The Big Five

We talk a lot about personality disorders within the mental health sphere, but what actually contributes to personality in the first place?


The Big Five inventory, sometimes known as the OCEAN inventory looks at different components of personality. While most psychology students learn it in uni and then never use it again, we dredged it up from the memory banks to explore the utility in therapy. By understanding where you sit across these five factors, you can learn to play to your strengths and make skilful changes where necessary. 

OCEAN includes:

Openness

This measures how open you are to new experiences, how much you enjoy novelty, and how imaginative or creative you are. 


Too much Openness can lead to impulsivity, risk-taking and thrill seeking. 


Too little Openness can be lead to people being close-minded, struggle with creativity and declining new opportunities. 

Conscientiousness

This measures how disciplined or controlled you are, how diligent you are on completing tasks and how reliable you are.


Too much Conscientiousness can make people rigid, rule-bound and perfectionistic.


Too little Conscientiousness can lead to people being unreliable, forgetful and disorganised. 

Extraversion

This measures how outgoing you are in social situations, Extraverts get their energy from being with people, are happy being the centre of attention and are often assertive people who like to take action.


Too much Extraversion can lead to people dominating others, struggle with isolation and needing external validation 


Too little Extraversion (called Introversion) can lead to people being withdrawn, needing a lot of alone time to recharge as they become exhausted or drained by social situations. 

Agreeableness

This measures how easily you get along with people, how much you value harmony and how much you care for the needs of others. 


Too much Agreeableness can lead to people becoming doormats, feeling scared to rock the boat and struggle with leadership roles. 


Too little Agreeableness can lead to people presenting as disgruntled, argumentative and selfish. 

Neuroticism

This measures how big your feelings are. Neurotic people feel things more intensely (sensitive temperament) and can have bigger reactions where their emotions are triggered. 

Too much Neuroticism will lead to intense feelings that are highly changeable (emotional instability).

Too little Neuroticism can lead to a calm disposition, but perhaps an unhealthy detachment from feelings. 


If you are interested in learning more about your personality style, you can complete our Online Assessment which has a mini OCEAN assessment, or click the link below for a more comprehensive assessment of the Big Five Factors. 

 

https://bigfive-test.com/


Alternatively, you can download our handout that explores the Big Five Factors as continuums which may help you to identify your personality characteristics, and also your strengths.


Click on our Resources page to download this free handout.

Share

About Our Resources

We offer actionable resources and teach real skills to help people make meaningful change in managing mental health issues through different modes depending on people's learning preferences including infographics, text, worksheets, handouts and video. 

View Website
hierarchy of mindfulness
By Jess O'Garr 30 Jun, 2023
Understand the different layers of attention when practising mindfulness.
a bunch of colorful gears are lined up on a table
By Jess O'Garr 28 Jun, 2023
Learn more about the 20 maladaptive schemas.
ticking check boxes
30 May, 2023
Everyone has needs. Here are the 5 categories.
a woman is sitting in front of a laptop computer with her hands on her face
By Jess O'Garr 02 Apr, 2023
Anhedonia might not be what you think
By Al Griskaitis 02 Apr, 2023
Understanding the 3 Traits of Highly Manipulative People
By Jess O'Garr 02 Apr, 2023
Understanding the Power of "And"
By Al Griskaitis 07 Jan, 2023
Is Seroquel Slowly Killing You? A Closer Look at the Potential Risks and Benefits of Using this Medication as a Sleep Aid If you struggle with insomnia or other sleep disorders, you may have been prescribed the medication Seroquel (generic name quetiapine) as a way to improve your sleep. But a recent study has raised some concerns about the long-term use of this medication, specifically in terms of its potential negative effects on cardiovascular health. So, what's the story with Seroquel and is it really a danger to your health? Here's a closer look at the potential risks and benefits of using this medication as a sleep aid. How Seroquel Promotes Sleep Seroquel is an atypical antipsychotic medication that is commonly used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental health conditions. It is also sometimes prescribed off-label as a sleep aid due to its sedative effects. So, how does it work to promote sleep? One of the main ways that Seroquel helps people fall asleep is through its potent antihistamine properties. Histamine is a chemical in the body that promotes wakefulness, and by blocking the effects of histamine, Seroquel can help to reduce wakefulness and promote sleep. Actions of Seroquel In addition to its antihistamine effects, Seroquel also blocks the neurotransmitter dopamine, which may contribute to its sedative effects. But may also dampen the reward system which can make life feel a little dull. Some people even describe feeling like a zombie, especially at higher doses. A metabolite of Seroquel (norquetiapine) It is also thought to have effects on the neurotransmitter noradrenaline, which plays a role in the body's "fight or flight" response and can contribute to feelings of alertness and arousal. Quetiapine can also do the reverse because of it’s actions on a type of noradrenaline receptor. On one hand it promote noradrenaline and on the other is reduces it. This may be why some people feel relaxed by Seroquel and other feel edgy from it. Some people get used to the reduced wakefulness from Seroquel and need progressively higher doses. The Potential Risks of Long-Term Use of Seroquel While Seroquel may be effective at promoting sleep in the short term, a recent study has raised concerns about the long-term use of this medication. The study compared the long-term use of Seroquel with another class of medication known as "Z-drugs" (which are also used as sleep aids) in terms of their effects on mortality from cardiovascular causes. The results showed that those taking Seroquel had significantly worse outcomes in terms of cardiovascular disease and an increased risk of death. It's important to note that this study is not the final word on the subject, and more research is needed to fully understand the potential risks and benefits of using Seroquel as a sleep aid. However, it is worth considering these findings and discussing them with your doctor if you are taking or considering taking Seroquel for insomnia or other sleep disorders.
the CRASH cycle
09 Oct, 2022
Rest or crash. Your choice. (But I know which one you should pick)
  • View Resources Here


    We hope you enjoy reading this blog post.

    We offer actionable resources and teach real skills to help people make meaningful changes in managing mental health issues. View resources here.

We hope you enjoy reading this blog post.

We offer actionable resources and teach real skills to help people make meaningful change in managing mental health issues.

Share by: