation or prayer can also be very helpful for the ENFP and it will also appeal to their sense of philosophy and spirituality. It can also help calm them down and make it easier for them to deal with stress.

·       Because of their love for exploration and new things, a change in scenery can be very beneficial for ENFP to come out of depression.

·       Sleep and getting adequate rest are also two very important things for the ENFP and can help them cope with depression and stress and other mental health concerns.

How to help an ENFP loved one with depression?

To help a loved one who has the personality type ENFP and is experiencing depression, you can do the following things:

·   Give the ENFP suffering from depression some time and space to calm down or work things out on their own

·   Encourage the ENFP to take a break from stressful situations or things that may be making negative thoughts worse, and maybe take them away somewhere.

·   Try not to offer too much advice or solutions when an ENFP is in depression.

·   Try to listen with compassion and limit criticism if they are complaining about the situation or insisting that they are no good and that nothing matters.

·   Try to get the ENFP with depression involved in regular outdoor exercise.

·   Try to take them into engaging situations such as nature walk, watch a movie, or a weekend away.

·   Give the ENFP constant reassurance that they are capable and competent, to help with the feelings of worthlessness they may be feeling.

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we looked at the personality ENFP and Depression. We explored why ENFP may experience depression, what makes them feel better, and how to help them. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or comments you may have.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): ENFP Depression

Citations:

https://www.personalitycafe.com/threads/the-10-stages-of-a-depressed-enfp.10708/

https://www.psychologyjunkie.com/2018/06/30/what-enfps-do-when-they-get-really-stressed-out/

https://www.wattpad.com/186853210-enfp-kaboomery-wait-enfp%27s-can-get-depressed