Neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by restlessness, excitability, anxiety and self-doubt. It is also called neuroticism, from the Greek. neuron - nerve, vein. Neuroticism in psychology is a personality variable that denotes the characteristics of a labile and reactive nervous system. An increased level of neuroticism is characterized by irritability and susceptibility of a person to ongoing events. In behavior, this character trait is manifested by complaints of headaches, sleep disturbances, mood swings and inner restlessness.
Manifestations
For those people whose level of neuroticism is elevated, under the guise of external well-being hides internal dissatisfaction, increased anxiety and uncertainty. They tend to react to what is happening too emotionally, their experiences are not always adequate to reality. Unpleasant sensations are associated with negative events, general pessimism and a person's lack of adaptation. For example, a neurotic personality always worries about whether the lights and electrical appliances are turned off, reliablyIf the door is locked, there is a fear of public transport in everyday life. Worries about one's own appearance or sexual attractiveness are exaggerated, there are obsessive fears about marital infidelity or material difficulties.
Reasons
Psychologists recognize that the causes of increased neuroticism is the dissatisfaction of needs. In addition to basic biological needs, social needs are also taken into account. One of these is the need for dominance - people need success, power, superiority. These desires sometimes cannot be satisfied. For example, a small child often feels helpless and defenseless compared to adults, and in the future this feeling may become fixed. Then the adult person continues to experience helplessness and anxiety. From here, an inferiority complex arises, 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 strength, various ailments appear, most often of a psychosomatic nature. An increasingly uncomfortable state of he alth calls into question the pleasant pastime of other people with him. A neurotic complicates life not only for himself, but also for those around him. neuroticism- this is no longer the norm, but not yet a pathology. However, under adverse circumstances, it can turn into neurosis or even psychosis, and this is a psychiatric diagnosis.
Neuroticism and stress
A person with a neurotic temperament reacts more strongly and longer than others to stress. In a stressful situation, he becomes anxious, irritable, restless - even at a level of tension that other types of personality will not pay attention to. Neuroticism is a personality trait that makes it difficult for the human psyche to return 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.
Eysenck's neuroticism
Hans Jurgen Eysenck (1916-1997) is one of the most famous British psychologists, the creator of his own theory of personality, called factorial. He is the founder and editor of several scientific journals on 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
The Eysenck scale of neuroticism, well-known in scientific circles, is still used to determine the psychological type and character traits of any individual. Special tests developed by a psychologist allow you to determine the psychotype of a person through ordinary simple questions. The test allowsidentify the characteristic behavior of the individual in everyday and stressful situations. Based on its results, using a scale, you can determine what type a person belongs to; whether his nervous system is stable or prone to neuroticism; whether his behavior is introverted or extraverted, etc.
Neurophysiological explanation of neuroticism
The definition of extraversion or introversion is based on the innate characteristics of the central nervous system, and the tendency to 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 body's behavior in a state of stress, under its influence the heart rate becomes more frequent, pupils dilate, breathing quickens and sweating increases. The parasympathetic nervous system regulates the body's return to normal. According to Eysenck's theory, different emotionality is associated with different levels of sensitivity of these two systems. If the sympathetic nervous system works more actively, excitation occurs quickly, and inhibition is slow - an increased emotionality is obtained, and vice versa. These systems are controlled by the hypothalamus. Activation of the autonomic nervous system in all people leads to a state of excitement, but all people react to a stressful situation in different ways: someone has an increased heart rate, sweating increases, others tend to fall into a stupor, etc.
Symptoms
Signan increased level of neuroticism can serve as the unreasonableness of anxiety and anxiety. Most people look after their appearance and care about how they look, but in a neurotic personality such experiences are inadequate. All people, leaving the house, check whether they turned off the light and locked the door, but a person with an increased level of neuroticism, even after checking, does not stop worrying about this. Neurotic people are also distinguished by low self-esteem, which does not correspond to reality. They complain of poor he alth, malaise, headaches or back pain, sleep disturbances and emotional instability, as well as frequent mood swings. Quite often they are haunted by panic attacks, phobias and obsessions.
Treatment
Neuroticism is not a mental disorder, but simply a feature of the human psyche. Anxiety, restlessness and insecurity are common to most people in a stressful situation, this is neuroticism. The test, passed together with a psychologist, will help to figure out whether the indicators are exceeded in a particular person. Of course, there are situations when an increased level of neuroticism significantly complicates life, spoils relationships with other people, makes you worry and worry for no reason. In this case, a psychologist will also help to correct your behavior. In addition, under high stress or other adverse circumstances, an increased level of neuroticism can turn into neurosis or psychosis. With such diagnoses, it is already necessary to visit not a psychologist, butpsychotherapist. In any case, if some tendencies and behaviors prevent you from living and enjoying life, you need to work on them.
