What Does It Mean To Be Neurotic and How Can It Affect Behavior?

Neuroticism is a personality trait that can cause emotional instability and negative feelings like irritability, anxiety, self-doubt, and depression. Neurotic behavior often includes becoming overly worried or upset as a response to stress. A person with neuroticism may also overreact to potentially threatening situations and become overwhelmed by minor frustrations or problems. 

It's worth noting that neuroticism is not a mental health condition—rather, it's one of the "Big Five" personality traits—a model of personality theory that was developed by psychologist D.W. Fiske. However, neurotic behavior can still negatively affect your behavior, relationships, and health outcomes if you have neuroticism and don't know how to better manage it.

Causes

Like other personality traits, research suggests that you can develop neuroticism due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and social factors. Studies suggest the following causes: 

• Genetics: You may inherit neuroticism from your parents. Researchers have identified that behaviors related to neuroticism, such as high anxiety levels, tension, and worry, may be passed down from generation to generation. Studies on the Big Five personality traits also found that neuroticism had the most significant hereditary link, meaning it was the trait that was most likely to be passed down from parent to child. 
• Childhood experiences: Research shows adults who experienced life-threatening traumatic events in childhood are more likely to display higher levels of neurotic behavior. Studies have also shown children who experience daily conflict with friends or parents are more prone to neurotic behavior.
• Brain function: A small study found people with high neuroticism levels had lower lateral prefrontal activity after looking at unpleasant images. Your lateral prefrontal cortex is a part of the brain that helps with thinking, reasoning, memory, and planning. This means that having a higher level of neurotic behavior may lower your ability to logically respond to negative situations and cause you to overreact to stressors.
• Sex: People assigned female at birth often have higher neuroticism scores on personality tests than assigned males. However, females are more likely to have higher levels of anxiety and lower self-esteem, while males tend to display increased levels of anger and hostility. 
• Evolution and survival: Some researchers believe neuroticism is a product of evolution. Since neurotic traits can cause people to overreact to perceived danger or threats, they may also be less likely to take dangerous risks, which may improve survival. As a result, neurotic behavior may give people an evolutionary advantage. 

Signs of Neuroticism

In general, people with neuroticism have a tendency to experience negative emotions. If you suspect you or a loved one have a neurotic personality, these are some signs to look for:

• Persistent worrying or anxiety
• Emotional instability
• Self-consciousness
• Feelings of self-doubt
• Frequent mood swings or sad and depressed moods
• Becoming easily irritated or angered
  

Everyone experiences neuroticism a little differently and neurotic behavior can be mild or extreme. It's important to note that everyone experiences some level of neurotic behavior, but people with a neurotic personality are often on the higher end of the neuroticism spectrum.

Behavioral Effects

Neuroticism often negatively affects how you behave in times of stress—whether it's major life stressors or minor daily life challenges. Having a neurotic personality can also pose challenges in managing emotions like anxiety, guilt, fear, and sadness. As a result, you may misinterpret or overreact to everyday situations.

Here are some examples of how neuroticism can further affect your behavior:

• Excessive worrying about everyday tasks
• Trouble recovering emotionally from difficult or stressful events
• Perceiving neutral situations as a threat
• Being easily overwhelmed by and overreacting to minor problems and inconveniences
• Having difficulty controlling emotions

How Neurotism Affects Your Life

Neurotic behavior can affect several aspects of your life, including your mental health, physical health, overall well-being, and relationships. Here are some areas where you may notice the role of neuroticism in your daily life:

• Anxiety and mood disorders: Neurotic behavior can increase your risk of experiencing negative emotions and mood swings, which may increase your risk of developing anxiety and depression.
• Health conditions: Neuroticism is also linked to asthma, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), heart problems, and immune system problems. People with neurotic behavior may sometimes avoid seeking treatment when receiving a diagnosis for these health conditions.
• Cognitive decline: A 2019 study found that people with neuroticism may be at an increased risk of experiencing cognitive decline. This can happen because those who are neurotic may be less likely to take care of themselves and practice wellness.
• Poor job or school performance: Time overspent worrying and fixating on stressful situations can cause people with neuroticism to perform poorly at work or school.
• Marital problems: Because neurotic personalities can misinterpret situations and overreact, they often feel dissatisfied with their marriages even when nothing is wrong. This behavior can lead to marital problems like frustration, withdrawal, and difficulty with communication.
  

It's important to note that there are also some positive behavioral outcomes associated with neuroticism. Neurotic behavior may help people survive because they are more likely to pay attention to risks. People with neurotic traits may also have more academic success. A 2018 survey found honors college students had higher than average neuroticism scores.

Coping With Neuroticism

Having neuroticism doesn't mean something's wrong with your personality. Many people with neuroticism live stable and fulfilling lives. Still, constant negative emotions and emotional instability can sometimes affect your well-being. Learning to manage your feelings with the proper support and mindset can help.

Some daily ways you can cope with neuroticism include:

• Practicing mindfulness: Mindfulness is a practice that helps you acknowledge and accept your emotions, rather than fixating or dwelling on problems. Practicing mindfulness can help you identify neurotic behaviors and learn to shift negative feelings. Try keeping a gratitude journal or practicing mindfulness meditation.
• Improving emotional intelligence: Having a high level of neuroticism can make it difficult to balance your emotions. Research has found that improving your emotional intelligence can help you become more resilient and emotionally stable. Some ways to learn more about emotional intelligence are by checking out online courses or reading self-help books.
• Restructuring thoughts: Evidence shows that replacing negative thoughts with positive ones can reduce the effects of neuroticism and improve feelings of anxiety and worry. Implementing positive thinking may include writing down affirmations to remind yourself to think positively or thinking of positive images when something worries you. 
• Reducing stress: Stress can increase negative thought patterns and worsen symptoms of neuroticism. Finding ways to reduce stress can help you improve positive thinking. Try exercising or moving regularly, meditation, yoga, reading, painting, or spending time with your loved ones. What's important is to find activities that you enjoy and help you de-stress.

When To Contact A Healthcare Provider

Talk with your healthcare provider if neurotic behavior makes it difficult for you to maintain relationships, keep up with daily tasks or your work, or live a good quality life. Negative feelings and emotional instability can be a sign of an underlying mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety.

Talking with a healthcare provider or mental health professional can help you determine the underlying cause of your neurotic behavior. Your provider can also help you develop strategies to manage your emotions and improve your emotional well-being.

Treatment Options

If neuroticism is heavily affecting your daily life, your healthcare provider may recommend seeing a mental health professional for added support. Generally, you'll work with a licensed professional such as a psychologist, social worker, or therapist. They may recommend psychotherapy (or, talk therapy) to help you manage neurotic behaviors. The most common treatments include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This therapy helps you reframe your negative and misleading thoughts into positive ones. CBT can also help you reduce the severity of negative emotions and urges. 
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): This mindful therapy gives you the skills to accept your thoughts and feelings as they are in the moment. ACT also aims to help you let go of the need to control situations as a way to manage negative emotions.

A Quick Review

Neuroticism is a personality trait that increases your risk of experiencing negative emotions such as irritability, anxiety, self-doubt, and depression. Neuroticism can greatly affect your behavior, as you may have challenges with managing your emotions, especially in times of daily stress or minor inconveniences. As a result, you may notice that you often misinterpret or overreact to everyday situations.

Many people have neurotic tendencies, but high levels of neuroticism can cause you to experience concerns related to your emotional well-being, physical health, and social relationships. If you think neurotic behaviors are affecting your quality of life, it's good practice to see your healthcare provider or a mental health professional for support. They can help you find coping methods that are right for you and assist you in improving your overall well-being.