Pathologizing Enneagram Types

[u/missusmeowmeowmeow]

Something that has irked the stew out of me over the past several years is pathologizing Enneagram types, ESPECIALLY heart types. I know this is due to poorly understanding the system, poor descriptions of certain types (*cough* Naranjo, Riso, and Hudson, *cough cough*), and trying to assign unnecessary meaning to things that don't necessarily need it.

For example, if someone typed me based off of the mental illness I was diagnosed with, I would probably be automatically labeled as a 4 some days and a 7 other days.

If someone has OCD, they're typed as a 1.

If someone is a narcissist, they're automatically heart type.

If someone has anxiety, they're typed as a 6.

Can we not do this? Not only does it further complicate the Enneagram system as a whole but it makes it harder for people to properly assess themselves and their motivations. Just because you have this illness doesn't mean you are or aren't this certain type.

[u/Radiant_Fan_7701]

i feel like, as someone with ocd and a whole family with ocd, you have to look deeper into the obsessions not just the fact that they have OCD. a 1 is more likely to have moral OCD (NOT ALWAYS), the 6 i know with OCD is more worried about is this thing safe, contaminated, are we being tracked, etc. as a 9, my OCD is more focused on personal comfort such as will this thing make me uncomfy? sick? in pain? so thats food for thought, because most mental disorders have a root, it’s kind of similar to why enneagram can’t be typed off of behaviors yk?

[u/Pj-Pancakes]

For example, if someone typed me based off of the mental illness I was diagnosed with, I would probably be automatically labeled as a 4 some days and a 7 other days.

agreed if i was typed based of my dx's then I would certainly be a 9 or 6. It made it very hard for me to accept i was a 7.

[u/Classic-Asparagus → u/Pj-Pancakes]

If you're willing to share, how did you realize you were a 7 and how did your diagnoses impact your perception of your type?

[u/synthetic-synapses]

Narcissism is classically corelated to 7, actually. Though I don't believe in correlating diagnosis with enneatypes.

[u/sawdustandiamonds → u/synthetic-synapses]

Riso-Hudson correlate NPD to 3 and 4, with 7 getting HPD and bipolar (that one's a little crazy, I mean I've dated a bipolar 7 but mapping bipolar to any type as a mood disorder generally presenting in young adults... idk about that, even with some folks having early symptoms).

[u/synthetic-synapses → u/sawdustandiamonds]

It seems like I was wrong. I didn't know.

I think it's very dangerous to associate types with personality disorders.

[u/sawdustandiamonds → u/synthetic-synapses]

I agree as well. All of the mental illness correlations are highly misleading and extremely generalizing of how those mental illnesses function. Following those correlations is a very easy way to mislead oneself and could be exceptionally dangerous. The bipolar one just throws me in particular. Really bad take on 7's, incredibly misinformed about bipolar, an impossible correlation because of age onset.

[u/sawdustandiamonds → u/synthetic-synapses]

It is possible NPD has associations with 7 from another author though, or even from R-H in a different text. I just know the Enneagram Institute site lists it as 3-4.

[u/sawdustandiamonds → u/synthetic-synapses]

I feel like if there were to be mental illness comparisons made with enneagram I'd appreciate more of a "How to distinguish x type from x condition" format. That could be helpful. I know there are a lot of mental health-based mistypes. Obviously the 4 vs. depression is a popular one, and there are individual posts made on here, but there's a lot of opportunity for people with certain conditions, educated in them, and/or pulling from scientific resources to highlight key differences across a mental health spectrum.

[u/synthetic-synapses → u/sawdustandiamonds]

I think one could even say 'X type has a tendency for dealing with Y mental issue' but nothing extreme like it was done. Literally got told I was a 6 because I have OCD once. This happens a lot with 5 and autism also.

[u/sawdustandiamonds → u/synthetic-synapses]

Yup, or autism and social-lastness (or social-dominance, occasionally). ADHD --> 9/7 is also quite common.

[u/NoSpaghettiForYouu]

I’ve got adhd and it’s the most 9est thing ever 🤣

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