levels of mental health

I HAVE TO BE DIFFERENT
or I’ll be boring (& bored)!

PREVIOUS: Type 3 levels

LEVELS by TYPE (cont.)
TYPE 4 – INDIVIDUALISTS / Designers
Healthy Levels – Are Self-Renewing & Inspirational. Able to model creativity and intuitive power for others
Unhealthy Levels – Are Clinical depressed & Suicidal. Held back by moodiness and self-consciousness.

HEALTHY 4s: It’s important to go beyond the limits of convention.
The Revolutionary: They’re artistic, aesthetically oriented, creative, edgy, expressive, individualistic, inspired, intuitive, self-aware & sensitive.
• Equanimity overcomes envy, giving calmness & composure. They return to the knowledge of “Origin”, that everything in the universe came from the same origin point, so beings are fundamentally connected to each other. Embracing & enhancing life, they encourage others to be everything they can be. They break new ground & bring depth to their work life, push the envelope & find ways to put a unique stamp on whatever they do.

AVERAGE 4s: Being told “You’re odd / weird” is welcome proof I’m staying true to myself.
The Unconventionalist: different, experimental, idiosyncratic, open, unique
• Life’s difficulties corrupts the ideal of Unity into the delusion that everyone is fundamentally fragmented & separated. 4s notice what’s wrong in their life, & so envy what others have. They rely on that envy to give themselves the illusion of unity, as a way to connect to others in a counter-productive fashion, becoming self-indulgent & alienated.

UNHEALTHY 4s: I’ve lost touch with reality (but may not know it)
The Stranger: Become progressively more moody, hypersensitive &
withdrawn. Can be bizarre /schizotypal/ schizophrenic, cut off from everyday current reality, delusional, irrational, masochistic

INTEGRATION (Loops)
Healthy loop: Run by the Basic Desire of ‘Needing self-understanding’, they allow emotions to surface & examine them in order to understand them-selves. Then the need is satisfied & balance is achieved.

Average state: when 4s’ don’t closely examine their emotions, they can’t understand themselves, increases the need to figure out who they are. This can push 4s into willingness to face their feelings,
establishing a balance.

Unhealthy loop is run by the Basic Fear of ‘being defective, which can cause 4s to ignore their true selves, allow their emotions to overwhelm them, & indulge in wild fantasy about themselves. This leads to understanding themselves even less, further increases the basic fear & prevents balance.

LENS you see the world thru: “How can I express my creativity and uniqueness in this situation?”
GROWTH: Breaking control of the basic fear comes from not indulging in fantasy and start examining oneself realistically.
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LEVEL 5 in BIZ (Mid-Average)
AS LEADERS
At this level Type 4’s authority comes from what they know. Their main strength & weakness as leaders come from the same place – an unwillingness to compromise their vision
THEY:
• are usually a romantic, passionate star
• hold a strong personal vision & inspire with the force of personality
• are fervently pursue an elusive goal, so achieving them is a problem
• want to stay emotionally engaged & are attracted to ‘drama’
• achieve goals in order to be distinctive – different & unusual
• excel with a business approach where unique presentations count

SUPERVISING Type 4 WORKERS
Honor the 4’s unique way of seeing & doing things. If you want them to work hard, let them know how a project needs their personal touch. The more enthusiastic they are the harder they’ll try. Be emphatic rather than helpful – instead of giving a 4 the answers, give them the opportunity to express themselves.
THEY:
• want distinctive work, preferring jobs which call for creativity, even genius
• need to feel respected for their personal vision & ideas
• their efficiency is tied to their mood. When their emotional life is disrupted their attention to work suffers
• like to be connected to ‘special authority’ – people in their field who stand for quality instead of popularity
• feel demeaned by having to perform what they consider ‘common’, but which is defined by each #4 differently
• want to feel that their creative ides have been received, understood & appreciated
(From: Global Leadership Foundation)

NEXT: Type 5 Level

I WANT TO IMPROVE MY LEVEL
so I can live better

PREVIOUS: Healthy Levels (Part 2)

SITE: “Identity & Type”

ANALOGY: Psychological layers (like the Ennea-levels) are like layers of apparel – how we ‘clothe’ ourselves, but are not our Essence.
● Outer layer – what we present to the world – is like a man’s jacket. He can easily put it on or take it off, but it’s what he usually wears when he goes out.
● Middle layer – how we are with our family & friends – is like his pants and shirt. He can take them off, but is not likely to do so and then walk down the street in his underwear.
● Inner layer – what we only show to the most intimate, or keep totally private – is like his underwear. He can easily take it off, but like most people, isn’t willing to walk naked through town. At home, he’ll first take off his jacket, later his pants and shirt, & will be naked when taking a shower. His clothes are what he uses, they’re not who he is.

MEANING of the 3 Mental Health GROUPINGS (see Part 2)
Everyone has the opportunity to go for the achievements or tackle the lessons of the various Levels, no matter which Type we are, but how we handle the tasks & demands of any given Level will depend on our Number.

Most often, people live within a certain continuum of consciousness they believe to be their ‘self’, anywhere from the clarity of ‘Presence’ (Level 1) to self-harming behaviors (9). In any given moment, we are more OR less Present, in contact with ‘Being’ (Human Being rather than a Human Do-ing). Presence distinguishes the Essential from the ego-self, the real from the illusory.

Starting in 1973, Don Riso observed that a person might be healthy (high-functioning), average (‘normal’), or unhealthy (destructive to self & others), depending on what was motivating him/her at any given time.
He also observed that while people’s basic Type tends to stay the same throughout life, the level they’re functioning from can fluctuate a great deal day-to-day, as well as over the years.

HEALTHY (1-3) – ALL Types
LEVEL 1 – Liberation
External Behaviors – I’ve become compassionate, energetic, enraptured, knowing, pioneering, profound, revolutionary, visionary
Internal Attitudes – I’m awed, clear-minded, comprehending, immediately discerning, non-attached, participating, trusting

Self-Actualization – I let go of the identification with a particular self-image, & are separate from the environment (an outside observer)
Basic Fear of this LEVEL – Being helpless, incapable, overwhelmed, useless

At our best (no matter which Type) we become extraordinarily wise and discerning. We no longer see ourselves as limited & incomplete, having integrated qualities that were rejected at Level Two, & so truly come into balance with ourselves. When living from Level 1 we realize that we in fact DO possess what we were always looking for. By accepting what is, we become transcendentally realistic, knowing the best action to take in each moment. We are connected to ‘the Truth’ – humane, hopeful & an inspiration to others
* * * * *
LEVEL 2 – Psychological Capacity
External Behaviors – I’ve become aware, curious, clever, perceptive, playful, unusual
Internal Attitudes – I’m attentive, fascinated, have sensory acuity, objective, observant, unsentimental
Desire is To – be capable & competent (have something to contribute)
Basic Fear of this Level – Of not being smart enough, since our intuition & perceptions aren’t strong enough to give us confidence.

At Level 2 we achieve the full potential that our ‘personality’ allows us, for the most part being very open-minded & tolerant. Although we have preferences at this level, we can act largely without bias. We recognize our gifts, talents & qualities – trusting them: we are conscientious, have strong personal convictions, an intense sense of right and wrong, with personal spiritual & moral values. Our desire is to be mature, moderate in all things rational, reasonable & self-disciplined.
* * * * *
LEVEL 3 – Social Value
External Behaviors – I’m communicative, creative, innovative, inventive, learning, original, skillful, tinkering
Internal Attitudes – I’m concentrating, exploratory, focused, independent, open-minded, patient, uncompromising, whimsical
Desire is To – master something in order to gain confidence & create a niche for ourselves
Basic Fear of this Level – not having anything of valuable to contribute (unprepared)

At Level 3 we form a stronger identification with our self-image, & want to share our talents & abilities, believing that they will have a positive impact on those around us. Extremely principled, we always want to be fair, objective & ethical: truth and justice are primary values. It’s no longer enough to just hold a certain picture of ourselves in order to stave off underlying anxieties. We also want to show others who we are – with personal integrity & a sense of responsibility – which reinforces our self-image. Having a higher purpose often leads to being teachers & ‘witnesses to the truth’.

NEXT: Levels of Development – “AVERAGE”

HEAL & GROW for ACoAs

ACoA Recovery Issues (adult-children of alcoholics & other narcissists)

Enneagram – 9 LEVELS for TYPE 4