Are all INTPs depressed?

I am an iron-clad INTP (99.9% certainty) so my answer is…it depends. All is a strong word.

INTPs are very vulnerable to depression, and depressed INTPs may hesitate to seek treatment. We have a double disadvantage. We are not only more likely to BE depressed, but we are more likely to STAY depressed.

INTPs don’t (generally) build/maintain strong support networks, leaving us vulnerable to isolation. Isolated people have a very hard time pulling themselves out of the dark and getting help. Many of us don’t even realize that there is a problem until we’ve hit rock bottom.

INTPs treat their own emotions like most people would treat an infestation of poisonous dart frogs in their underwear drawer. We avoid them completely if we can, keep them at a distance if we can’t, and freak the hell out when we touch one by accident. This is…not ideal.

INTPs should be careful to follow through with the first step of any venomous amphibian exposure protocol, which is seeking professional help. Those emotions/deadly frogs won’t go away on their own. We need to defer to an expert, someone who can help us trade in those deadly dart bois for frog-patterned socks.

Autism Spectrum Quotient

Choose one response that best describes how strongly each item applies to you.

Definitely Agree | Slightly Agree | Slightly Disagree | Definitely Disagree

1. I prefer to do things with others rather than on my own.
2. I prefer to do things the same way over and over again.
3. If I try to imagine something, I find it very easy to create a picture in my mind.
4. I frequently get so strongly absorbed in one thing that I lose sight of other things.
5. I often notice small sounds when others do not.
6. I usually notice car number plates or similar strings of information.
7. Other people frequently tell me that what I’ve said is impolite, even though I think it is polite.
8. When I’m reading a story, I can easily imagine what the characters might look like.
9. I am fascinated by dates.
10. In a social group, I can easily keep track of several different people’s conversations.
11. I find social situations easy.
12. I tend to notice details that others do not.
13. I would rather go to a library than to a party.
14. I find making up stories easy.
15. I find myself drawn more strongly to people than to things.
16. I tend to have very strong interests, which I get upset about if I can’t pursue.
17. I enjoy social chitchat.
18. When I talk, it isn’t always easy for others to get a word in edgewise.
19. I am fascinated by numbers.
20. When I’m reading a story, I find it difficult to work out the characters’ intentions.
21. I don’t particularly enjoy reading fiction.
22. I find it hard to make new friends.
23. I notice patterns in things all the time.
24. I would rather go to the theater than to a museum.
25. It does not upset me if my daily routine is disturbed.
26. I frequently find that I don’t know how to keep a conversation going.
27. I find it easy to “read between the lines” when someone is talking to me.
28. I usually concentrate more on the whole picture, rather than on the small details.
29. I am not very good at remembering phone numbers.
30. I don’t usually notice small changes in a situation or a person’s appearance.
31. I know how to tell if someone listening to me is getting bored.
32. I find it easy to do more than one thing at once.
33. When I talk on the phone, I’m not sure when it’s my turn to speak.
34. I enjoy doing things spontaneously.
35. I am often the last to understand the point of a joke.
36. I find it easy to work out what someone is thinking or feeling just by looking at their face.
37. If there is an interruption, I can switch back to what I was doing very quickly.
38. I am good at social chitchat.
39. People often tell me that I keep going on and on about the same thing.
40. When I was young, I used to enjoy playing games involving pretending with other children.
41. I like to collect information about categories of things (e.g., types of cars, birds, trains, plants).
42. I find it difficult to imagine what it would be like to be someone else.
43. I like to carefully plan any activities I participate in.
44. I enjoy social occasions.
45. I find it difficult to work out people’s intentions.
46. New situations make me anxious.
47. I enjoy meeting new people.
48. I am a good diplomat.
49. I am not very good at remembering people’s date of birth.
50. I find it very easy to play games with children that involve pretending.

Dealing With Depression On The Autism Spectrum | Patrons Choice

See 3 Recommended Resources Below:

The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to ACT – by Russ Harris
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3…

The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time – by Alex Korb
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2

EQ 101 – Master Emotional Intelligence – by Paul Micallef (that’s me!)
https://autism-explained.teachable.co

http://emotionsexplained.com.au