How to Recognize an Unhealthy ESFP [+ Tips For Healing]

The unhealthy ESFP (Entertainer) personality emerges as a result of unresolved stress, morphing the vibrant, energetic, and fun-loving Entertainer into a shadow of themselves. Unhealthy ESFPs can become reckless, selfish, and vengeful to a fault, and their tendency to avoid problems only makes things worse.

Luckily, all unhealthy personalities can heal, and ESFPs are no exception.

In this article, we’ll explore every aspect of the ESFP dark side, from the causes of their unhealthiness to the strategies unhealthy Entertainers can employ to realign with their authentic selves.

Key Takeaways

• The key difference between healthy and unhealthy ESFPs is that healthy ESFPs are better at regulating their emotions, especially negative ones, such as anger.
• ESFPs typically become unhealthy due to stressful situations like persistent interpersonal conflict and isolation.
• Some signs of unhealthy ESFPs include selfishness, pent-up anger, vengefulness, and a lack of follow-through.
• ESFPs can become healthier by learning more about themselves, identifying the triggers that lead to unhealthy behaviors, and building stronger emotional regulation skills.

Healthy vs. Unhealthy ESFPs

The main difference between healthy and unhealthy ESFPs lies in emotional regulation. Entertainers are significantly more capable of effectively managing their emotions when healthy. Unhealthy ESFPs, meanwhile, struggle to control their emotions, which may affect their mental, social, and even physical well-being.

When healthy, people with the ESFP personality type are warm, outgoing, and empathetic. They tend to radiate positivity and enjoy attention, yet they don’t typically overshadow others. After all, they genuinely care about other people and often go out of their way to ensure everyone’s having a good time; it’s not without reason that they’re known as Entertainers!

By contrast, unhealthy ESFPs tend to be more focused on themselves than others. Since they can easily get carried away by emotions and are prone to catastrophizing, it’s not uncommon for them to be suspicious of other people. Some ESFPs also become uncharacteristically cold—and even cruel—when unhealthy.

Moreover, even though Entertainers are generally adventurous, unhealthy ones are far more likely to succumb to their impulses and act recklessly. While difficulty thinking long-term is among the greatest weaknesses of ESFPs, Entertainers often display an utter lack of foresight when they become unhealthy. As a result, they may be both destructive and self-destructive.

Why & When ESFPs Become Unhealthy?

ESFPs typically become unhealthy due to trauma, unresolved conflict in relationships, prolonged periods of isolation, or other stressful situations. If the stress becomes too much for them to handle, they may ignore their problems instead of dealing with them. Over time, excessive stress and avoidance can cause them to develop unhealthy traits.

Instead of relying on their primary cognitive functions, unhealthy ESFPs may resort to their shadow functions, causing them to behave unusually. Alternatively, they may only access some of their primary functions, which may lead to a:

• Ni grip. An Ni grip occurs when ESFPs lose access to all primary functions except introverted intuition (Ni), their inferior—and, therefore, weakest— cognitive function. This can cause them to become rather pessimistic. Instead of trying to make the best out of today, as they usually do, they may fixate on all that might go wrong in the future. More often than not, their fears and worries aren’t grounded in reality, yet they cannot see this.
• Se-Te loop. A Se-Te loop happens when Entertainers get stuck between their extraverted functions: dominant extraverted sensing (Se) and tertiary extraverted thinking (Te). As a result, they may become overly focused on their goals and achievements. They may also be domineering, impatient, and self-serving. Since they cannot tap into their auxiliary introverted feeling (Fi), they may even go against their values in pursuit of their goals.

Now that we’ve compared healthy vs. unhealthy ESFPs and discussed the causes of their unhealthiness, it’s time to explore what Entertainers look like when they’re unhealthy.

7 Clear Signs of Unhealthy ESFPs

Some clear signs of an unhealthy ESFP include recklessness, selfishness, vengefulness, and pessimism. Entertainers also have a hard time finishing tasks, managing anger, and tackling problems head-on when unhealthy.

Let’s analyze these traits of unhealthy ESFPs in greater depth:

#1. Recklessness

Recklessness is a telltale sign of an unhealthy ESFP. While Entertainers are generally prone to risk-taking and sensation-seeking, this tendency manifests differently in healthy vs. unhealthy ESFPs.

Although Entertainers enjoy novel experiences and don’t hesitate to take risks, they care about their own and other people’s well-being. As such, they normally have no trouble controlling their impulses. However, when they become unhealthy, they may make impulsive decisions and engage in risky behaviors with little to no regard for safety.

A study done by Zsuzsanna Surányi et al. suggests that there are two types of sensation-seeking: non-impulsive and impulsive. Non-impulsive sensation-seekers were found to display the same level of sensation-seeking but higher self-control than impulsive sensation-seekers.

Importantly, impulsive sensation-seeking is linked to negative outcomes, such as substance use and depression. This is something Entertainers should be aware of, as being in an unhealthy state can make them prone to impulsive sensation-seeking.

#2. Selfishness

When unhealthy, ESFPs can become very self-absorbed, prioritizing their own interests above all else. This is especially true for Entertainers who are stuck in a Se-Te loop; losing access to introverted functions can make them shortsighted and indifferent to other people’s feelings.

Alternatively, unhealthy ESFPs may overuse their Fi, causing them to disregard social norms and become preoccupied with their feelings while overlooking those of others. They may even adopt a holier-than-thou attitude, which can lead them to excuse their own actions, even when they hurt others.

Moreover, unhealthy ESFPs often feel entitled to other people’s time and attention. It’s also not uncommon for them to employ emotional manipulation tactics to get their needs met.

#3. Repressed Anger

Unhealthy ESFPs are prone to suppressing negative emotions, especially anger. Instead of expressing their feelings openly, they go above and beyond to avoid conflict. Paradoxically, this can only make the situation worse by exacerbating their frustration and creating tension within their relationships.

If they bottle up their anger for too long, it can lead to passive-aggressive behaviors, such as backhanded compliments and sarcasm. They may also become very critical of others, even for no good reason. At worst, pent-up anger may escalate into an emotional outburst. Needless to say, this can do far more damage than addressing problems directly.

#4. Vengefulness

While healthy Entertainers are happy-go-lucky types of people who don’t dwell on negative experiences, unhealthy ESFPs can be surprisingly vengeful. They have a hard time coping with jealousy, take things very personally, and hold grudges. Naturally, they may go to great lengths to take vengeance on those who hurt them.

Furthermore, their revenge can be quite extreme; rather than getting even, unhealthy ESFPs often retaliate in a way that is disproportionate to the harm inflicted on them. Worse yet, they rarely, if ever, regret their actions. On the contrary, they tend to feel like they have the right to get back at anyone who even remotely crosses them.

#5. Escapism

Even though Entertainers are typically pragmatic and navigate problems with confidence, they can fall victim to escapism when unhealthy. They find solace in distractions, meaning unhealthy ESFPs would rather immerse themselves in socializing, binge-watching TV shows, or partying than face unpleasant emotions, difficult situations, and responsibilities.

Since unhealthy ESFPs lack foresight, they may seek immediate gratification and engage in activities that provide short-term relief, even if this does more harm than good in the long run.

As Se-dominant personality types, they are also no strangers to overindulgence. Unhealthy ESFPs often overspend, overeat, and engage in other excessive behaviors without considering the consequences.

#6. Lack of Follow-Through

Although it’s true that finishing tasks and assignments is no easy feat for any Entertainer, unhealthy ESFP males and females usually find this particularly challenging. Since they tend to act impulsively, display escapist tendencies, and lack forethought, they often neglect their responsibilities and find it easier to start something new than finish what they’ve started.

As you may expect, this can take a major toll on their careers. Not only that, but this can also make unhealthy ESFPs come across as flaky and irresponsible, instilling distrust in others and affecting how other people perceive them.

#7. Pessimistic Outlook

Unhealthy ESFPs—especially those experiencing a Ni grip—tend to struggle with pessimism. In particular, they tend to view the future in a negative light, believing that things can only get worse. Because of this, they may avoid thinking about the future altogether or become fixated on negative possibilities, even if these aren’t realistic.

While some ESFPs depend too much on others when they are unhealthy, others may become reclusive, mainly because they find it difficult to trust others.

Moreover, unhealthiness can also lead to self-doubt, diminishing their confidence. This is particularly common among turbulent Entertainers. Sadly, unhealthy ESFPs often feel a lack of control over their lives, which further fuels their pessimistic attitudes toward life.

3 Transformative Strategies for Becoming a Healthy ESFP

Unhealthy ESFPs can heal by identifying their triggers, improving their emotional regulation skills, and learning more about themselves.

Let’s dissect each of these strategies:

#1. Understand Your Triggers

First and foremost, unhealthy ESFPs should identify the situations, emotions, and thoughts that trigger unhealthy traits and behaviors. This way, they can not only gain insight into and address the root cause of their problems but also avoid falling into unhealthy behavioral patterns in the future.

However, pinpointing your triggers is only the first step toward healing. Most importantly, you should find constructive ways to deal with life’s stressors and challenges. Instead of distracting yourself with more pleasant activities, for example, you might find it more helpful to talk to a friend or a mental health professional.

#2. Develop Emotional Regulation Skills

Building emotional regulation skills can help unhealthy ESFPs become more resilient, curb their impulsivity, and improve their overall well-being.

Here are some techniques you can look into to learn how to better manage your emotions and avoid getting carried away by them:

• Meditation: In particular, spiritual meditation can suit ESFPs, reminding them that life transcends the self and helping them curb their ego. With consistent spiritual meditation, ESFPs could successfully treat emotional issues like selfishness and repressed anger.
• Breathwork: The hallmarks of unhealthy ESFPs sometimes leave them feeling overwhelmed and pessimistic. However, experimenting with breathwork may help Entertainers get back to the here and now by focusing on their breathing.
• Mindfulness: This practice has the power to help an unhealthy Entertainer see each problem for what it is, acknowledge it, and work on resolving it. Then, they could address them properly instead of repressing their anger or running away from them.
• Positive self-talk: This is another way of combating unhealthy ESFPs’ escapism and changing their pessimistic outlook. Essentially, through continual verbal positive reinforcement, ESFPs remind themselves of how resilient they can be, slowly getting their self-esteem back on track.
• Emotional acceptance: Working on emotional acceptance helps ESFPs and the people around them altogether. This method can turn the switch that stops ESFPs from judging emotions into understanding them. Once the judgment is removed, the healing can truly begin.

One last tip: if you find it challenging to control your anger, you might find it useful to get your thoughts and feelings out on a piece of paper and then discard it. Researchers from Nagoya University found that this is a simple yet powerful method for eliminating anger.

#3. Get to Know Yourself

Self-awareness is key to not only becoming healthier but also thriving as an ESFP. It can help you recognize your needs, adopt healthy habits and coping mechanisms, and cultivate self-compassion.

Like many extroverts, ESFPs may struggle with introspection. Because of this, you might find it easier to learn more about yourself with specialized self-development tools, such as personality tests.

Besides the 16 personalities test, you might want to try the following personality assessments to get to know yourself on a deeper level:

• Confidence test
• Trait scholar test
• Coping styles test
• Optimism and pessimism test
• Dark and light side of personality test

Final Thoughts

The unhealthy ESFP personality can manifest in different ways. Some Entertainers exhibit their typical weak points, such as impulsivity and trouble following through, albeit to an extreme degree. Others, meanwhile, act completely out of character, becoming significantly more pessimistic, vengeful, and selfish than normal.

The good news is that unhealthiness isn’t a life sentence—even the unhealthiest of ESFPs can overcome it by investing time and effort into their personal growth.

Unhealthy ESFP FAQ