What Is Neuroticism And What Paths Lead To It?

Have you ever wondered what neuroticism is? It is a factor or personality trait with an important biological basis, which has been consistently related to different types of pathology. It is a personality trait that works as an indicator of vulnerability for the development of psychopathologies, as it gives a value or “quantifies” a tendency in two directions: when facing stress and problems and when exposing ourselves to stimuli that can harm us on a psychological level.

Furthermore, it is related to the severity of different disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. It also plays an important role in interpersonal relationship problems, such as family and couple problems, in addition to situations such as mobbing and burnout. Next, we will briefly explain what neuroticism is and how it works in different psychopathologies. Because, even though it is associated with different disorders, the effects it has are different in each case.

What is neuroticism?

Neuroticism is a personality trait that has an important biological basis. This means that it is a tendency of behavior, emotions and thinking (personality trait) that we have largely inherited from our parents. This does not mean that we cannot change it, but that the person carries part of this tendency from the moment of birth. Later in life, the environment is responsible for reinforcing or diminishing this tendency.

Virtually all personality models include neuroticism in their basic traits. In fact, we find it in the following personality models: 5 Factor Model (Big Five; Costa and McRae, 1992), Zuckerman’s Alternative 5 Factor Model (Alternative Five Factor Model; 1999), Eysenk also proposed it as a basic trait in his Three-dimensional Hierarchical model (PEN; 1947) and also proposed by Cloninger in the Temperament and Character Model (TCI; 1994) with the peculiarity that, instead of calling it neuroticism, he calls it Risk Avoidance.

Therefore, it is clear that this is a trait that different authors identify as basic and that was found in the personality structure when starting from a lexical, empirical or factor analysis of personality. All models include neuroticism because it is a trait that marks the underlying emotional tendency in each of us. In other words, it indicates whether we are going to tend to stability and well-being (low neuroticism) or whether we are going to tend to worry, anxiety and our state of mind will be very unstable (high neuroticism).

Given the relationship between neuroticism and emotions, we will analyze how the first influences the three most common mental disorders: depression, anxiety and addictions.

The role of neuroticism in different psychopathologies

neuroticism and depression

Neuroticism is related to a large amount and intensity of depressive symptoms. This is how it is because people with “high neuroticism” need less negative stimulation to feel discomfort or discomfort than people with low neuroticism.

In this sense, neuroticism is linked to a greater sensitivity to malaise and therefore affects the lives of people with depression. As it is a trait that sensitizes to negative states, neuroticism acts as an amplifier of negative emotions, making them more intense and less tolerable. In this way it is easier for the pit of depression to deepen, making it difficult to try to get out of it.

neuroticism and anxiety

Anxiety and neuroticism are closely related. Neuroticism feeds anxiety, as it fixes the person’s attention on uncertainty that he cannot tolerate or tolerate with difficulty. Therefore, neuroticism makes people avoid situations that are uncertain, that include risks and also that they avoid at all costs experiencing any degree of insecurity (physical, psychological, social or emotional).

Understanding that, nowadays, to successfully overcome anxiety it is necessary to face it, we understand that neuroticism is the enemy of recovery in cases of anxiety. We are talking about a personality trait that will motivate people to stay in their comfort zone.

Neuroticism will make her give priority to actions designed to control different aspects of each situation that may pose a risk, however small. In this way, we will see that these people employ a great deal of resources, such as leaving home well in advance when they have an appointment, precisely to have a leeway in case any of the many dangers they imagine occur.

If we put ourselves in a more serious context, such as a panic attack, and understand that the most effective treatment involves gradually exposing the patient to the situation he fears, we will understand a little better the additional problem that can mean a high level of neuroticism.

As we’ve talked about before, people who have high levels of neuroticism create great resistance to being exposed to these situations and avoid in every way possible to take this small risk that, in the end, will put an end to the anxiety. Therefore, the greater presence of neuroticism, greater resistance on the part of the patient to exposure, and greater anxiety will cause such exposure to be anticipated.

Neuroticism and Addictions

People with high neuroticism are more vulnerable to developing an addiction. This is because neuroticism reinforces the motivation we all have to avoid discomfort and heightens the perceived level of stress.

A high level of stress combined with a greater sensitivity to discomfort makes the person feel psychologically “exhausted” and overloaded with the adversities of their daily lives. In this sense, the consumption of substances becomes a way out to be considered by them, as the effect they generate on the body frees them precisely from these worries that generate so much anxiety. Thus, those who have significant neuroticism in their personality structure can develop an addiction more easily.

In other words, the emotional exhaustion produced by the high sensitivity to discomfort makes the daily challenges of the environment be perceived as a threat and, as the person wants to avoid the discomfort and control what happens, he feels overwhelmed. This psychological exhaustion makes it very difficult to manage stress with more adaptive strategies, and the effects of depressive psychoactive substances, such as alcohol or cannabis, provide a momentary “breath” to the discomfort and stress.

What can people with high neuroticism do?

First, it is imperative that a psychologist or psychologist perform a personality test to be able to determine exactly what degree of neuroticism the person has.  After all, both our perceptions of ourselves and those around us may be inaccurate. Thus, we may have an image of ourselves that is not compatible with the level of neuroticism we actually have.

Once the personality is examined, the psychologist is the professional best able to indicate what options exist at the therapeutic level. At a general level, neuroticism can be approached and modulated with psychological therapy focused on managing emotions, increasing the level of tolerance to discomfort and facilitating the overcoming of anxiety and fear.

In addition, psychological therapy works for people with high neuroticism to direct their lives towards important and valuable goals, breaking down the barrier that the neurotic tendency in their personalities can mean for them. It is very important to take into account that there is currently scientific evidence showing that personality is not immutable. We are constantly changing with the environment, on a social, emotional and behavioral level.

Therefore, the excuse of “I am like this” or “this is my way of being” is a habit that we need to eradicate. It’s wrong to think we can’t change. Now that we know what neuroticism is, working to get a better version of ourselves can lead to hard-to-achieve goals.