Neuroticism is a personality trait that describes how you deal with stress. Being neurotic can have benefits and studies show neurotics even live ...Jumpto:WhatisNeuroticismTheUpsidetoBeingNeuroticWhenNeuroticismGoesSouthHowtobeLessNeuroticYoucanseethemcomingfromamileaway,angstyenergyradiatinglikeanuclearbomb.Thatfriend,neighbor,orcoworkerwhoobsessivelyanalyzeseverythought,feeling,andaction,andthenanalyzestheiranalysis.Andifthereisn’tanaudiblenarrationgoingalongwithdailylife,mappingoutthepossiblenegativeconsequencesofeveryfutureaction,youcanbesureapermanentproverbialthoughtbubblehangsoverhead.Youknowthem,youlove-hatethem,theWoodyAllensorLarryDavidsoftheworld,betterknowninclinicaltermsasneurotics.WhatisNeuroticism?ClassifiedasoneoftheBigFivepersonalitytraits,ortheOCEANmodel(openness,conscientiousness,extraversion,agreeableness,andneuroticism)psychologistslookattodefinepersonality,accountforindividualdifferences,andpredictwellbeing,“neuroticismhastodowiththewayspeopleexperiencenegativeemotioninresponsetostress,”saysclinicalpsychologistKristinNaragon-Gainey,PhD,associateprofessorofpsychologyinTheUniversityofBuffalo’sDepartmentofPsychology .“Twopeoplecouldbefacedwiththesamesituationandtheneuroticonewillputanegativespinontheexperienceandproduceastrongerreactiontostress—withfeelingslikesadness,anxiety,fear,hostility,irritability,andanger,”Dr.Naragon-Gaineysays.Often,theirlevelofworryorsadnessisn’tcommensuratewithwhat’sactuallyhappening.TheUpsidetoBeingNeuroticAlittleneuroticismcanbegoodforthesoul.“Thesepersonalitytypestendtobeintelligent,humorous,havemorerealistic(ifcynical)expectations,agreaterself-awareness,driveandconscientiousness,theytakefewer risks,andhaveastrongneedtoprovideforothers,”sayspsychiatristGrantH. Brenner M.D.,FAPA,co-founderofNeighborhoodPsychiatry,inManhattan.And,accordingtoresearch,neuroticpeoplearemorelikelytobecreativethinkers.Neuroticsalsopossessmoreemotionaldepth.“Theyhavemoreexperiencehandlingnegativeemotions,which,thoughdifficult,canalsomakethem