A neurosis is known as a neurotic disorder. And it refers to the mental imbalances of anguish e anxiety, Moreover, it can affect emotions and self-confidence, causing emotional instability, disordered sense and action. In this article, we will reflect on neurosis and the behavioral characteristics of a neurotic person So check it out now!

The characteristics of a neurotic person

Thus, there are three important characteristics of a neurotic person are:

• Compulsion The person replaces unconscious enjoyment with bearable conscious suffering, which generates a feeling of compulsion.
• Obsession : The patient makes the unconscious object, separating itself from the original thought situation, by replacing the original with imaginary things.
• Phobia : The individual projects pleasure outside his or her self, where the threatened object represents anguish.

We all have traits of a neurotic person

We are all a little neurotic, according to Freud. Moreover, Freud himself defined himself as a neurotic. Woody Allen's films (such as the classic The Neurotic Groom, The Nervous Bride) are rich in focusing on the more or less everyday neuroses of archetypical characters.

Furthermore, the problem of pathology begins when there is exaggeration, which bothers others and, mainly, the person him/herself.

Next, we will elaborate a bit more on the origins of the characteristics of neurotic person and talk a bit about how Psychoanalysis considered this theme, especially through Freud's contributions.

Origin of Neurosis: manifestation in early childhood

Neurosis is a conflict that can strike the individual early in childhood. Thus, causing difficulty in adaptation, even though, in this state, the child is not yet able to establish the emotional ties .

In this stage, the child is able to study and get involved with the family, but always in conflict with reality, without having any real knowledge of the symptoms that do not allow him/her to live happily.

Neurosis is a disease linked to various conditions

Nowadays, it is very common to see people talking about behavioral changes, mood swings, bipolar people, schizophrenic people, without necessarily knowing that it is about neuroses and that need treatment

In addition, neurosis as a disease is linked to the picture of emotional distress, unconscious conflicts, mental disturbances, and anxiety.

Neurotic and psychotic people: differences

We can mention character, compensation, depressive, psychotic neurosis, which lead the individual to situations of disorder For example, social discontent, stress related to the end of a marriage, and various other disorders.

The individual suffering from a neurosis should not be confused with a psychotic person. In psychoses, one generally loses the sense of reality, and in neurosis, he or she remains connected to reality.

Furthermore, in neurotic crises, the organism releases its forms of defense that in most cases come into conflict with the traumas and repressions, placing the individual in a suffering that exceeds the situations experienced.

The 5 main types of neuroses

There are several types of neuroses. Thus, the most talked about types in clinical and lay circles are:

1. obsessive : fixed thinking in ideas and acts, such as obsession with tragic thoughts.

2. compulsive : exaggerated repetitive behavior, such as binge eating.

3. eager : thoughts of insecurity and uneasiness about what might happen in the future.

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4. phobic : fear or dread, of many different kinds, such as agoraphobia, which is the fear of being in public.

5. hysterical : involuntary bodily actions, transient paralysis, or explosive behavioral spikes.

Characteristics of each type of neurosis

Hysteria, compulsion, and phobia aim to replace unconscious enjoyment with bearable conscious suffering. For example, if the individual has a desire that has been repressed into the unconscious, keeping this repressed has its price. In this example, hysteria, phobia, or compulsion can arise as ways of barring or distracting the mind from accessing the unconscious desire.

For example, a person may have an obsessive thought that every night he will line up his slippers on one side of the house, fearing that the absence of this act will bring harmful consequences.

In the phobia, pleasure is projected outside the subject, where the threatened object represents anguish. The unconscious desire is incorporated in the representation of a fear. For example, the fear of heights could be a substitute for what was desired. By fearing heights, the object of desire is kept isolated.

Hysteria occurs with the suffering of the body, in which unconscious pleasure is transformed into bodily suffering. Thus, it can compromise all the movements of the body and cause a general paralysis .

Effects of neurosis

Most of the time, neurosis is the psychic reaction disproportionate That is, even though he is aware of it, the individual feels powerless to change it.

The neuroses, if left untreated, can cause various disorders. For example, constipation, frightening visions, headaches, diarrhea, congestions, sexual disturbances, respiratory and cardiac disturbances.

The meaning of Neurosis under different conceptions

For Freud, sexual disturbances have great relevance in neurotic crises, being responsible for a large part of the disorders.

For Laplanche and Pontalis, neurosis can be affection (disease) psychogenic, with expressive symptoms causing psychic conflicts that originate in childhood history and constitute compromises between desire and defense.

There is no escape from reality

Neurosis is known as a personality disease, and it directly affects the mind. Since every crisis is accompanied by great anxiety, the symptoms vary from person to person.

Even with delusions, people with disorders can still have delusions. obsessive compulsives in moments of crisis do not run away from reality.

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The need for early diagnosis in the treatment of neuroses

The person suffering from any type of neurosis constantly suffers from behavioral and mood changes, causing limitations in daily life.

The neurotic symptoms They appear quickly and need to be identified and treated at the same speed. If left untreated, they can disrupt personal, professional, and emotional life.

Therefore, a diagnosis of the nervous system functions is necessary in order to be followed up by a specialist according to each case.

Neuroses can result in problems in personal life

However, neurosis is an emotional, affective and personality disease. So, it is not lack of positive thinking, lack of will, spiritual influence, family problems, is a mental illness that causes great suffering in the life of the being.

Thus, the neuroses interfere directly in family problems, in marital crises, in learning, in personality, causing conflicts between desire and morality, provoking disorders in the defense of the ego.

How to prevent neuroses?

For the prevention of neurotic diseases, a control In other words, think before you act, breathe well, have good relationships, practice physical exercises, avoid agitated environments, the use of alcoholic beverages, and a good family life.

Conclusion: We are all neurotics

Finally, in post modernity, the treatments for neuroses are done by specialists such as psychoanalysts and psychiatrists. Depending on the evolution of each case, the use of anxiolytics and/or antidepressants, which are prescribed by psychiatrists, may be recommended.

Freud already understood that we are all a little neurotic. Magical thinking and what we call "manias" are examples of the daily neurosis present in our society. Now, when it is something excessive that bothers the individual or puts him or close people at risk, we understand that it is the case of seeking professional help.

Nowadays, there are treatments for any type of neurosis in which the patient can recover quickly and lead a normal life. illness like any other.

Did you like the article and want to know more about psychoanalysis? If you want to deepen your knowledge on this subject, understand the difference between neurosis and psychosis, and have all the theoretical and practical framework to work in the psychoanalytic area, enroll in our Psychoanalysis Training Course With our course, you will be able to clinically practice and become a successful psychoanalyst!

This article on Neurosis, neurotic or neurotic person was written by our editorial staff, together with Maria Andrade, especially for our blog.