[LeoSoma]

I heard a saying that when it comes someones emotional state, if you can't change your emotional state than your addicted to it. This statement sets my brain chemistry on fire because i agree with it entirely. Do most INFP's fall back into a melancholic state when there ideals are not fathomable?

By the way I know most of you will enjoy this.

 

[RoyA]

Do you think it's so much addiction as it is habituation? If you're so used to feeling shitty that it feels comfortable, non-melancholic moods are going to be alien, and you're more likely to slip back into a familiar place.

 

[Vin The Dreamer]

Could these two songs be considered expressions of melancholy? (ignore the KH reference)

I really like the mood these two songs bring out in me, and I've been recently spending a lot of time in it. It may have to with a 4 being somewhere in my Enneagram tritype. It's much better than hanging out in downright cynicism.

 

[basementbugs]

I think I agree with what @RoyA said, though as far as my personal state of existence goes... it's say it's both habit and addiction. I have no doubt at all that it's habit actually; it so much a habit that I never really even challenge myself to break out of it anymore. Being melancholy (in my case, being severely depressed) has been my way of life for over a decade now. As far as the extreme negative emotions and the general feeling of melancholy go... yes, I find those rather addictive at times as well. :\

 

[LeoSoma]

Vin, those 2 videos were beautiful. They 2 invoked a very deep emotional response for me. Thank you for that, I really mean it.

I've known for a while that humans are creatures of habit. Patterns develop from experience. My own experience has brought me on a roller coaster of emotions. I've always thought that in order to get through something challenging in your life you have to express the blood, sweat and tears, not really labor pains but living out your subjective human experience. As an INFP sometimes my emotions over power my thoughts and I find my mind slipping into a deep day dream. Rather addicting I might add. Sometimes its like a truly heavenly place to consciously drift to but its not always positive. I truly wonder if these experience's bring you closer to higher enlightenment..........as some might say.....

 

[fretterfet]

If you're depressed long enough you can just start to feel like depression is a defining feature of your personality. I guess that sort of falls under "habit" but I don't really see it as either habit or addiction. For me, it isn't "this is what I'm used to," it's "this is who I am." It can be hard to let go of something that feels so central to your being...

 

[LeoSoma]

For a long time I used to be in such a depressed state of mind that I almost lost my self......many times. It has become such a horrible but beautiful thing to go through. I became so use to it that it really was what I always went back to after social situations. My inner garden. I still have ups and downs to this day. I believe that INFP's have the mentality to that of great spiritual leaders. The way we see things in there in essence almost defies comprehension to outsiders. I live alone and most days when I come home from work I retreat to my inner garden of idealist thoughts. Its like I have a running film of lost loves in the back of my mind. Its almost like I can see myself as Adam and Eve is missing..........

 

[GraphicallyAlex]

I don't know.. I am brought to meloncholy by dissatisfaction and stress. And I also think that we can be just depressed. When you are so sensitive, you are bound to be hurt by this world.

Although being sensitive does have its blessings as well.

 

[Aelthwyn]

Well for me I'm almost always content and happy...or what I would consider a generally positive nuetral if that makes sense. This seems to be my default mode. As fretterfet mentioned, this is part of my identity. I guess I can see how melancholly could feel that way for others.

However, I have gone through times where I felt like I was stuck in a habit of feeling paranoid about people judging me constantly. I don't think I'd necessarily call it addiction because as far as I can tell there wasn't anything resembling a good feeling reinforcing it, but habit definately would describe it. I've had to work hard to change that habit of thought and not focus on the negative posisbilities.

 

[Jazz0101]

Addicted to an emotional state..hmm...the only time I would agree with that would be if that emotional state were a 'high' such as how you feel in a new relationship or new love. With each episode of depression one has increases the likelihood of it returning more so if your first depressive episode was at a younger age. I'm guessing it just has to do with those patterns in the brain and can take some work to set up some different wiring but it can be done..

 

[Marimeli]

What would you be addicted to though? I mean it comes down to body chemistry, right? Like people get addicted to endorphins or adrenaline or oxytocin or whatever because. Certain mood releases it. What does melancholy release?

 

[Sily]

Nah, I actually believe most INFPs are the optimistic, not depressed, not meloncholic type. I can start quoting ton o'descriptions, if you'd like.

Well for me I'm almost always content and happy...or what I would consider a generally positive nuetral if that makes sense. This seems to be my default mode. As fretterfet mentioned, this is part of my identity...

Me too.

 

[Lachesis]

If you're depressed long enough you can just start to feel like depression is a defining feature of your personality. I guess that sort of falls under "habit" but I don't really see it as either habit or addiction. For me, it isn't "this is what I'm used to," it's "this is who I am." It can be hard to let go of something that feels so central to your being...

Exactly, when I was recovering from depression, in some kind of way I felt losing something, because depression had been a part of me for so long time; it felt like I was losing part of my identity. It was very healthy to lose that part of me though. Well, I know it's still there and always will be, but now I'm winning.

 

[LeoSoma]

What would you be addicted to though? I mean it comes down to body chemistry, right? Like people get addicted to endorphins or adrenaline or oxytocin or whatever because. Certain mood releases it. What does melancholy release?

Personally Oxycontin, the love chemical. I was addicted to the actual pain killer oxycodone for over a year. I was just getting out of a long meaningful relationship and missed the love so I went to a manual feed of the drug.

My use of the word melancholy is a personal descriptive face to a state of mind/being with a negative chemical cocktail. Major depression...
INFP's tend to be highly sensitive to outside stimuli if we are in negative environments, bad relationships, listening to sad music, etc.
I know that some people would say just stop exposing yourself to things like that but some situations you can't control and habits are created.

This can impact our idealistic thinking in such a bad way that a chemical called monoamine oxidase or MAO-A is released in larger amounts. Its a similar process to our adrenaline response in a fight or flight situation. MAO-A speeds up the break down of the brain chemicals serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. These 3 chemicals in the right doses determine your mood. Have you heard of an MAO-I? Monoamine oxidase inhibitor (antidepressant). It regulates the MAO release in the brain so less feel good chemicals are washed away uplifting ones spirits.

Major depression can stimulate godly like creativity in certain individuals. Just empathize with Beethoven or Van Gough....both suffered from major depression and to this day there names and artistic creations are known in about every household. Theres like what 7 BILLION PEOPLE on this planet!? Why would that be? Everyone on Earth isn't depressed. Expressions of depression can be so beautiful in a melancholic way. We are gods/goddesses in the flesh searching for something true.

"A healthy mind is a healthy body"
or is it
"a healthy body is a healthy mind"?

 

[Marimeli]

@LeoSoma: thank you for that. It was edifying.