neurosis

/njuə'rousis/

Thân thiện

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A mental or emotional disorder characterized by anxiety, obsessive thoughts, compulsive acts, or physical symptoms without a demonstrable organic cause. It is a functional disorder, meaning it is not attributable to known neurological damage or disease.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Her chronic anxiety and compulsive hand-washing were diagnosed as a form of neurosis.
  • Freudian psychoanalysis often focused on treating neurosis by exploring unconscious conflicts.

Advanced Usage

• "Neurosis" vs. "Psychosis": In traditional psychiatry, a neurosis is a less severe disorder where the individual maintains contact with reality (e.g., anxiety disorders, phobias), whereas a psychosis involves a loss of contact with reality (e.g., schizophrenia).
  • While his neurosis caused him great distress, he was still able to function in his daily life.

Variants and Related Words

• Neuroses (n): The plural form of neurosis.
  • The study examined various neuroses prevalent in the 20th century.
• Neurotic (adj): Relating to, characterized by, or affected with neurosis.
  • He displayed neurotic behavior, constantly worrying about minor details.
• Neurotic (n): A person affected with a neurosis.
  • The therapist specialized in treating neurotics.

Synonyms

• Psychoneurosis: A more technical term often used interchangeably with neurosis.
• Anxiety disorder: A modern diagnostic category that encompasses many conditions historically called neuroses.

Related Phrases

• "Neurotic anxiety": Anxiety that arises from internal psychological conflicts rather than external danger, a key concept in psychoanalytic theory.
  • Her fear of success was interpreted as a form of neurotic anxiety.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a mental or personality disturbance not attributable to any known neurological or organic dysfunction

Từ đồng nghĩa

• neuroticism
• psychoneurosis