The old “Type A” personality test has been pretty well discredited (at least as a predictor of cardiac problems), but the “Type D” test seems to have some statistics to back it up.
The test, which accompanies this article, defines overall distress in terms of two emotional states: “negative affectivity” (worry, irritability, gloom) and “social inhibition” (reticence and a lack of self-assurance). It may sound more like a parlor game than a medical instrument?but in the research to date, it has been a surprisingly powerful predictor of cardiovascular health. High distress scores are strongly associated with both hypertension and coronary heart disease. And among people who already have heart conditions, those with the highest distress scores?the so-called Type D personalities?are less responsive to treatment and have a poorer quality of life. They are also more likely to die prematurely.
Evidently I qualify. Swell. I’d complain about being doomed, but I feel nervous talking about it with other people …
That’s you, shy all over. It shows in every one of the 28 photos you have on your website…
Ah, but that’s an acceptable form of egotism, before a largely invisible audience. You should see how I react when I meet someone who has found my web page … 🙂