Know Your Personality Type

Ever noticed how people respond and behave differently in classrooms, boardrooms, bedrooms or on playfields?  It depends on our personality type. And it is the type of personality we have that deteremines not only how we react and perform, but also our predeliction to health disorders. Try and see in whcih of these you fit best.

Type A personality is easy to recognize; people with this type are hard chargers, aggressive and ambitious. They are always struggling to win or lead, are restless with hunger in their bellies and are often dominating. They enjoy adventure and often make greatachievers.

Their constantly charged state generates frequent surges of stress hormones called adrenaline and corticosteroids, from their adrenal glands. The health price they often pay for their achievements is high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and peptic ulcer.

Type B personality is the opposite of type A. They are laid back, cooperative and not easily provoked to anger. They are peace loving by nature, and make good companions, friends or team members. They have larger amounts of the “calming” hormone called endorphins, in their system.Their restful nature protects them from the stress related health disorders often seen in people with Type A personality.

The typical Type C person is a martyr. He is compliant, eager to please and hence often prone to hopelessness and depression. They give up easily. Studies have shown people with Type C to be vulnerable to cancers and malfunctions of the immune system.

Type D has been relatively recently identified and studied. People of this type are notable for negative thinking, worrying, suppressed anger and a tendency to respond to stress by withdrawal and denial. They stew, simmer, and blame themselves and others. And when it comes to feelings, they rarely voice strong emotions like anger, and are disinclined to acknowledge them.

A recent piece of research by a group of Dutch scientists have shown that people with this personality type fare badly in overcoming a stressful situation such as a major illness or hospitalization. While a person with a type A will fight and come out of a difficult situation, a type D will succumb easily. Their blood carries higher levels of inflammatory mediators, generated by their constant internal conflcts.

These are the 4 major types of personalities; all of us may not be staright fits but usually show predominance of one of these. Some may have “overlap” personalities.

Learning to recognize these personalities may help in several ways; we may understand and adjust better to our bosses, colleagues, partners and children. Type A people, for instance could benefit from managing stress better from an earlier age. Recognizing these types could also help doctors tailor therapies to their patients better.

As published in HT City ( Hindustan Times)