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"Who Am I? The Journey of Personality Typing, Chronic Illness, and Fighting Inner Demons (With a Dash of Emotional Intelligence)"

Let’s kick things off with a question so existential, it feels like it came straight out of a moody indie film: Who are you?

Now, before you start spiraling into an abyss of self-doubt or reaching for the emergency chocolate, let me clarify: I’m not asking for your deepest philosophical truths. I’m asking why some of us (me included) are absolute pros at overthinking dinner plans while others approach life like a chaotic raccoon, diving headfirst into anything remotely shiny.


Welcome to the curious world of personality typing, a tool that doesn’t just help you understand why you’re a little weird—but gives you the language to explain it to others. And when you’re chronically ill, that kind of self-awareness can be more than interesting—it can be transformational.

Because here’s the quiet truth no one tells you: rediscovering who you are can be the thing that saves you.


What Is the MBTI?

(Or: Why Four Letters Might Hold the Secret to Your Soul)

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality framework originally developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. Inspired by Carl Jung’s theories on psychological types, they created a system that identifies how people perceive the world and make decisions. The MBTI sorts people into 16 distinct personality types based on four dichotomies:

  • Extroversion (E) vs. Introversion (I): Do you recharge by hanging out with others or hiding in your blanket fort?

  • Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N): Do you love practical details, or are you a big-picture dreamer?

  • Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F): Are you ruled by logic or led by your heartstrings?

  • Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P): Do you thrive on structure, or is chaos your creative muse?

Put these traits together, and you get acronyms like INFJ, ESTP, or “IDK I panicked and chose C for everything.”You can try a free MBTI-style assessment at 16Personalities or Truity.


Hello, My Name Is INFJ

…and like many people living with chronic illness, I had to find myself all over again.

I’m what they call an INFJ, also known as The Advocate. INFJs are supposedly rare, which makes sense, because I often feel like a unicorn galloping through a fog of emotional exhaustion and overthinking.

Here’s what INFJ means for me:

  • Introversion: I love people—but please don’t make me interact without emotional prep and a nap scheduled afterward.

  • Intuition: I can spend hours daydreaming about concepts instead of, say, remembering where I left my meds.

  • Feeling: Empathy is my superpower—and occasionally my kryptonite.

  • Judging: I love structure, but only after a delightful round of procrastination and existential dread.

Rediscovering these traits wasn't just informative—it was healing. Chronic illness has a nasty habit of stripping away identity until all that's left is the diagnosis. But understanding my INFJ-ness reminded me that there was more to me than pain and pills.


Chronic Illness Isn’t Just a Diagnosis—It’s an Identity Earthquake

Here’s the thing about chronic illness: it doesn’t just mess with your body. It colonizes your identity. It hijacks your routines, your confidence, your ability to make plans or trust your future.

Somewhere in that fog, you can forget who you are.

But here’s the thing: you can find yourself again. And personality typing can help you rebuild the map.

Knowing that I’m an introvert helps me protect my energy without guilt. Knowing that I need structure helps me plan days with built-in rest. Knowing that I’m empathetic explains why I struggle to say no—even when my body is on fire.


Knowing Yourself Is a Form of Resistance

Living with chronic illness is a daily battle—and knowing yourself gives you armor.

  • Better Routines: My planning instincts help me create “bad day systems”—prepped meals, medication alarms, and a “minimum viable day” list that sometimes just says “get dressed and survive.”

  • Rest Without Shame: Instead of telling myself I’m lazy, I now say, “I’m conserving energy like the emotionally intelligent introvert I am.”

  • Compassionate Planning: I build my schedule like I’m caring for someone I love—because that someone is me.

And that mindset shift? That’s where the magic starts.


Self-Advocacy Begins With Self-Knowledge

You know those medical appointments where you try to explain something nuanced, and your doctor looks at you like you’re describing a conspiracy theory in Morse code? Yeah. Me too.

But when you understand how you communicate, and what you need, you start showing up differently in those rooms.

  • Be Specific: Instead of “I’m always tired,” I say, “By 2 PM, I can no longer function without lying down. This happens daily, regardless of sleep.”

  • Set Boundaries: INFJs tend to people-please. But chronic illness forces you to learn the most radical word in the English language: no.

  • Use Your Strengths: I’m empathetic and good with words—so I use those strengths to advocate for myself. And when all else fails, there’s always the power of relentless politeness.


Tools for Getting to Know Yourself Again

Want to start your own rediscovery? Here's a mini starter kit:

  • Take a Free Personality Test: Even if it’s just for fun, it’s a great jumping-off point.

  • Journal Like You’re Trying to Remember Yourself: Write down everything from your feelings to the weird dream you had about hedgehogs in top hats.

  • Self-Check-Ins: Ask, “Is this me doing what I need—or me doing what I think I should?”

  • Practice EQ: Emotional intelligence isn't all deep breathing and mantras. Sometimes it’s knowing when to cry, vent, or swear into a pillow.


You, Unremarkably and Incredibly, You

Let’s be honest—rediscovery isn’t a quick fix. It’s a process. It’s slow and tangled and sometimes messy. But it’s also where the real power lives. Because once you start remembering the parts of yourself that chronic illness tried to steal—your preferences, your humour, your dreams—you begin to write a new story.

That’s what Unremarkable Me is all about.

This space was never meant to tell you how to be inspirational, or productive, or brave in the performative sense. It was built to say, “You’re still here. And that’s remarkable enough.” Whether you’re figuring out how to use a mobility aid, navigating the maze of Health care referrals, or simply trying to make it through the day with your dignity intact, rediscovering who you are gives you something chronic illness can’t touch:

Your identity. Your truth. Your voice.

So if you’re feeling a little lost or a little broken, know that Unremarkable Me is here to remind you that you’re not alone in this beautifully unhinged journey of self.

And remember:Life is weird.You are weirder.And that, my friend, is your superpower.


Sources & Further Reading

 
 
 

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