Neurotic means you're afflicted by neurosis, a word that has been in use since the 1700s to describe mental, emotional, or physical reactions ...MenuAnxiety&PanicDisordersBipolarDisorderDepressionEatingDisordersSchizophreniaSubstanceAbuse&AddictionNews&FeaturesReferenceQuizzesSlideshowsVideosQuestions&AnswersFindaPsychiatristADHDCrisisAssistanceHealth&BalanceLivingHealthyMilitaryFamiliesSupportPersonalityDisordersPTSDStressManagementMoreRelatedTopicsMentalHealthReferenceMenuMedicallyReviewedbySmithaBhandari, MDonJune11,2019InthisArticleHistoryofNeurosisNeuroticConductPersonalityvs.MentalIllnessCostsandBenefitsTreatmentLotsofpeoplefeelanxiousfromtimetotime.Youmightgetaknotinyourstomachbeforeajobinterview,stressaboutmoney,orfretifyourchildisn’thomebycurfew.It’sanormalpartofbeinghuman.Butwhatifyourextremeworrydoesn’tgoaway?Negativeorobsessivethoughtscantakeoveryourmindtothepointthatit’shardforyoutohandleeverydaysituations.That’scalledneuroticbehavior.Itcan--butnotalways--stemfromamentalillness.HistoryofNeurosisNeuroticmeansyou’reafflictedbyneurosis,awordthathasbeeninusesincethe1700stodescribemental,emotional,orphysicalreactionsthataredrasticandirrational.Atitsroot,aneuroticbehaviorisanautomatic,unconsciousefforttomanagedeepanxiety.In1980,theAmericanPsychiatricAssociationremovedthetermneurosisfromitsdiagnosticmanualaspartofarevamptostandardizethecriteriaformentalillnesses.Today,neurosisisnotastand-alonementalcondition.Instead,doctorsmostoftenputitssymptomsinthesamecategoryasanxietydisorder.Inotherwords,whatusedtobecalledneurosisnowfallsundertheumbrellaofanxiety.NeuroticConductThelinethatdividesneuroticfromnormalistheintensity.Neuroticthoughtsandbehaviorsbydefinitionaresoextremethattheyinterferewithyourpersonal,professional,andromanticlives.What’smore,theytendtobeyourdefaultresponsetoevenminorproblems.Commonbehavior:Youworryaboutfinishingabigprojectatworkontime.Neuroticbehavior:Youfixateonthedeadlineandmoan,“I’llnevergetthisdone!”eventhoughit’snotdueformonthsandyouhaveli