I've been thinking a lot about personality and how it influences our reactions to our difficult experiences (or 'symptoms', if you prefer), both internal and external, and how that can influence how we are diagnosed and treated etc.

To clarify, I am NOT referring to diagnosed personality disorders, although those sorts of traits will definitely influence these things.

For example, my reserved nature and strong ability to regulate my emotions meant that I was labelled as an attention seeker. Pdocs found it hard to believe what I said that I experienced with how they perceived me. However, whilst that misunderstanding caused some quite distressing experiences, that also allows me to be more functional than I might otherwise be since medication doesn't help me. So pros and cons.

Whilst I tend not to like being put in boxes, and MBTI is another form of box organisation, has anyone done this and relates to their description? Here is an example test that's pretty quick if anyone is interested, although the description of type afterwards isn't that good:

https://personalityhacker.com/genius-personality-test/

Disclaimer: I have no idea why it's calling itself a Genius Test, because it's MBTI. Also, online tests aren't always that accurate, but this one did agree with many other tests, which have all given me the same type result, but YMMV and it would be best to do an official one/multiple online tests.

Does anyone have any thoughts on how their personality has influenced their reactions to experiences/symptoms?

Does anyone think that this has influenced how they have been diagnosed by pdocs, or treated by them?

Do you think it has played a role in your acceptance, or not, of whatever diagnosis you've been given. For example, now they say I have sz, but I have never met anyone with that diagnosis who reacts the same way that I do. When I was in rehab, they said that they would find someone like me to 'prove' that I do have sz but, in 6 months there, they couldn't.

I'm just interested in hearing people's thoughts related to their personality traits and their mental health, if anyone wants to have a discussion about it.

*Willow*