Enneagram Type 2 and Mental Health

Introduction

• Presenter: Tom LaHue
• Topic: Enneagram Type 2
• Website: tomlahue.com for coaching and courses
• Instagram: [Gospel For Enneagram](link provided by Tom) Social Media: Follow Tom for updates and resources

Overview

• Personal Context: Tom is a Type 7, married to a Type 2
• Focus: Mental health challenges and struggles for Type 2 individuals
• Main Sources: Personal insights and an Instagram post by Tyler Zock

Challenges for Type 2s

1. Low Self-Esteem

• Symptoms: Self-doubt, needing constant reassurance
• Enneagram Context: Worth and value-centered types (2, 3, 4)
• Impact: Fear of rejection, relationship damage, anxiety, depression

Tips

• Recognition of Worth: Intrinsic value independent of other people's validation
• Set Healthy Boundaries: Assertiveness in self-care is not selfish

2. Dwelling on Past Hurts

• Tendency: Focus on negative experiences and past hurts
• Impact: Bitterness, frustration, resentment

Tips

• Forgiveness: Helps release oneself from the emotional prison
• Communication: Clearly articulate what you need for amends

3. Questioning Belonging

• Concern: Do I belong? Am I important?
• Connection: Sin of pride, seeking attention and affection reciprocation
• Struggles: Often with key relationships (family, close friends)

4. Prioritizing Others Over Self

• Habit: Overloading responsibilities, neglecting own needs
• Effects: Exhaustion, anxiety, lack of self-care, resentment

Tips

• Self-acknowledgment: It's okay to have needs and set priorities for self-care

5. Resentment and Isolation

• Fear: Being seen as needy or burdensome
• Symptoms: Hesitation to ask for help, feelings of resentment and loneliness

Tips

• Advocacy: Be more assertive and direct in expressing needs
• Awareness: Partners may not naturally understand your unspoken needs

6. Seeking Validation

• Pattern: Deriving self-worth from helping others
• Issues: Can lead to feelings of emptiness and lack of fulfillment

Tips

• Internal Validation: Identify personal goals and interests
• Balance: Mix relational actions with self-fulfilling activities

7. Absorbing Others' Emotions

• Behavior: Feeling responsible for others' happiness
• Challenges: Emotional overwhelm, difficulty setting healthy boundaries

Tips

• Emotional Boundaries: Separate personal well-being from others' emotions

8. Feeling Unnoticed/Unappreciated

• Trigger: Efforts going unnoticed or unacknowledged
• Outcomes: Disappointment, hurt feelings, frustration

Tips

• Communication: Express the need for appreciation to loved ones

9. Codependency

• Struggle: Compulsion to regulate others' emotions
• Effects: Anxiety, neglect of own emotional well-being

Tips

• Autonomy: Allow others to manage their own emotions
• Self-Care: Focus on personal emotional health alongside helping others

Conclusion

• Recognition: Two's bring love, attention, and appreciation into the world
• Recommended Actions: Introduce the Enneagram to friends and family for better mutual understanding
• Personal Reminder: Life is challenging; be present and lean into your gifts