Do All Roads Lead To Neuroticism?

Neuroticism is a character trait that has a significant biological basis. It makes the people who have it prone to psychological disorders. Because it is linked to poor stress management and the tendency to expose oneself to stimuli that are psychologically harmful.

When a person is highly neurotic, disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia can have a serious impact on the person. It also plays an important role in relationship problems, workplace hostility, and burnout.

In this article, we will briefly explain what it is and how it works in various psychological disorders. Because it can have different effects on each of these disorders.

Neuroticism, a character trait

Neuroticism is a trait of the personality (it consists of behavioral, emotional and cognitive tendencies). People mainly inherit this trait from their parents. This means that it is largely organic by nature.

This is not to say that it cannot be changed. But the person has that tendency from the moment he is born. Throughout the person’s life, his environment will strengthen or weaken this characteristic.

Almost all theories of personality include neuroticism as a fundamental feature. We find it in the following theories:

• The Characteristics of the Big Five (Costa and McCrae, 1992)

• The alternative five-model of personality (Zuckerman, 1999)
• Eysenck’s Book  Dimensions of Personality  (1947)
• Cloninger’s Inventory of Temperament and Character (1994) (Note: Here they use the term avoidance of harm for neuroticism.)

So it’s clear that most researchers consider it part of the basic structure of personality. This consideration is independent of whether it is part of a lexical, empirical or fact-based analysis. But all models contain neuroticism because it outlines the basic emotional tendency of each person.

In other words, it shows whether you are prone to stability and well-being (low neuroticism) or instability and anxiety (high neuroticism).

So there is a link between neuroticism and emotions. That’s why we want to analyze it now. We’ll look at how it affects the three most common disorders: depression, anxiety, and addiction.

The role of neuroticism in various psychological disorders

Depression

Neuroticism is linked to a large number of depressive symptoms and their intensity. This is because people with high levels of neuroticism need less negative stimulation to feel upset or uncomfortable than people with low neuroticism.

It thus indicates a higher sensitivity to adversity. This influences the course of the depression. It magnifies negative emotions and makes them more intense and unbearable. This increases the likelihood that the pit of the depression will only deepen and the person will find it increasingly difficult to escape.

Fear

Neuroticism thrives on fear. For the person is fixated on the uncertainty that he cannot bear. For example, they will avoid getting into precarious situations, taking risks and experiencing any degree of physical, psychological or emotional insecurity. But in order to successfully overcome fear, the person must confront that fear. However, neuroticism keeps these people in their comfort zone and hinders recovery.

Neurotic people try to control every aspect of potentially risky situations. It also doesn’t matter how unlikely the risk is. They waste a lot of time, money and energy just to avoid risk. For example, they will leave the house extremely early to be on time for an appointment. They only do so because that way they have leeway in case one of the many dangers they imagine actually happen.

Panic Attacks

This can also be applied to many more serious conditions, such as a panic attack. The most effective treatment for panic disorder involves gradually exposing them to the situation they fear. Because it is clear how much neuroticism plays into this situation.

As we mentioned before, people with a high degree of neuroticism are very resistant to exposing themselves to the things they fear. So they will avoid taking that small risk at all costs, even if it can lead to habituation and eventually put an end to their fear. The higher the degree of neuroticism, the greater the resistance to exposure. As a result, the expectation of this exposure will cause even more fear.

Addiction

People with a high degree of neuroticism are more likely to develop an addiction. How come? The reason is that their neuroticism drives them to avoid any kind of discomfort. It also increases the level at which they perceive stress.

High stress levels along with a high susceptibility to anxiety make them feel psychologically exhausted and overwhelmed by their day-to-day problems. Drug use can then be a form of escape for them. For this releases them from the constant worry they feel.

The high sensitivity to discomfort causes the emotional exhaustion. In other words, it will turn everyday challenges into threats. And because they have to avoid discomfort and control everything that happens around them, they become extremely overwhelmed.

The psychological exhaustion that ensues makes it very difficult for them to manage their stress properly. The effects of the psychoactive substances in sedatives such as alcohol and marijuana offer them a momentary relief, a breather from the discomfort and stress.

What can people with a high degree of neuroticism do to change?

First and foremost, it is essential that one seeks the help of a psychologist. They can perform a personality assessment and determine exactly how neurotic they are.

This is necessary because both our own perception of ourselves and other people’s perception of us can be incorrect. So they may have an image of themselves that doesn’t reflect their true level of neuroticism.

A psychologist is the most qualified person to determine which therapeutic steps to take. In general, psychotherapy can help a person manage their neuroticism. For this, he must focus on the following things:

• send the emotions
• increase the capacity for discomfort and uncertainty
• work on overcoming anxiety and fear

In addition, psychotherapy can help people with a high degree of neuroticism work towards achieving goals that are important to them. Because it can break down the wall they’ve built to protect themselves. Scientific evidence has shown that personalities are not completely fixed. They are malleable to some degree. Socially, emotionally and behaviorally we are constantly changing because we react to our environment.

So there is no room for the excuse “I am like that.” It’s a mistake to think you can’t change. If you commit to becoming a better version of yourself, you can achieve your goals.