Neuroticism is a personality trait that is characterized by anxiety, excitability, anxiety and self-doubt. It is also called neuroticism, from the Greek. neuron - nerve, lived. Neurotism in psychology is a personality variable denoting the characteristics of a labile and reactive nervous system. An increased level of neurotism is characterized by irritability and susceptibility of a person to events. In behavior, such a character trait is manifested by complaints of headaches, sleep disturbances, mood changes and internal anxiety.
Manifestations
In those people whose level of neuroticism is elevated, under the guise of external well-being hides internal dissatisfaction, increased anxiety and insecurity. They tend to react too emotionally, their experiences are not always adequate to reality. Unpleasant sensations are associated with negative events, general pessimism and the person’s non-adaptation. For example, a neurotic personality always experiences whether the lights and appliances are turned off, whether the door is securely locked, and there is a fear of public transport in everyday life. Exaggerated experiences about their own appearance or sexual attractiveness, there are obsessive fears of adultery or material difficulties.
Causes
Psychologists admit that the causes of increased neuroticism are unmet needs. In addition to basic biological needs, social needs are also taken into account. One of those is the need for domination - people need success, power, and superiority. These desires sometimes cannot be satisfied. For example, a small child often feels helpless and helpless in comparison with adults, and in the future this feeling may be fixed. Then the adult continues to experience helplessness and anxiety. From here arises an inferiority complex, a feeling of guilt appears , and the level of neuroticism rises. At first, people simply do not pay attention to such manifestations. However, if corrective measures are not taken in time, the person’s condition becomes more severe and the quality of life deteriorates.
What causes increased neuroticism
Gradually, a person’s life becomes more and more painful, vain fears and constant anxieties take away all forces, various ailments appear, most often of a psychosomatic nature. The increasingly uncomfortable state of health calls into question the pleasant pastime of other people with him. Neurotic complicates the life of not only himself, but also those around him. Neuroticism is no longer the norm, but not a pathology. Nevertheless, under unfavorable circumstances, he may turn into a neurosis or even psychosis, but this is a psychiatric diagnosis.
Neuroticism and stress
A person with a neurotic character has a stronger and longer response to stress. In a stressful situation, he becomes anxious, irritable, restless - even at a level of tension that other personality types will not pay attention to. Neuroticism is such a personality trait that complicates the return of the human psyche to a normal calm state. This concept is closely related to emotionality. So, it is known that emotional and very emotional people are more prone to the emergence and development of fears and fears, phobias and obsessive states in them.
Eysenck Neuroticism
Hans Jürgen Eisenck (1916-1997) - one of the most famous psychologists in the UK, the creator of his own theory of personality, called factor. He is the founder and editor of several scientific journals in psychology, the author of many works and scientific developments. He considered the structure of personality, based on three fundamental scales - extraversion and introversion, neuroticism and psychotism.
Eysenck Scale
Eysenck’s neuroticism scale, known in the scientific community, is still used to elucidate the psychological type and character traits of any individual. Special tests developed by a psychologist make it possible to determine a person’s psychotype through the usual simple questions. The test makes it possible to identify the characteristic behavior of a person in ordinary and stressful situations. According to its results, using the scale, you can determine what type a person belongs to; whether his nervous system is stable or prone to neuroticism; introverted his behavior or extrovert, etc.
Neurophysiological explanation of neuroticism
The definition of extraversion or introversion is based on the innate features of the central nervous system, and the propensity for stability or neuroticism is determined depending on the autonomic nervous system. The latter, in turn, is divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic system is responsible for the behavior of the body under stress, under its influence, the rhythm of the heartbeat increases, the pupils dilate, breathing quickens and perspiration increases. The parasympathetic nervous system regulates the return of the body to a normal state. According to Eysenck's theory, different emotionality is associated with different levels of sensitivity of these two systems. If the sympathetic NS is more active, excitement occurs quickly, and inhibition slows down - increased emotionality is obtained, and vice versa. Control over the work of these systems is carried out by the hypothalamus. Activation of the autonomic nervous system in all people leads to a state of excitement, but all people react differently to a stressful situation: someone has a faster heartbeat, sweating increases, others tend to fall into a stupor, etc.
Symptoms
A sign of an increased level of neuroticism may be the unreasonableness of anxiety and anxiety. Most people monitor their appearance and care about how they look, but in a neurotic personality, such experiences are inadequate. All people, leaving home, check whether they turned off the light and locked the door, but a person with a high level of neuroticism, even after checking, does not cease to worry about this. Neurotic people are also distinguished by low self-esteem, which does not correspond to reality. They complain of poor health, malaise, headaches or back pain, sleep disturbances and an unstable emotional state, as well as frequent mood swings. Quite often they are haunted by panic attacks, phobias and obsessive states.
Treatment
Neuroticism is not a mental disorder, but simply a feature of the human psyche. Anxiety, anxiety and insecurity are characteristic of most people in a stressful situation, this is neuroticism. A test passed in conjunction with a psychologist will help you figure out if a particular person’s indicators are exceeded. Of course, there are situations when an increased level of neuroticism greatly complicates life, spoils relationships with other people, makes you worry and worry for no reason. In this case, the psychologist will also help to correct his behavior. In addition, with a lot of stress or other adverse circumstances, an increased level of neuroticism can turn into a neurosis or psychosis. With such diagnoses it is already necessary to visit not a psychologist, but a psychotherapist. In any case, if some tendencies and forms of behavior interfere with living and enjoying life, you need to work on them.