Sigmund Freud On Neurosis Summary

Sigmund Freud On Neurosis Summary

This article will cover information related to Sigmund Freud and the Summary of ON NEUROSIS by Sigmund Freud, important from the perspective of both English Literature and Psychology.

But, before that, you need to attain some information about Neurosis to make things easier for you to understand. 

What Is Neurosis’ Definition?

William Cullen, the Scottish doctor coined the term neurosis in 1769. The term “Neurosis” is derived from the Greek word ‘Neuron; which means nerve with the suffix ‘osis’ which means an abnormal condition or disease. Thus Neurosis is referred to as the disorders related to sense and motion which are caused as a result of the affected nervous system. 

What Is Neurosis In Psychology?

In terms of Psychology, Neurosis (also referred to as Psychoneurosis) is a mental disorder that creates a sense of distress and deficiency in the functioning of the brain. It is often accompanied by depression, and anxiety and the individual feels unhappy most of the time.

What Are The Symptoms Of Neurosis?

Although the causes of Neurosis are not physical, its symptoms are. There are a number of psychiatric conditions that can come as symptoms of neurosis. The symptoms of Neurosis can be physical, physiological, as well as mental, the most common symptom among all is Anxiety. 

Let us check out all the possible symptoms that a person with Neurosis can have.

Psychological Symptoms

1. Sadness

2. Anxiety

3. Depression

4. Irritability

5. Anger

6. Low Self-Esteem

7. Mental Perplexity

Behavioral Symptoms

1. Vigilance

2. Impulsive or Compulsive Actions

3. Phobic Avoidance

4. Lethargy

Cognitive Symptoms

1. Negativity

2. Cynicism

3. Obsession

4. Disturbing Thoughts

5. fantasizing

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Sigmund Freud On Neurosis Summary

Although the term Neurosis was coined by William Cullen, Sigmund Freud was the first person to define this term in the most influential manner. 

The term “neurosis” has always been very popular with the Psychoanalysts like Sigmund Freud. (Who is Sigmund Freud? – Sigmund Freud was the first Psychoanalyst and he was the one who brought the idea of Psychoanalysis for the first time ever). 

According to Freud, Neurosis is basically the manifestation of the conscious material produced by anxiety which is something so complicated that it cannot be thought consciously, but it still has to find a means of expression so, it comes out as Neurosis. 

What Causes Neurosis According To Freud?

Neurosis, as per Freud’s interpretation, is the result of the repressed events, traumas, and any kind of disappointments that individual experiences in his/her life and that make their way to their later years of life. 

Freud believed that Neurosis is something that is rooted in a person’s early disappointments or traumas. This has a lot to do with the person’s childhood experiences. 

As a result of this, during the psychosexual stage of development of an individual, he/she represents frustrations that are often sexual in nature. 

This explanation by Freud was entirely opposed by Carl Jung, another influential figure in Psychoanalysis, who believed that neurosis was just an exaggeration of the normal expression of the individual. 

Due to this explanation of Freud, the use of the term “Neurosis” began to decline in the scientific community and was even removed from the American DSM-III (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, only the terms mentioned in DSM are considered to be mental disorders).

As a replacement for Neurosis, certain other disorder types were included, for instance, OCD, (you must have heard about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, it recently became quite popular on social media, OCD refers to the behavioral disorder in which the individual has to deal with unwanted thoughts and fears which result in obsessions and due to this the individual becomes habitual of repetitive behaviors, here Fears are the Obsessions and repetitive behaviors are the Compulsions.)

However, due to the elimination of Neurosis from DSM-III, there was also a drastic decline in the popularity of Psychoanalysis. Consequently, the Psychoanalytical terminology was also found objectionable/unsuitable for DSM. 

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How Can Neurosis Be Cured According To Freud?

In order to cure the patient’s Neurosis, Freud laid his entire focus on the individual’s past. He tried to find out the root cause of that behavior which he believed lay somewhere in the past experiences or traumas of the person. 

Final Words

Keep following our content and we shall soon come up with more of what you would like to read. If you are a literature or psychology student, you can tell us what else you need, we are happy to help. Also, check out our article On Mirror Stage By Lacan – Jacques Lacan Mirror Stage Summary

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