Two personalities - is it normal?

[Lee]

Hi
I hoped this would be as good as place as any to ask first. I have - and always have for as long as I can remember - had two differing personalities and I concerned that the conflict between this two is causing me harm (I've just been diagnosed with Anxiety and Depression after finally being brave enough to see my GP). To give you a few basics I'm a (just turned) 30 year old, gay male with a partner of 5 years.

On one hand I'm quite a camp, silly person who people seem to really love and have loads of fun with. I love football too and attend a local non league team who really make us (partner and I) feel welcome and gay banter is lovely not at all nasty. I wouldn't say this part of me is confident but I do "come out of my shell" more. I have the reputation for loving cheesy music, being football mad and lust after the typical Tom Daley celebrity types. Hopefully you know what I mean.

On the other hand there's time when I turn into serious person who is interested in politics (I've stood at the last local elections) and almost on a crusade to save the world by preaching about the importance of charity etc. In recent months it's this personality who has been reading a lot about Buddhism. During this time I've shut off from football claiming it to be bad for me, listening to more depressing, slower music and denying any interest in other things like celebrities, TV watching etc. These periods result in me removing or deleting things off facebook and claiming I'm a changed man. Then when I switch back I end up added the "likes" and "interests" back on to facebook.

A former work colleague once said to me "You really are a different person outside of work ... you are all serious and professional and then you turn into the campest and most fun person".

I just feel like I am constantly asking myself "Who am I?" all the time. One moment I feel like Christopher Biggins and then next the Dalai Lama (to be extreme).

Is this a normal thing? How do you really answer the question "who am I?". When I'm the former personalities I almost get to a peak and then am like "what the hell am I doing ... this is stupidness" then when I get to the peak in the latter personality I'm "when did I become so boring ... wake up, put the fun music back on and just enjoy yourself".

Thanks for any response you can.

[Nakkiel]

What you described is normal but not 2 different personalities. That is just part of the same personality with varying traits depending on situation, mood, etc. Also some of that are just symptoms of depression, which can cause temporary personality changes. It is normal to lose interests and whatnot when depressed then later feel like yourself again.

[Stephanie]

It is normal for some people. Don't worry about it too much, it just happens. Many people have split personalities or bipolar which is kinda similar. If you're really worried about it I would suggest to talk to a professional and get their help. I feel you will feel much more relieved if you do.

[KimL0veGum]

People behave differently in different environments. If I'm with my friends and in a place I enjoy I'll be confident and crazy, I'll even have completely different views on life. But when I'm alone I'm actually very quiet and depressed.

Everybody has more than one side to them, just some people expose them more and theirs tend to be more extreme, but I assure you its normal.

If your worried that you have Multiple Personalities - you don't. People with that switch suddenly/ randomly and they actually have no idea that they have switched. Most of them can't remember what they've done or said after they switch back. Some people even change their accents without realising it.

What your describing sounds perfectly normal don't worry

[introverted]

Darwinian evolutionary theory
http://www.darwins-theory-of-evolution.com/

Splitting
Idealization and devaluation
Obsessive-Compulsive - Compensatory Narcissistic - Passive-Aggressive
Psychoticism-Neuroticism
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.10...65#preview
Paranoid-Schizoid - Paranoid/Schiziod(Manic)-Depressive

Freudian psychology - The Ego and the Id
I.D (Idealized self)
http://www.ptypes.com/idealized_self.html
Ego ideal
http://www.ptypes.com/ego-ideal.html

The four temperaments
http://www.ptypes.com/temperaments.html

E. Kretschmer's Physique and Character
Personality types -Evolutionary Psychology - prototypal
Schizothymic (Detachment theory) Apollonian Sublimation
Cyclothymic (Attachment theory) Dionysian Splitting and Projective Identification
http://www.ptypes.com/temperaments.html#kretschmer
Cyclothymes Schizothymes
http://www.ptypes.com/main-interests-types.html

Jungian Psychological Typology Introvertism-Extrovertism
http://www.socionics.com/main/types.htm

Five-Factor Model
http://www.personalityresearch.org/bigfive.html

Histories worked 1-2-4-8-16 so guessing its within the norm