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After reading this article you will learn about:- 1. Subject-Matter of Neuroses 2. Characteristics of Neuroses 3. Symptoms 4. Consequences 5. Secondary Gains.
Subject-Matter of Neuroses:
A neurotic personality is impoverished and more often than not governed by severe anxiety. The central dynamic factor in neuroses is repression and other important defence mechanisms like projection, regression by which the ego tries to keep all the unacceptable impulses out of its region.
Therefore, psychoanalysts have strongly held that the major symptoms of neuroses are derived from regression of childhood conflicts. During the childhood when the ego is too weak to judge, to tolerate and to solve a problem, to save himself from frustration, pain and anxiety, he tends to repress certain undesirable and troublesome impulses.
Finally, the more repression is used, the greater is the chance for the formation of neuroses in later life.
Characteristics of Neuroses:
Keeping in view, the general idea of neo Freudians on neuroses, the following characteristics of neuroses are:
1. Inappropriate Attitude:
This consists mostly the desire for love and affection from other persons. It is quite normal for an individual to seek for the affection and to pine for acceptance from others. But some individuals develop attitudes which are called inappropriate because they want to have contact with any individual they meet. These people as Karen Horney has indicated have the neurotic drive for love.
2. Demand for Approval is Insatiable:
The neurotic persons are never satisfied with the approval or love of others. The more they get, the more they want. If a neurotic avoids some people, he goes to the extreme level of hatred. Thus, their approval or disapproval is always extreme.
3. Disproportionate Reaction to Frustration:
When the desires and wishes of a neurotic person are not satisfied, being overwhelmed by anxiety, he overreacts to it. Though a normal reaction to frustration is obvious, and hence welcomed, excessive reaction is a sign of neurotic personality.
4. Desire for Excessive Love and Affection:
Desire for excessive love and affection is a prominent characteristic of the psychoneurotic which has been emphasised by Freud as well as Karen Horney. Such excessive need for love of the neurotic persons arises out of the need for security. A sense of insecurity and to get over the danger arising out of this compels them to seek for approval and disapproval from others.
But strangely enough, though the neurotic person expects affection, love and approval from others, he is not ready to give the same to others in return. This is because of his self centeredness. Even if, they demonstrate love and affection, it is only a means, a pretension to get affection from others. The neurotic persons, in fact, have no genuine feeling for others.
5. Repressed Hostility:
In the neurotic personality there is a good deal of repressed hostility towards persons. In other words, neurotic persons show ambivalence attitude. They like and dislike as well as appreciate and criticize.
6. Inferiority Complex:
Neurotics are vain people, suffering from inferiority complex. As a reaction and compensatory attitude to their feelings of inferiority, they develop a sense of superiority which is popularly known as vanity. An insecure neurotic gets a necessary feeling of security out of the sense of inferiority. However the excessive drive for vanity impoverishes the personality psychologically.
7. Unusually Critical Attitude Towards Others:
Neurotic persons are always on the point of blaming, criticizing and- insulting others. They are unnecessarily highly critical of others. Their sort of blaming others may be regarded as a sort of defense.
8. Common Tendency of Dissatisfaction:
Psycho neurotics have a common tendency of dissatisfaction. They are not satisfied with anything or anybody in this world, whatever may be the circumstances.
9. Tendency to Dominate Others:
Kardiner mentioned that a significant neurotic trend is to dominate others. Those persons who are the chronic invalids like the hysterics have this dominating spirit. With the escape from reality to illness, they try to get sympathy from others.
10. General Inhibition:
Finally, another character of neurotic person is general inhibition. He has no genuine emotion and feeling. Hence, during the onset of puberty, they have difficulty in managing themselves. They inhibit and deny the natural process of growth of the body. So usually they indulge and try to remain indifferent from the sexual world.
According to Shanmugam (1981) the two features which characterize, neurotic life style are:
(a) Neurotic nucleolus i.e., faulty evaluation of reality and a tendency to avoid rather than to cope with stress.
(b) Neurotic paradox i.e., the tendency to maintain the same life style despite its self defeating and maladaptive nature.
Neurotic nucleolus has thus important points:
(i) Feeling of inadequacy and anxiety.
(ii) Faulty perception of the surrounding world as dangerous. Behaviours of avoidance than confrontation leading-to persistent anxiety. He tries to get immediate relief from anxiety by temporary avoidance of the threatening situation.
(iii) Self defeating behaviour — It refers to an inability to relate well with others and to divert one’s energies from covering up behaviour such as avoidance.
It is held that neuroses develops where:
(a) There is an inner conflict between drives and fears that prevents drive discharge,
(b) When sexual drives are involved in that conflict,
(c) When the conflict has not been worked through to a realistic solution. On the contrary the drivers that seek discharge has been expelled from consciousness through repression or any other defence mechanism,
(d) When the repression has merely made the drives unconscious but has not deprived the drives of their power and made them harmless. Subsequently, repressed tendencies and neurotic symptoms try hard to come back into the consciousness,
(e) When a rudimentary neuroses based on the same type of conflict existed in early childhood.
Symptoms of Neuroses:
Neuroses is an indication of the loss of equilibrium of different factors of personality. When the ego fails to maintain the equilibrium between the id and the super ego, symptoms of neuroses are observed. Thus the symptoms are the resultant of failure of ego functioning.
Symptoms are the source phenomenon’s, manifestations of certain inner factors. They are the result of a long series of events operating in the life of the individual. Neurotic symptoms and behaviours are the manifestations of ego defences against early emotional experiences. When the ego defences become weak, the barrier of repression comes to the surface in the form of symptoms.
The different forms of neuroses depend upon the different forms of defences employed by the ego. By developing these symptoms in the form of irrational desires, the ego tries to relieve anxiety. Thus, the various symptoms are results of unconscious factors and repressed tendency.
The various symptoms of the neurotic can be looked upon as a regression to pleasant and satisfactory childhood behaviour. In almost all neurotics regression to earliest stages of sexual development is found. The sources from which the various neurotic symptoms are formed are several. These sources are derived from the various elements.
They can be divided into the following:
1. The anxiety reaction itself
2. The defence process
3. The id impulses in the patient that create anxiety.
Sometimes all these three may be found. Usually in the formation of symptoms the most important element is anxiety. Anxiety being an emotion has its physiological accompaniments such as trembling, sweating etc.
The second source of symptom is the defence process. The ego defences are used to keep up the anxiety.
Although different neurotic disorders have specific symptoms Coleman (1981) describes the following common symptoms of neurotics in general:
1. Inadequacy and Low Stress Tolerance:
The neurotic exhibits a sense of strong dependence showing the need to cling to others for support. On the contrary, under certain circumstances, high degree of independence is shown by a neurotic thus refusing to take help from everyone. He also tends to deny his feelings of inadequacy by trying to dominate others. This might be a type of reaction formation.
Secondly, as reported by Cattell and Scheier (1961) the neurotics do indicate a much lower ego strength or stress tolerance in comparison to the normal. This they mainly attributed to badly organised personalities and abnormal emotionality such as a consistently depressive mood. Due to lower stress tolerance and feeling of inadequacy, many situations otherwise normal appear to him as threatening.
2. Anxiety and Fearfulness:
Low stress tolerance creates constant and intense anxiety in all neurotics. In fact as held by Coleman (1971) anxiety is a pervasive factor underlying all neuroses. To reduce their anxiety the neurotics develop various defences which are mostly unsuccessful and pathological defences.
The neurotic recognises his symptoms as irrational, but he is so compulsive that he cannot control and therefore he experiences intense anxiety. When the defences fail to check the fears and conflicts of the neurotic, the whole defensive structure may break down leading to irrational fear of illness, accident, insanity and finally death.
3. Tension and Irritability:
Consistent anxiety and fearfulness lead to terrible tension, irritation and annoyance. According to Coleman (1981) “his continued emotional mobilization also leads to an increase in general body tension which itself is unpleasant and distressing.
” Thus as suggested by Guilford (1959) the neurotics react emotionally to very minor irritations. Moreover, the neurotics try to deal with their problems in a relatively rigid and emotional manner without trying to deal with it rationally. As a consequence, there is tension and irritability.
4. Ego Centricity and Disturbed Interpersonal Relationships:
A neurotic individual is highly ego centric. He is only concerned with his desires, aspirations, hopes and ambitions. This is because his deep sense of insecurity and helplessness naturally motivates him to fight for his well being which he fulfils by being ego centric and selfish. Therefore, he fails to maintain cordial interpersonal relationship with others in the society.
He is also not in a position to understand others point of view because of his serious concern about himself. Due to his selfishness, he makes unrealistic demands on others. Though he is not capable of donating his love, sympathy and affection to others; he expects the same from them and hence is rejected by society. This multiplies the insecurity, hostility and the suspiciousness of the neurotic.
5. Persistent Non Integrative Behaviour:
Over reaction to minor stress situation leads to dis-organising anxiety and to reduce this he takes recourse to various defence mechanisms which are either not very helpful.
Thus, the neurotic constantly demonstrates non-integrative behaviour.
6. Lack of Insight and Rigidity:
Though the neurotic is conscious of his symptoms and their irrational nature, he does not know why he has these symptoms; he cannot explain the causes either. The only remedy he can take up to reduce anxiety is to use, the defences.
Thus, he all the while tries to direct his activity in such a way so as not to endanger this defensive structure. He, therefore, lacks flexibility in his behaviour clinging to the same defences throughout his life.
This makes him a rigid person. Thus Coleman opines, “for this reason, the neurotic is said to be a driven, compulsive and restricted personality.” His rigidity and lack of insight further decreases his sense of reality. So he is more subjective in his approach while dealing with different situations and experiences confusion in his sense of ‘self identity’.
7. Dissatisfaction and Unhappiness:
Anxiety, tension, fear, threat, apprehensions, conflict and lack of self confidence make the life of a neurotic unbearable. The neurotics are therefore tensed persons, pessimistic and more often than not dissatisfied with their life situations. They are basically unhappy and discontented persons.
8. Psychological and Somatic Symptoms:
The neurotics are found to show various psychological and somatic symptoms. Among the psychological symptoms anxiety and stress, apprehension and threat, phobias, obsessions and compulsions are frequently observed.
Tension, fatigue, indigestion, increased frequency of micturition muscular twitching, excessive sweating, heart palpitations, tension headaches, choking sensations, vague-aches and pains are frequently noticed. Although Coleman has pointed out these symptoms and characteristics of neuroses, he also holds that not all these characteristics are found in a given case.
Besides these symptoms, irrationality and dissociation of personality from conscious psychic life are other symptoms:
1. Irrationality:
Neurotic symptoms are less rationally motivated than normal psychological processes. For example, anxiety or fear over a spider or a cockroach keeping other factors constant, fear in broad day light or in a crowded place is irrational. Sadness upon losing the person one loves is rational. But depression over a minor frustration is unreasonable. “A depressive reaction to promotion in service is more paradoxical.”
2. Dissociation of Personality From Conscious Psychic Life:
The mother who is obsessed with the unconscious desire of killing her son is actually deeply devoted to her child in the conscious life. This unconscious desire is completely dissociated from her conscious personality. The compulsion to wash hand continuously appears to be unreasonable to the patient though in the course of the disease he may rationalize it as fear of germs.
Regressive Nature of Symptoms:
The symptoms of neurotic patient appear to be childish, i.e. symptoms which would have been considered otherwise normal for a child. The fear of dark places, being left alone, crowded places, streets of big city, great open spaces, are said to be regressive behaviour of neurotics. Rapid changes of the mind, momentary frustration, wish to use sharp instruments are attempts to relieve anxiety.
According to Coleman, “Neuroses are the result of complete interaction of personality and stress factors and the specific determinants and expressions of neurotic reactions are somewhat different for each individual.”
Cattell and Scheier (1961) have further pointed out”……………….. neurotic is only a person with an excess of the external and internal difficulties and inadequacies from which everyone suffers in some degree.”
Consequences of Neuroses:
There is no clear cut characteristic result of neurotic pattern of behaviour for the fact that a neurotic individual may be modest or invalid or healthy or a person who seeks affection and neglects his followers. There is thus diversity in the personality of neurotics.
But a careful and detailed analysis of neurotic behaviour shows an underlying general pattern of behaviour of the neurotic individuals. Neurotic tendency is observed in the individual from the very childhood just like morning shows the day.
Psychologists have found three general consequences of neuroses:
1. Fatigue
2. Tension
3. Dissatisfaction
1. Fatigue:
As commonly observed, most neurotics are persons who show tendency towards fatigue. At the slightest physical or mental exhaustion they seem to be tired which is definitely abnormal. The result of such fatigue creates physical or mental inefficiency. It interferes concentration in any work.
Neurotics usually complain of their mind wandering. They lack initiative and decisions. But once they make a decision they go on changing. They are not sure of themselves and hence are afraid of their decision.
A neurotic person feels more tired even after some rest or sleep. Thus when he wakes up in the morning, he feels ache and pain in the body, As the day progresses he feels better and better and towards the evening almost all fatigue disappears and he feels refreshed. This is in contrast to normal fatigue.
2. Tension:
Every normal individual experiences tension some time or other. But a neurotic person is in a state of tension all the time. So he seems to be restless both physically and mentally. Along with tension there is also irritation and frustrations. Neurotics are chronically irritated without being able to overcome slightest frustration. Due to overloaded tension, he becomes confused and anxious all the while.
The tension and anxiety of a neurotic mainly disturbs his sleep. If anyone complains of disturbed sleep or insomnia without obvious reasons, one may take it as the first sign of neuroses. Without sound sleep there is more accumulation of physical and mental fatigue. This further adds to the increase of neurotic symptoms.
3. Dissatisfaction:
Dissatisfaction is chronic in case of neurotics and due to extreme dissatisfaction, all the while, they lose the capacity for enjoyment. The neurotic is at war with himself for constant dissatisfaction and complaining nature.
All the above consequences may prepare the ground for the development of neuroses. People may have neurotic tendencies but need not necessary be called neurotic unless these predisposing factors are precipitated by necessary precipitating factors.
Secondary Gains of Neuroses:
The primary purpose of neurotic disorder is reduction of tension and conflict through neurotic illness. The ego of the patient may try to gain advantage from the external world by creating pity to get sympathy and attention of others. These advantages are known as the secondary gains of the mental illness.
The secondary gains are different for different form of neurotic illness. For instance getting attention through dramatic acting out and at time deriving material advantages are characteristics of conversion hysteria.
In Phobia, there is regression to childhood when one gets protection from parents, relatives and neighbourhood.
In Psycho somatic illness psychic conflicts are denied by projecting them into the physical sphere.