My Anxiety Personality Quiz answers

Anxiety Personality Type Questionnaire
You scored 33.3% The Externalizer
Motto: "I’ll do it my way."

Externalizers and the two types that follow (Controllers and Helpers)
differ from the types described earlier in a basic way: While Worriers,
Distracters and Internalizers tend to deal with anxiety internally, the
other three types attempt to relieve anxiety by making changes in the
outer world.

Externalizers have a strong tendency to "dump" their anxiety onto the
world around them. They project their inner conflicts onto the external
environment, and often blame others — their spouse, their kids, their
bosses, or the government — for any problems. They believe they are always
right. Externalizers have trouble tolerating uncertainty and ambiguity and
tend to see things in black and white. They seldom allow themselves to
experience anxiety; they quickly convert it to anger. They are often
irritated and impatient. They may suffer from cardiovascular and digestive
problems.

While many other personality types seek to avoid anxiety-producing
conflicts, Externalizers may actually thrive on them, for they attempt to
relieve their anxiety by repeatedly challenging anxiety. You will find
gamblers, entrepreneurs, sky divers and stock market speculators in this
group.

Externalizers are continually "blowing off steam" and losing their
tempers. This makes it difficult for them to have close friends and
emotionally intimate relationships. They like arguments because they know
they are right and they don't care what other people think, at least on
the surface anyway. Often known as type A personalities, they attempt to
master their ever present anxiety by acquiring power over the external
world: by dominating people, being in positions of authority and power,
and making money.

At the more extreme end, Externalizers may go beyond simply doing things
"my way" and become overtly abusive; they may bully others and resort to
violence to get their way. Extreme Externalizers often court danger and
can appear to have no anxiety; in actuality they suffer from insecurity
and anxiety to such an extent that they constantly need to prove their
immunity. Externalizers deal with anxiety by denying it and by a
compulsive, overcompensating drive to acquire power over others.

If you are an Externalizer...
Externalizers have an active, "can-do" approach to life. They are able to
act decisively and take charge of situations. Externalizers know that the
environment plays a big role in what happens in life. While Internalizers
might blame themselves if something goes wrong, an Externalizer will blame
outer circumstances. Internalizers end up feeling guilty and become
paralyzed by low self-esteem, while Externalizers get angry and take
action.

Externalizers need to use these skills in conjunction with an empathetic
awareness of other people. Externalizers may become overzealous in
defending their boundaries in relationships and they need to learn to give
greater consideration to other people's needs and feelings. Externalizers
need to restrain their compulsive drive for action and stop to think, to
reflect on their values, and to look at the whole picture before taking
action.

You scored 25% The Internalizer
Motto: "I can’t handle it."

Internalizers take their anxiety and turn it against themselves. They
often suffer from depression as well as anxiety; they have a strong
tendency to develop physical symptoms because they "stuff" and often
somaticize their anxiety. Internalizers may suffer from panic attacks,
depression, phobias, eating disorders and a myriad of physical symptoms
and health problems. They may even find themselves in a hospital emergency
room as a result of severe anxiety symptoms such as rapid heartbeat,
dizziness and breathlessness.

Internalizers tend to avoid anxiety-producing situations, each time
unintentionally decreasing their confidence. They may become numb,
paralyzed or hysterical when faced with problems because they feel
helpless and hopeless. Internalizers usually suffer from low self-esteem
and guilt. They are often unaware of how they are really feeling, having
spent decades suppressing their emotions, especially anger and sadness.
Internalizers often develop dependent personalities and see other people
as stronger and more competent.

If you are an Internalizer...
Internalizers are wonderful examples of the mindbody connection; they can
turn mental anxiety into physical symptoms (and vice versa) instantly!
They need to recognize this as a valuable ability that can be used in very
positive ways. Internalizers can learn to use visualization, self-hypnosis
and other mindbody techniques to "talk" to their body in health-enhancing
and self-calming ways. They often benefit from engaging in a mind-body
type of therapy that helps them learn to become more aware of their true
feelings, needs and desires.

Internalizers have a special wisdom uniquely their own among the six
types: They have the ability to recognize that some things in life are
beyond our control. They are aware of the limitations inherent in human
life, including the ultimate limitation death places on our lives.
Internalizers know about the dark side of life, often through having
experienced traumatic events. They need to use this wisdom in positive
ways instead of allowing it to lead them into hopelessness and
self-destruction. Internalizers need to look beyond the shadows and see
the light that casts the shadows. With a more balanced perspective, they
can affirm their own self-worth and take a more active role in shaping
their own life.

You scored 25% The Helper
Motto: "I can help make it better."

Helpers deal with anxiety by trying to reduce conflict and suffering, and
they are attracted to service-oriented professions. They like to make
other people feel good; Helpers think of other people's needs and are very
empathic. They are always willing to talk things over and work things out.
They like to see the best in other people and wish that everyone would
just be "nice" to one other. Like other types that suppress their
emotions, Helpers may suffer from physical problems such as overeating,
overweight, headaches, depression, mood swings and allergies.

At the extreme, Helpers become too accommodating and lack the ability to
assert their own needs. They can become codependent in relationships
because they neglect their own inner life and focus too much on making
someone else happy. They make "great moms," "wonderful wives" and
"fantastic assistants" in the traditional self-sacrificing mode. Helpers
may become enablers who cover up for other people (for example, a Helper
spouse who continues to be too "understanding" of their mate's
alcoholism). Their spouses, friends and children may end up resenting
Helpers for "smothering" them or making them feel guilty and unworthy of
such saint-like sacrifice. Helpers often suffer from disappointment when
their "helping" doesn't produce the results they were expecting. They may
feel unappreciated, depressed and anxious their children grow up or other
circumstances leave them with no one to help.

If you are a Helper...
Helpers are wonderful people who truly care about others. They have a
genuine sense of empathy for other people. They need to use this capacity
out of strength, not weakness. Helpers run the danger of becoming empty
shells because they give so much and ask so little in return. Most of all,
they neglect their own inner life and their own needs and desires.

Helpers need to learn to recognize when their helping is truly helpful to
another's growth and when it weakens them. They avoid their own anxiety by
denying it and projecting it onto others; they need to recognize when
their desire to help comes from the need to relieve their own anxiety.
Taking responsibility for their own anxiety can enable Helpers to
reestablish a sense of themselves as individuals with their own needs and
their own lives. In relationships, Helpers need to learn to set boundaries
and stand their ground. They can benefit tremendously from taking the time
to rediscover their personal interests and goals.

You scored 8.3% The Worrier
Motto: "I'll worry about it."

Worriers respond to anxiety with intense, sometimes obsessive, mental
activity of a negative nature. They visualize bad things happening to
them. Worriers have active imaginations and tend to visualize worst-case
scenarios. They often go back and forth with "on-
the-one-hand/on-the-other-hand" thinking, producing more self-doubt and
indecision. The worrying that Worriers do seldom leads to resolution; the
same worrisome thoughts recycle endlessly. Worriers are overly concerned
with how they appear to others and what other people think. They are very
concerned with doing the "right thing," but are seldom clear what the
"right thing" is. They often suffer from insomnia, digestive or hormonal
problems.

If you are a Worrier...
Worriers have a very powerful skill — an active mind — and they need to
learn to use it to their advantage. Worriers are thinkers who have
developed ineffective ways of using their minds. They can train themselves
to visualize positive outcomes and to turn the worry habit into a
proactive capacity to plan and develop strategies. Worriers are also good
at introspection. Instead of using this ability to foster self-doubt and
uncertainty, they can learn self-awareness skills like meditation, which
help channel introspection in growth-producing directions. Worriers are
skilled at recognizing that problems exist and bad things can happen, but
they need to turn their anxiety into action. Instead of sitting around
worrying endlessly about "what if’s," Worriers need to choose a strategy
and try it out. Only through actual experience can they learn and move
forward.

You scored 8.3% The Controller
Motto: "I can work to fix it."

Controllers are similar to Externalizers in that they attempt to relieve
their anxiety by achieving control over the external world. However,
Controllers have more self-control and care more about what other people
think of them. They seldom lose their tempers or act impulsively. They are
ambitious overachievers and perfectionists; they are often motivated by
the need for approval. Controllers are well organized, or at least try to
be, and they often enjoy using the latest technology to increase
efficiency. Employers love them because they are usually workaholics,
always busy and always very responsible. The Controller type is very
common in modern society and is probably the most admired and rewarded of
all the anxiety personality types because the type epitomizes modern
civilization's thrust to master anxiety by controlling nature.

Controllers try to overcome their anxiety by planning for all
contingencies. They have bottled water, candles, and a battery-operated
radio ready in case of a power outage; they carry first-aid kits in the
trunks of their cars; they are well-insured and try to save regularly for
retirement.

Controllers often feel unappreciated and taken for granted; they may see
themselves as long-suffering martyrs. Their superhuman efforts often make
other people feel inferior and resentful. Controllers tend to be
emotionally overly controlled which makes it hard for them to relax. They
often appear cold and businesslike to other people. They attempt to
control other people's behavior through rewards and punishments, including
making them feel guilty. Controller parents try to run their children's
lives; they may overprotect them or push them too hard, or both. They have
specific expectations about how things should be and they can become
excessively critical and judgmental. At the extreme, Controllers can be
harsh, cruel, manipulative, rigid, and obsessive — and all in the name of
righteousness. Controllers may suffer nervous breakdowns as the result of
unexpected disappointments or tragedies, which threaten their inflexible
need to feel in control of their lives. They often suffer from tension and
stress-related illnesses such as headaches, gastrointestinal problems and
hormonal imbalances.

If you are a Controller...
Controllers are very good at solving problems. They are often highly
rational, intelligent people who believe that, given sufficient
information and adequate resources, problems can be solved. The greatest
liability for Controllers may be that they don’t realize how dysfunctional
their anxiety pattern is, because it works so well in a society that
consistently rewards Controller behavior. For many Controllers, the first
indication that their modus operandi is not ideal may be a stress-related
illness.

Controllers possess a productive attitude toward anxiety in their belief
that the rational mind has the power to overcome primitive emotions like
fear and anger, but they need to learn the difference between healthy
emotional self-control and unhealthy emotional suppression. They need to
learn which problems are within their sphere of responsibility and which
are beyond their control — like other people's behavior, for example.
Controllers need to learn the difference between external, technical
problems that can often be successfully resolved with a direct, logical
approach, and emotional issues which cannot be "fixed" in the same way.
They especially need to recognize when their concerns are in the realm of
Sacred Anxiety, which requires the ability to trust and let go.

You scored 0% The Distracter
Motto: "I'll just forget about it."

Distracters are a diverse group. Some like to go shopping or go out on the
town, others like to stay home and watch TV or read a novel. Some are
alcoholics, others are workaholics. Some overeat, some are religious,
while others may be sports fans, or have affairs. Some procrastinate,
others are perennial optimists. Some appear to have no anxiety at all.
What they all have in common is that they have developed ways of
distracting themselves from their anxiety.

Distracters use denial as their main defense against anxiety. (I once had
a client who described how she dealt with a problem when one occurred: "I
just disappear it." In contrast to Worriers, who think too much about
problems, Distracters don't think enough about them.

Distracters all need to be busy doing something, even if it's just
daydreaming, in order to take their minds off the underlying anxiety. The
challenge for Distracters is that problems don't magically disappear and
the problems they are so good at ignoring eventually hit them unexpectedly
and forcefully. Then sometimes their health crumbles under their bad
habits, their spouses file for divorce, or they get fired from their jobs.

If you are a Distracter...
Distracters have a very positive trait: their positive outlook. They are
often born optimists. They assume that things will work out; they know
that many potential problems never develop and some simply solve
themselves over time. Distracters have a happy-go-lucky attitude that
Worriers would love to possess. They insist on enjoying life and not
allowing difficulties to dominate their existence. Distracters are often
popular people because of their "life is fun" outlook.

Distracters need to learn to use their positive attitude in a healthy,
balanced way, instead of abusing it by ignoring real hazards and problems.
These consummate "escape artists" need to ask themselves what they are
trying to escape from. Learning to sit quietly with themselves in
meditation will prove very useful. They can challenge themselves to go
beyond merely having great dreams and fantasies and begin to manifest them
through reality-based thinking and hard work. Distracters can learn to
face anxiety and to use their enviable ability to "forget about" problems
only after they have dealt with them responsibly. Distracters can benefit
from recognizing the role their anxiety-relieving habits play in keeping
them trapped in their comfort zone. Generally more active people than
Worriers, Distracters need to turn their action into behaviors that are
growth-achieving, not merely anxiety-relieving.

The ideal anxiety personality type is...all of the above


Clearly, all six types have their strengths and weaknesses. A healthy
anxiety personality draws upon the positive characteristics of each type
without getting trapped by the negative aspects. Ideally one would have
the Worrier’s self-awareness, the Distracter’s ability to enjoy life, the
Internalizer’s mind-body connection and awareness of limits, the
Externalizer’s ability to take independent action and pursue personal
goals, the Controller’s cool-headed ability to solve problems rationally,
and the Helper’s altruistic, empathic awareness of others’ needs.

As a result of the increased knowledge and awareness gained from doing the
Anxiety Personality Type Quiz, you can become far more conscious of your
responses to anxiety and more aware of the range of options available to
you in various situations. As you review the anxiety personality
characteristics you scored high in, consider which situations they work
well in and which they don't. Try to cultivate the positive dimensions of
your strongest patterns while reducing their negative aspects. You can
broaden your repertoire of anxiety responses by employing more frequently
those anxiety personality types different than your own.