THE EMOTIONAL DYSREGULATION IN THE TYPE 8

Firstly, what is emotional dysregulation?

Emotional dysregulation is simply the dysregulation of internal emotional states due to internal or external factors, in well adjusted individuals, emotional dysregulation or turbulence is counterbalanced by healthy coping mechanisms such as exercise, connecting and expressing with others, self soothing behaviours etc.

Contrary to what most believe, the type 8 exhibits some of the most turbulent and significant emotional disruption out of all the types, however, this dysregulation is LIMITED to a certain COLLECTION of emotions, these emotions are a certain constellation of negative emotionality most represented in males and is marked by aggressive emotionality (externalization related) and is DEVOID of the greater emotional range. They consist of some of the following: irritability, frustration, vindictive emotionality, vengeful emotions and ideation, jealousy, rage, feelings of persecution and overwhelming emptiness.

The 8 experiences the most significant spikes of these emotions and translate directly into action, making the 8 objectively filled with a significant presence of negative emotionality, not expressed in the usual expression of sadness, vulnerability etc.

It's important to note that this specific line of emotionality is a direct adaptive response to the opposite line of emotionality IE: helplessness, shame, vulnerability, insecurity, powerlessness etc. In the early psyche of the 8, the nervous system was flooded with such emotions resulting in a sort of reaction formation that tilted the expression of emotions to the former manifestation, solidifying it with consistent repetition. TRAUMA -> REACTION FORMATION -> SOLIDIFICATION.

Next, how does the 8 cope with dysregulation?

In the type 8, healthy coping mechanisms (as mentioned above) are completely absent (at least in neurotic manifestation), this absence is due to the failure for healthy mechanisms to solidify instead due to environmental turbulence and repeated trauma, early on, the 8 learned that expression and needing the other resulted in further trauma, thus, the 8 sources a different line of coping mechanisms, mechanisms that ensure the halting of abuse and ensure the protection of the self.

Thus the 8 develops a reliance on action centric responses to adversity (If I retaliate, the danger will subside), slowly but surely, the 8 replaces normal and healthy coping mechanisms with a weaponized violent reciprocation of abuse, the 8 learns to fight back as a strategy for survival, since the alternative would result in total ego collapse (the recession of the psyche to even lower modes of being), in this sense, the 8 did not choose to be violent, but he was forced by circumstance. The repetition of trauma and the new violent response the 8 adopts solidifies with repetition, in the formative years, any repetition of behaviour becomes concrete and later forms the personality.

This trauma response differs greatly from other less visceral traumatic responses, such as social rejection, the need for acceptance etc not because its more severe or debilitating but because it attacks the individual in an intrinsic visceral level, the body is in danger, physical well being is questioned and so it forces the individual to revert to primitive and physical trauma responses that center around the body, thus, explaining precisely why the 8 inhabits the gut triad and not the heart or head triad. The experienced traumatic incidents are essentially correlated with physical abuse, abandonment and lack of security, the body is at risk and so the individual adopts body centric responses.

This explains the 8’s behavior in daily life, a sign of disrespect is met with vindictiveness, the instilling of oneself on the environment becomes essential, dependency and vulnerable expression is relegated, the 8’s whole personality solidifies and becomes in his nature, acting against these ingrained impulses become the impossible task.

Now, we can explain how the 8 regulates their emotions, they do it by action, the reciprocation of disrespect, the carrying out of vengeful impulses that essentially sooth the unstable and volatile internal emotional state, instilling ones will in the environment becomes a mechanism against unfelt and unconscious anxiety and uncertainty, an anxiety and stress that is absent from the mind but exhibited in the body, and transformed to the needed fuel which is anger, precisely to initiate actions and deter idleness in the face of threat, since anxiety alone from a utilitarian lens is worthless, (what good is anxiety if it doesn't propel me to action and immediate protection?)

The different subtypes of the 8 and their take on emotional regulation

SELF PRESERVATION 8:

The SP8 experienced the most helplessness in the realm of interpersonal reliance and security, meaning, they had the least success with interpersonal methods of self soothing such as connecting and expressing with the other, completely disconnecting them from social dependence and its benefits of emotional regulation, leaving them completely to their own devices, such devices are their gravitation towards sensoric satisfaction as their main utility in counterbalancing emotional disruption.

This completely explains the SP8’s obsession with the element of satisfaction, it is THE explanation behind the constantly used term of SATISFACTION. If one wants to understand the truth behind the SP8’s obsession with satisfaction then they have to understand the following: (if I can’t get my regulation through intimacy IE the sexual instinct or societal acceptance IE the social instinct, then I will do it with objects). The SP8 is addicted to the dopaminergic effects of sensoric hedonism, they will over regulate their emotions through substances, food, sex and material security, thus explaining the deeper machinations of the subtype.

SEXUAL 8

The sexual 8 on the other hand has a specific inclination towards self regulation, its solely reliant on the dopaminergic affects of intimacy, (if I possess the other completely, then I will be regulated and secure in my attachment), this is what makes the sexual 8 a sexual subtype.

This is not the only method used by this subtype to self sooth, this subtype exhibits the most reliance of the subtypes on the dopaminergic effects of conflict, conflict for the sexual 8 is not just a pass time or meaningless activity, it is a method of self regulation that is perhaps the most antisocial of the subtypes.

SOCIAL 8

The social 8 is unique in their strategy, their strategy is the most prosocial and societally accepted method of self regulation, they rely on the dopaminergic effects of being needed and respected in the social context, status and respect act as the main sources of emotional regulation, explaining why the social 8 is the most social and elitist of the 8s.

This however does not mean that the social 8 is prosocial because of their good nature, but solely because their psychology uses the benefits of sociability in the regulation of the self.