How Enneagram Type 5s Handle Stress: From Calm to Chaos

It’s me, buddy five, here! My perspective on this very typical circumstance is as follows:

When a person with a 5 is repeatedly exposed to other people in an uncomfortable environment, the risk of experiencing stress nearly always rises. The implication of this is that they will begin to progress in the other direction along the lines of the Enneagram symbol.

During times of stress, fives become sevens, but not in a positive manner. It is possible for them to take on many of the bad characteristics of sick 7s while yet being a 5 wholly and totally.

When it comes to a 5 who is experiencing social stress in particular, this will most likely involve the following characteristics that are shared by both unhealthy 7s and stressed out 5s:

1. Staying away from events that are unsettling you
2. Staying away from certain individuals
3. The desire to flee, “get out,” or get an escape (even if they are not necessarily contained inside a building)
4. Make an effort to shut down or close themselves off from their own thinking
5. An increase in general fatigue in addition to feelings of despair and/or anxiety with the condition
6….which may lead to feelings of exhaustion and food issues.
seventh, an inability to approach difficulties with self-assurance eighth, which may result in increased anxiety and a diminished capacity for decision-making
9. A lack of self-assurance in one’s own private identity
The absence of a sense of purpose, appreciation, or passion; the absence of a sense of personal control or satisfaction

These and other characteristics may be used to describe a person who feels compelled to be in circumstances that need them to constantly spend time dealing with social anxiety without having the chance to recharge or refresh oneself. A Type 5 will rapidly become either useless, unpleasant, or both to anybody who attempts to utilize them without paying them the respect that they deserve. This is analogous to a battery that has been depleted of its water supplies or a frog that has been left without water on a hot and dry pavement.

However, it is important to note that Type 5s are capable of thriving in groups; however, they should avoid groupings that are ultimately pointless and do not provide any advantages to the 5. 5s, in their hearts, have a desire to be purpose-driven, which is why they transform into 8s when they are in good health. On the other hand, when they are surrounded by individuals who have no direction in life, it may be quite challenging for them to find either solitude (5) or purpose (8); as a result, they tend to regress towards the number 7. They are going to continue to exist in this condition until they get the sensation that they are able to breathe without having to protect themselves against the environment that they are in.