Are you a Type A Personality?

The family and friends of Mr KM, a successful manager of a private bank, who recently suffered a heart attack at the age of 40, could have foreseen it coming if they had recognized what his “personality type” was driving him up to.

KM had a classical “Type A” personality; he was fiercely ambitious, charged and aggressive.  Friends recall how he was always setting high targets and then restlessly struggling to achieve them. And instead of relaxing for a while when done, he would promptly set another much higher target that he would start to pursue.

He had to be more successful than others, finding it hard to be one of many. Not surprisingly, he had come to achieve an important position at such a young age.  And not surprisingly, he had a heart attack now despite being a non-smoker and regular gym goer.

The constantly charged state of such people generates frequent surges of stress hormones called adrenaline and corticosteroids. The health price they often pay for their achievements is high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and peptic ulcer.  Training such people to take their toes off the accelerator can help them live healthier and longer.

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. He gives up easily. Studies have shown people with Type C to be vulnerable to cancers and malfunctions of the immune system.

People with Type D personality are notable for negative thinking, worrying, suppressed anger and a tendency to respond to stress by withdrawal or denial. They simmer and blame themselves and others. They rarely voice strong emotions like anger but 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 conflicts.

While these are the 4 major personality types, every person may not always be a straight- fit, but may show predominance of one. Some may have “overlap” personalities. And based on our personalities we react and perform differently in the classroom, boardroom, bed room or on the playfield. 

Learning to recognize these personality types may help us not only to adjust better to our careers, goals, bosses, colleagues, partners and children, but to understand our proneness to disease, and to take the appropriate steps to remain healthy.

As published in HT City ( Hindustan Times) dated 29 September, 2013.