Results 1 to 28 of 28

Thread: Antidepressants: their effect on socionics type

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Creepy-

    Default Antidepressants: their effect on socionics type

    (That title sounds like a catchy title for a study, doesn't it?)

    My question:
    What effect, if any, do you think taking antidepressants such as Prozac has on a person's personality type? For example, by altering the way a person perceives and reacts to information and experiences....

    If you have them, personal antecdotes are encouraged.

  2. #2
    Blaze's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    5,714
    Mentioned
    10 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    i took lexapro 10mg for about a year and a half. initially it made my Se inflate. then, over time, it made me into an IP temperament. that's when i had to get off it.

    ILE

    those who are easily shocked.....should be shocked more often

  3. #3
    redbaron's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    9,315
    Mentioned
    17 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    I've wondered the same thing but I don't have any experience to add. Good question.
    IEI-Fe 4w3

  4. #4
    C-ESI-Se 6w7 sx/sp ashlesha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    the center of the universe
    Posts
    15,798
    Mentioned
    909 Post(s)
    Tagged
    4 Thread(s)

    Default

    bump.

    i started taking it about a month or so ago and i've noticed that i've been getting weirdly more sociable in sporadic bursts. (like as evidenced by my recent boost in threads here, heh.) i was prescribed it for depression, but i'm not even sure if i was ever really depressed. more than anything it seems to help with my social anxiety, and i'm cool with continuing to take it for that reason. i feel a lot less reserved about expressing myself and it enhances what i think of conceptually as like my "sx instinct" (though not libido, really, lol).

    um, not that i have authority to tell people what to post, but i would really prefer this thread to not become a "big pharma is evil and drugs are bad" thread because personal experiences and antecdotes would just be a lot more interesting and relevant (imo, of course).

  5. #5
    CILi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    624
    Mentioned
    5 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    *LL, don't let me delete this*

    Big pharma's probably evil, drugs might be bad, and I've never had Prozac, but...

    I've been on another AD for half the year now and, like laghlagh, the change has been pretty much all positive. I'm much happier, infinitely more social, I've got a libido period, panic attacks are gone, anxiety's way down, I'm 30 pounds up, and I get random waves of energy every now and then (as opposed to having no energy absolutely ever).

    Personality-wise, though, I'm not sure how much effect meds have had. Looking over old posts, my writing style/persona/whatever made a pretty big shift when the AD kicked in (about 3-4 months ago); but, regrettably, I'd not done a whole lot more than noob-lurk to that point. Now I fear (and probably with good reason) that I've pushed from silent obscurity to borderline obnoxious, but thanks to BigPharma, I truly, honestly, don't mind.

    Whether this me is really "me" or not, I'm not sure, but I'm a "me" I've not been since 12 or so. The worries of adolescence literally killed the guy. With meds, though, what I'd characterize as a lifelong IJ-ish neuroticism has blossomed into a wonderfully lax, something-P-ish "Whatever, Meh, Who Gives A..." outlook.

    IRL, people prefer this. IRL, I prefer this.

    But, without a doubt, I'm "socionically" somebody else.

    Whether it makes for a healthy "personality" change (if there is such a thing), I really don't know.

  6. #6
    C-ESI-Se 6w7 sx/sp ashlesha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    the center of the universe
    Posts
    15,798
    Mentioned
    909 Post(s)
    Tagged
    4 Thread(s)

    Default

    thank you SO much for replying, this is exactly the kind of response i was hoping for.

    Quote Originally Posted by CILi View Post
    *LL, don't let me delete this*
    hahahaha. i totally know the feeling. i've quoted pretty much the whole thing, so you're kinda stuck.

    (i can delete my quotes later if you want me to at that time, though. /enabler)

    Quote Originally Posted by CILi View Post
    I've been on another AD for half the year now and, like laghlagh, the change has been pretty much all positive. I'm much happier, infinitely more social, I've got a libido period, panic attacks are gone, anxiety's way down, I'm 30 pounds up, and I get random waves of energy every now and then (as opposed to having no energy absolutely ever).
    i'm happy for you. the waves are true for me, as well. the energy isn't consistently high. sometimes it just comes from the side and tackles me. (though not in a manic kind of way, more like...idk, a typical energetic kind of way. lol.) but it's really, really nice. i don't remember feeling this way in years.

    Quote Originally Posted by CILi View Post
    Personality-wise, though, I'm not sure how much effect meds have had. Looking over old posts, my writing style/persona/whatever made a pretty big shift when the AD kicked in (about 3-4 months ago); but, regrettably, I'd not done a whole lot more than noob-lurk to that point. Now I fear (and probably with good reason) that I've pushed from silent obscurity to borderline obnoxious, but thanks to BigPharma, I truly, honestly, don't mind.
    ya, i've been wondering whether my outward personality has changed along with the medication. i don't feel like i'm essentially different at my core or on the inside. but perhaps in my self-presentation. i'm not sure. for the most part i just feel more comfortable showing who i am to the outside world, so there's less of a wall there but what's inside is still the same. i think.

    i've worried about being obnoxious on the forum because i think i've become more pushy in some ways and then there is my more recent explosion in post counts mainly consisting of one-liners, haha. but ya...idk, i mind but i don't mind. like if somebody called me obnoxious, i would feel bad, but i wouldn't retreat back into my shell because of it.

    (edit: i was going to say here that speaking for myself i've never found you to be the least bit obnoxious, but i got too caught up in talking about myself and forgot. it sounds like lip-servicy thing to say, but, really, you've struck me as someone who has a higher than usual awareness of social dynamics and not stepping on peoples' toes, so ya. )

    irl i'm not worried about coming across as obnoxious. the difference in my behavior has manifested much differently in person. i've turned from a curled-up little trying-not-to-show-that-i'm-panicking girl who got criticized for never speaking into....well, a somewhat quiet probably normal-seeming person. lol.

    i wonder how much all of this has to do with the fact that i recently changed jobs at around the same time i started taking prozac. i used to work for a small, high-pressure, beta-centered company that i absolutely hated and felt like it was ruining my life to working for a larger company in which i feel much more comfortable and where i feel like i fit in much better with my coworkers. (but then do i feel like i fit in better because of the prozac? catch 22!)

    Quote Originally Posted by CILi View Post
    Whether this me is really "me" or not, I'm not sure, but I'm a "me" I've not been since 12 or so. The worries of adolescence literally killed the guy. With meds, though, what I'd characterize as a lifelong IJ-ish neuroticism has blossomed into a wonderfully lax, something-P-ish "Whatever, Meh, Who Gives A..." outlook.
    this is an interesting example of what the OP was asking about. i sort of feel more, uh, P-ish, but i'm still quite obviously IJ. well, at least irl. my writing on here has gotten a little weird, i guess, or at least i notice it. most noticeably an increase in run-on sentences and a need for parentheses (which i noticed again as i've been reading over the preview of this post and editing it). i've been writing in more of a constant thought flow instead of being more selective about which thoughts are important to say. maybe P-ish? or something sort of like it? i've been thinking that i come across more IEE lately.

    Quote Originally Posted by CILi View Post
    IRL, people prefer this. IRL, I prefer this.


    Quote Originally Posted by CILi View Post
    But, without a doubt, I'm "socionically" somebody else.
    i'm sorry, but i'm not sure what you mean by this. you feel Ij socionically but Ip personality-wise? how are you making the distinction?

    Quote Originally Posted by CILi View Post
    Whether it makes for a healthy "personality" change (if there is such a thing), I really don't know.
    if you're happy and the changes in your life have been largely positive, i don't really see the point in digging for a problem, lol. (but maybe that's the prozac talking. :wink
    Last edited by ashlesha; 12-04-2010 at 03:57 AM.

  7. #7
    Park's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Beyond the blue horizon
    TIM
    SLI-Si 8w9 sp/sx
    Posts
    13,421
    Mentioned
    186 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by laghlagh View Post
    bump.

    i started taking it about a month or so ago and i've noticed that i've been getting weirdly more sociable in sporadic bursts. (like as evidenced by my recent boost in threads here, heh.) i was prescribed it for depression, but i'm not even sure if i was ever really depressed. more than anything it seems to help with my social anxiety, and i'm cool with continuing to take it for that reason. i feel a lot less reserved about expressing myself and it enhances what i think of conceptually as like my "sx instinct" (though not libido, really, lol).

    um, not that i have authority to tell people what to post, but i would really prefer this thread to not become a "big pharma is evil and drugs are bad" thread because personal experiences and antecdotes would just be a lot more interesting and relevant (imo, of course).
    Stop taking that shit, seriously. All you'll get is a placebo effect, while letting chemicals screw up your brain for no reason. Fight your social anxiety rationally, with willpower. Better fix your diet, workout, spend time in nature, reorganize your time and activities, before you reach for those pills.
    “Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, like diamonds we are cut with our own dust.”

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilly
    You've done yourself a huge favor developmentally by mustering the balls to do something really fucking scary... in about the most vulnerable situation possible.

  8. #8
    C-ESI-Se 6w7 sx/sp ashlesha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    the center of the universe
    Posts
    15,798
    Mentioned
    909 Post(s)
    Tagged
    4 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Parkster View Post
    Stop taking that shit, seriously. All you'll get is a placebo effect, while letting chemicals screw up your brain for no reason. Fight your social anxiety rationally, with willpower. Better fix your diet, workout, spend time in nature, reorganize your time and activities, before you reach for those pills.
    ummm...thanks for your concern, and i think there is something to be said for the effect of diet/exercise/activities (willpower, though? lol). but i didn't bump this thread for the purpose of figuring out whether i should take the pills or not. i already do.

    are you being serious? the "rationally, with willpower" thing just seems so absurdly hardline that i can't figure out if you might be joking, lol.

  9. #9
    Creepy-Korpsey

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by laghlagh View Post
    bump.

    i started taking it about a month or so ago and i've noticed that i've been getting weirdly more sociable in sporadic bursts. (like as evidenced by my recent boost in threads here, heh.) i was prescribed it for depression, but i'm not even sure if i was ever really depressed. more than anything it seems to help with my social anxiety, and i'm cool with continuing to take it for that reason. i feel a lot less reserved about expressing myself and it enhances what i think of conceptually as like my "sx instinct" (though not libido, really, lol).
    Prozac is disinhibiting so it removes the second-guessing that acts as brakes while navigating social encounters.

    That said, I took the stuff for some months and noticed zero effect whatsoever, nor any change when I stopped taking it.
    Last edited by Korpsey; 12-04-2010 at 06:48 PM.

  10. #10
    C-ESI-Se 6w7 sx/sp ashlesha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    the center of the universe
    Posts
    15,798
    Mentioned
    909 Post(s)
    Tagged
    4 Thread(s)

    Default

    thanks b&d and thanks arthur for sharing your stories. and in response to you guys and parkster (who apparently thinks i am a sane and reasonable retard ) i've been thinking about the shoulds and shouldn'ts as far as my taking prozac is concerned. i wouldn't say that it's something i absolutely need to take in order to function. i don't even know that there's anything wrong with my actual brain chemistry (depression runs heavily in my family, but i never had my brain scanned or anything). if i were to hypothetically stop taking it, i don't know how it would affect me but i don't think it would destroy me.

    the crux of this for me is that the negative seems to be summed up in the idea that it is "messing with my brain" but i don't even know what that means. i can see the positive effects right in front of me but i don't see the negative ones. what is it doing to my brain that is really so awful? "messing with it," ooOooOoo. sorry, but...???

  11. #11
    C-ESI-Se 6w7 sx/sp ashlesha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    the center of the universe
    Posts
    15,798
    Mentioned
    909 Post(s)
    Tagged
    4 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by k0rps3y View Post
    Prozac is disinhibiting so it removes the second-guessing that acts as brakes while navigating social encounters.
    its really interesting to hear this because this is exactly how i experience it, thanks.

  12. #12
    CILi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    624
    Mentioned
    5 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ll
    (i can delete my quotes later if you want me to at that time, though. /enabler)


    Quote Originally Posted by ll
    the waves are true for me, as well. the energy isn't consistently high. sometimes it just comes from the side and tackles me. (though not in a manic kind of way, more like...idk, a typical energetic kind of way. lol.) but it's really, really nice. i don't remember feeling this way in years.
    Your "really, really nice" sounds really, really familiar.

    I'm intentionally kinda ignorant as to how each AD actually works; but I'm curious as to how your "waves" have changed since you first started meds and how they'll continue to do so (if you choose to stay on 'em).

    Personally, I'd been so run-down and exhausted by anxiety that by the time I had even a semblance of energy, I feared it really was mania or something. Since the first few weeks/months, things seem to have leveled out a bit, but it was definitely a shock at first to, like, smile and stuff.

    Quote Originally Posted by ll
    i've worried about being obnoxious on the forum because i think i've become more pushy in some ways and then there is my more recent explosion in post counts mainly consisting of one-liners, haha. but ya...idk, i mind but i don't mind. like if somebody called me obnoxious, i would feel bad, but i wouldn't retreat back into my shell because of it.
    x a billion.

    To people who've never been socially anxious, your quote probably wouldn't mean much; but, really, that freedom to "not retreat" is HUGE. Giving a damn about every last word people say (and how they say it, and how they look when they say it, and why they might be saying it) is hard.

    Lip-service back at'cha, you've got a really long road to "obnoxious." (And, if you somehow miraculously got there, people'd probably find it cute.)

    Quote Originally Posted by ll
    i've turned from a curled-up little trying-not-to-show-that-i'm-panicking girl who got criticized for never speaking into....well, a somewhat quiet probably normal-seeming person. lol.
    You stole my bio*.

    *"Girl" part excluded.

    Quote Originally Posted by ll
    i sort of feel more, uh, P-ish, but i'm still quite obviously IJ. well, at least irl. my writing on here has gotten a little weird, i guess, or at least i notice it. most noticeably an increase in run-on sentences and a need for parentheses (which i noticed again as i've been reading over the preview of this post and editing it). i've been writing in more of a constant thought flow instead of being more selective about which thoughts are important to say. maybe P-ish? or something sort of like it? i've been thinking that i come across more IEE lately.
    IEE?! ...WA, could be listening...

    I'm pretty much talking out my ass here, but what if that drift from "IJ to P-ish-ness" is really a shift from "unhealthy to healthy"?

    Regardless, from your posts (old and new), I wouldn't be blown away if you showed up IEE one day.

    Quote Originally Posted by ll
    [you said, "I'm 'socionically' somebody else,"] but i'm not sure what you mean by this. you feel Ij socionically but Ip personality-wise? how are you making the distinction?
    Good point. That really didn't make much sense at all, looking back at it.

    If I were to jump on Wikisocion and pick myself out of the descriptions TODAY, I'd not be surprised at all if I picked a different type than I would have PRE-MEDICATION.

    But I'ma hafta leave the "Socionics v. Personality" fight to the Te (or is it Ti?) big-guns here. My head would explode.

    Quote Originally Posted by ll
    if you're happy and the changes in your life have been largely positive, i don't really see the point in digging for a problem, lol. (but maybe that's the prozac talking. :wink
    I'm really starting to like this Prozac guy.

  13. #13
    Shazaam's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Lamp
    TIM
    AB-IEI-Ni
    Posts
    13,811
    Mentioned
    596 Post(s)
    Tagged
    2 Thread(s)

    Default

    My parents drugged me up when I was little because I disobeyed their authority and I didn't always do what they say. They took me standing up for myself as a personal attack on them.

    So they were pretty much all "oooh no you don't little fag you will take this medicine so you will do what I say."

    But see, I was in happier, better mood with the happy pills- but I still did not go to school and participate in society and social systems. I still didn't do what they wanted. They improved my mood, but they couldn't improve my outside external circumstances. I was stubborn and wasn't going to bend my will for anybody. This infuriated people and they started doing things to try and punish me and make me feel bad. ((though i love challenging authority straight male types that think they can tell me what to do))

    So they didn't give a shit about my well-being and how I was feeling. They just wanted me to do what they say. And I realized that most people are like this on earth, even people I thought were my friends. And I only met one or two persons who I strongly romanticized, because they completely let me go my own way and understood the natural interdependence of the universe.

    Eventually everybody has let go of the struggle with me, they let go of the oars of trying to get me to do what they do and they let me create my own reality for it. I'm no longer a victim of anything, the stuff that I do wrong is now my own fault instead of somebody doing something to me. Really, it just keeps getting better and better for me even if at the time I don't feel like it is.

  14. #14
    Punk
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    TIM
    ESE
    Posts
    1,645
    Mentioned
    2 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    The peeeelz are bad! Everyone is crazy.

  15. #15
    Milo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    443
    Mentioned
    10 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    I don't think it changes type but it can temporarily alter person's presentation to make it look like they are another type.

    One of my college roommates took a number of downers, like Xanax and Valium, for her major anxiety issues and a sleeping disorder. She would score as INTJ and INTP on MBTI tests, even though when she didn't take these pills she was hyper, restless, outgoing, and visibly extraverted.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •