Type T personality and Neuroplastic Pain Recovery

Type T …. And Your Neuroplastic Pain Recovery

At a recent conference, there were questions about the “Type T” personality. What is it?  What does it mean?  How does it help us to know this?  Where did the name come from?

First, credit to Dr. John E. Sarno for his pioneering work in elucidating personality factors that often are often associated with mind-body or neuroplastic disorders.  He noticed and wrote about individuals who are hard on themselves, people pleasers, highly responsible, often perfectionists, and he coined the term goodist as well. A goodist is motivated to fix the world and often frustration is associated with these efforts.  It is hard enough to fix ourselves; the world is a slow change!

Since I had presented on the Type A personality in my residency program, I thought that these personality characteristics deserved their own designation, which I termed “Type T’.  T for Tension, T for TMS.  So Type T is the codification of the personality characteristics first described by Dr. Sarno.

 Interestingly, the personality characteristics associated with Type A personalities, which are not the same, were described by a team of Cardiologists.  Type A individuals are often impatient (time urgency), achievers, easily irritated, often aggressive, and have a hard time relaxing.  The cardiologists Drs. Friedman and Rosenman who developed this concept noticed the front of their waiting room chairs were more worn than the backs.  From this they deduced individuals were literally sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to be seen! The rest of their research led to articles and a classic book (or two).

Anyway, Type T is the type associated with chronic pain and neuroplastic conditions.  By understanding these personality characteristics, patients can learn, or be taught to tone down the extremes of self-criticism, the pressures of responsibility and the focus on perfection.  Psychotherapists, especially those with training and experience in this field can help.  Neuroplastic recovery Coaches can also play a key role.  

Our personalities are partially genetic; many parents notice the calm newborn vs. the sibling who is fussier and their children may remain with similar personalities even as they grow and mature.  Our personalities are also affected by early childhood experiences, some pre-verbal.  Our childhood and both positive and adverse childhood experiences (the latter called ACES) can sharpen and affect our personalities going forward.  There are also many individuals who soften those rough edges and learn to be more self-compassionate and less guarded as they grow and mature.  So, change is possible, at least in some ways.

Insight and awareness go a long way.  Even small adjustments also take the pressure down a lot!

Personality Affects Health and Recovery