What to Know About Type D Personality (2024)

Personality types are ways tounderstand temperaments and the way you tend to think, feel, and act. Here’s what to know about type D personality.

What Is Type D Personality?

Type Dpersonality is often called "distressed" personality. If your personality is type D, you tend to have negative emotions across many situations but avoid expressing those emotions because offear of rejection or disapproval.

If you have type D personality, you typically have a lot ofnegative emotions like anger, irritability, or hostility, but you suppress your feelings. You might also be highly anxious oravoid people because you’re afraid of how they might see you and your emotions.

Personality descriptions are wide and general, so it’s first important to understand that you are an individual with many traits. Where you fall within type D personality characteristics can vary.

What Are Personality Traits of a Type D Personality?

Other type D personality traits include:

Having a type D personality does not necessarily mean you have depression, but you might cycle between depression and anxiety, especially during times of high stress.

Type D personalities are more likely toavoid people, which can lead to loneliness, low confidence, and more emotional problems. With less support from others, events and situations are more likely to get you down.

Some studies show that type D personalities are more likely to miss work and take sick leave than other personality types. You might findwork more stressful than others do, and you might feel exhausted and unsatisfied.

Type D personalities also tend to have poorcoping skills, which can lead to higher levels of stress and burnout. Over time, this might lead to other health problems like general poor health, heart attacks, alow immune system, and lots of illnesses.

Research hasn’t shown whether a type D personality can predict your risk for disease or change your physical health directly. It’s likelier that unhealthy behaviors andnegative emotions lead to health problems rather than personality type.

Is There Treatment for Type D Personality?

Psychotherapy or counseling can help you learn better coping skills, lower your stress, and connect with others. Medications can also help depression and anxiety.

Ifyou’re lonely and find yourself avoiding others, reach out to someone you trust. Start with a simple walk, coffee date, or a dinner out.

A type D personality can bring anxiety and stress. If you are experiencing burnout, high distress, or trouble coping, talk to your doctor or therapist about treatment and where to find help in your community.

What Are Other Personality Types?

Personality types organized by alphabet started in the 1950s with heart doctors Meyer Friedmann and Ray Rosenman and grew from there.

There are a few types of personality described as:

  • Type A: competitive, irritable, hostile, ambitious, impatient, dominant
  • Type B: easygoing, relaxed, patient, lower stress, no urgency
  • Type C: passive,repressed, strongly focused on others, unable to express emotions, submissive, helpless
  • Type D:distressed, lonely, sad, fearing rejection and disapproval

Is Disease Linked to Personality Types?

Friedmann and Rosenman first described a type A behavior pattern as a risk forheart disease. However, it was shown that their conclusion was based on tobacco industry-funded research that concluded that personality problems caused heart disease ratherthan tobacco use.

Over the years, research hasn’t produced any real evidence of a link between personality type and heart disease. However, research has found that depression may predict future heart disease and that people who are depressed don’t recover as well from heart surgery.

However, even if negativity and social isolation are traits of a type D personality, there are other factors that may lead to heart disease that could be more prominent in that personality type. Smoking, inactivity, and reluctance to see a doctor for heart-related symptoms such as swollen legs and shortness of breath may contribute to heart disease.

Lots of studies have looked at type D personality and health problems, but there are mixed results.

While most modern research isn’t linked to the tobacco industry, research on personality types and heart disease risk is ongoing, even though it still often finds no connection.

What to Know About Type D Personality (2024)

FAQs

What are type D personality traits? ›

If you have type D personality, you typically have a lot of negative emotions like anger, irritability, or hostility, but you suppress your feelings. You might also be highly anxious or avoid people because you're afraid of how they might see you and your emotions.

Which characteristic is most commonly associated with type D personality? ›

People with Type D personality have high levels of both negative affectivity and social inhibition. Social inhibition means that people tend to shy away from social interactions, possibly due to fear of rejection or judgment, and that they tend to lack confidence in social situations.

What motivates a type D personality? ›

D styles are motivated by winning, competition, and success. They prioritize taking action, accepting challenges, and achieving results and are often described as direct and demanding, strong-willed, driven, and determined. D styles tend to be outspoken, but can be rather skeptical and questioning of others.

What does D mean in personality test? ›

What is a Type D personality? The D Personality Style tends to be direct and decisive, sometimes described as dominant. They would prefer to lead than follow and tend towards leadership and management positions.

How do you interact with D personality? ›

Tips when communicating with a D:
  1. Provide direct answers – act quickly.
  2. Don't ramble or waffle - limit socialising.
  3. Don't focus on problems and negatives.
  4. Try not to repeat yourself.
  5. Don't use generalisations – have support.
  6. Ask for their decisions.
  7. Focus on bottom-line issues and results.

What is the D factor of personality? ›

D is defined as: The general tendency to maximize one's individual utility — disregarding, accepting, or malevolently provoking disutility for others —, accompanied by beliefs that serve as justifications.

What is D personality disorder? ›

A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder in which you have a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving. A person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people.

What is the Speciality of letter D? ›

What is the Speciality of letter D? The letter D is a symbol of balance, security, and peace. This is special in itself but that's not all. As per astrology, if you see this letter in your dreams, it is a sign that you need to be a bit more stubborn and continue working on the projects that you are about to abandon.

What is Cluster D personality traits? ›

Dependent Personality Disorder: People with this condition are motivated by the fear of having to take care of themselves or make decisions. As such, they depend on others to take care of their needs, make decisions, and give them constant approval.

What is the greatest fear of the high d style? ›

Bridges might be burned on a regular basis, as a D's greatest fear is being taken advantage of. Subsequently, they do not tolerate any perception of being forced into a vulnerable or subservient position.

What is the rarest DISC profile? ›

What is the rarest DISC personality? The rarest DISC profile is the D style, making up only 9% of the global population. This appears to be the trend across all countries, as illustrated in the Extended DISC 2019 Validation Study.

How do you manage a high D? ›

Using the “Power Strategy” in negotiations with a High D means that you always let them feel that they are in control. Be receptive to their ideas, gently guiding them through giving a listening ear and asking good questions. Mild suggestions and hints will be your most effective negotiating tool.

How do you deal with very direct personalities? ›

5 Ways to Deal with Strong Personalities
  1. Focus on the “what” and not the “how.” More dominant personality types are task-driven people – they want outcomes and don't really care about how to get there. ...
  2. Cut the chit-chat. ...
  3. Give them ownership. ...
  4. Fill the gaps. ...
  5. Don't take it personally.
8 Nov 2021

How should you communicate with a high D dominance person? ›

Communicating with the High D
  1. Don't ramble on or waste their time.
  2. Stay on task.
  3. Be clear, specific and to the point.
  4. Don't try to build personal relationships or chitchat.
  5. Come prepared with all objectives and requirements in a well-organized manner.
  6. Be prepared and organized.
11 Jan 2016

What is a high D factor? ›

Elevated levels in D predispose individuals towards a broad range of socially and ethically aversive thoughts and behaviors, such as aggression, bullying, cheating, crime, stealing, vandalism, violence, and many others.

What does the D in type D personality stand for quizlet? ›

Type D personality. D for distress. what is it? socially inhibited, combined with negative affectivity.

What does type D personality refer to quizlet? ›

Type D (distressed ) personality: a personality type high in negative emotions (very similar to neuroticism) and high in social inhibition.

What is C type personality? ›

What is a C Type Personality? C Type Personality Styles, based on DISC Theory by Dr. Marston, are accurate, precise, detail-oriented, and conscientious. They think analytically and systematically, and carefully make decisions with plenty of research and information to back it up.

Is there Type C personality? ›

People with type C personalities tend to struggle with awareness of positive or negative emotions. Others might see you as a logical, private person who always keeps their cool. While being rational can have its benefits, suppressing your feelings can also have some downsides.

Which personality type hides their feelings? ›

INTJs often hide their vulnerable or emotional side behind a mask of stoicism. They are the types to let their behavior speak for them, rather than put their feelings into words.

What does letter D symbolize? ›

d, letter that has retained the fourth place in the alphabet from the earliest point at which it appears in history. It corresponds to Semitic daleth and Greek delta (Δ). The form is thought to derive from an early pictograph, possibly Egyptian, indicating the folding door of a tent.

How popular is the letter D? ›

English Letter Frequency (based on a sample of 40,000 words)
LetterCountFrequency
S114506.28
R109776.02
H107955.92
D78744.32
22 more rows

What is D called? ›

D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is dee (pronounced /ˈdiː/), plural dees.

What are 3 key features of dissociative identity disorder? ›

Signs and symptoms depend on the type of dissociative disorders you have, but may include: Memory loss (amnesia) of certain time periods, events, people and personal information. A sense of being detached from yourself and your emotions. A perception of the people and things around you as distorted and unreal.

Which cluster are psychopaths in? ›

Design of the study: We hypothesised positive associations between psychopathy and other personality disorders, mainly with the cluster B axis II (narcissistic, antisocial, histrionic, and borderline).

What personality type has a hard time dealing with negative emotions? ›

The type D personality was defined in the 1990s, describing individuals who experience feelings of negativity, depression, anxiety, stress, chronic anger, and loneliness. The distressed personality type is also prone to pessimism, low self-esteem, and difficulty making personal connections with others.

What is the fear of D called? ›

What are the symptoms of thanatophobia? If you have thanatophobia, thoughts of death may cause intense feelings of panic, fear, dread or depression. You may avoid places or situations that seem dangerous. You might also become obsessed with your health, constantly checking for signs of illness.

What is a dominant person like? ›

A dominant personality involves traits like proactivity, assertiveness, and often, extroversion. Agression and manipulation are also possible. That assertive co-worker pushing you to your limits might be a team asset and goal-oriented, but a dominant personality could be challenging to handle.

What is d meaning of greatest fear? ›

A reason for dread or apprehension. Being alone is my greatest fear.

What DISC is Elon Musk? ›

Elon is in the northwestern region of the personality map, which means that his DISC type is Dc, also known as The Architect.

What DISC are most leaders? ›

People with a D style personality don't just like to be in charge. They need to be in charge. They are their most content and productive when given a leadership role, which makes sense considering their major strengths are making decisions quickly, delegating tasks, creating action plans, and seeing the big picture.

What is the rarest female personality type? ›

For women, however, the rarest personality type is INTJ and ENTJ. Just 1% of women type as INTJ and ENTJ respectively. Among women, INFJ is only the third rarest personality type with approximately 2% of women categorized as INFJ. Both INTJ women and ENTJ women are extremely rare in the general population.

What are Type C and D personalities? ›

D-types are generally outspoken and direct when addressing others, while C-types tend to be more reserved. However, both tend to prefer direct, clear, objective communication. D-types should focus on presenting information in an open and detailed way, while C-types should vocalize their thoughts and ideas.

What is B personality? ›

Type B personalities can be generally summarised as; easy going, relaxed and highly-flexible. Generally taking a much more carefree approach and wider philosophical view of themselves, work/life balance and other traits which make them less stressed and more widely appreciated when compared to Type A personalities.

What is a Type H personality? ›

The H Factor refers to the personality dimension called Honesty/Humility. People with higher levels of H are sincere and unassuming, and people with lower levels are deceitful and conceited.

What is a Type G personality? ›

Any comprehensive understanding of personality traits must also include gifted traits. The term gifted refers to an ability to sense, perceive and interpret the world in a quicker and more detailed manner than the bulk of the population.

What is the hardest personality disorder to deal with? ›

But antisocial personality disorder is one of the most difficult types of personality disorders to treat. A person with antisocial personality disorder may also be reluctant to seek treatment and may only start therapy when ordered to do so by a court.

What are the 3 main characteristics of a personality disorder? ›

Thoughts, displays of emotion, impulsiveness, and interpersonal behavior must deviate significantly from the expectations of an individual's culture in order to be diagnosed with a personality disorder.

How do you communicate with a high D personality? ›

Here are some potential communication tips to help you relate most effectively with a D-style:
  1. Be prepared and candid in expressing your opinion.
  2. Get to the point quickly and directly.
  3. Set and clarify goals and objectives.
  4. Talk in terms of results, not methods.

What is a rarest personality type? ›

The rarest personality type is the INFJ personality type, known as 'The Counselor'. INFJ is the rarest personality type across the population, occurring in just 2% of the population. It is also the rarest personality type among men. INFJ stands for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, and Judging.

Is there a type F personality? ›

Feeling personality type

Feeling (F) is another trait found in the MBTI assessment. People with the feeling trait, or feelers, are typically aware of not only their own emotions but the emotions of others around them, too.

Is it OK to be type B personality? ›

Benefits of Type B Personality

You may be happier in life if you have a Type B personality. Putting less stress on yourself leads to lower overall frustration. When life throws you a curveball, you can adapt and keep going more easily. People may gravitate to you because you make them feel safe and comfortable.

What is a Type A friend? ›

Type A — The go-getter

"Type A tends to be a go-getter," said Neo. "They tend to be quite impatient. Time is an important resource, so type A people tend to get overbooked, and overstretched." They have very high standards, and are extremely competitive.

What does Type B guy mean? ›

What is a Type B personality? The Type B personality is a very outgoing, energetic and fast-paced individual who likes to be around people and enjoys being the center of attention. They're good relationship-builders and most people like them right away.

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