Neurotic Anxiety: Causes, Symptoms, and Coping Strategies

You may be familiar with Anxiety from Inside Out 2, which introduced this beautiful, complicated, yet overwhelming emotion that we all encounter on a daily basis. 

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Riley’s life requires more sophisticated emotions than all of you.

— Anxiety, Inside Out 2 (2024)

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Anxiety is a common term we use on a daily basis. This emotion can be overwhelming and paralyzing if not managed. According to the American Psychological Association, anxiety is a future-oriented emotion characterized by feelings of worry and stress, as well as bodily changes such as headaches and an increase in blood pressure. We use the word "anxious" to describe our feelings about a situation like a meeting, graded paper, or job interview.

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Since COVID, our country has seen an increase in mental health concerns, with 35.89% of Filipinos experiencing moderate to severe anxiety symptoms. Even though anxiety is common, its persistence can make it difficult to manage one's everyday life and relationships. This can lead to anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorders, and other phobia-related issues that need professional help and, in some circumstances, medication.

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In psychoanalytic thought, Sigmund Freud introduced the terms neurotic and objective anxiety. Neurotic anxiety is maladaptive and stems from internal conflicts and insecurities, whereas objective anxiety is characterized by fear of an actual external threat or stress. The former stems from feeling like you're losing control or that your ego is in danger, which makes you react to stress and anxiety in a strict and dysfunctional way. 

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When we hear the term "neurotic," we usually think of people who are controlling and become stressed out when things don't go their way. But what could be the cause of this? What warning signs should you look out for? What steps should we take to seek intervention if the situation becomes unbearable? To learn more, read on:

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Causes

Environmental and neurobiological factors have a huge impact on the onset of neurotic anxiety. Factors such as a high level of neuroticism and an anxious-avoidant attachment style, along with interactions with stressful environments and difficult people, can be challenging for some individuals to navigate.

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Symptoms

Because neurotic anxiety is caused by internal conflict and tension, it might appear in a person in the following ways:

i. Behaviorally: tendency to be more controlling or perfectionistic in everyday activities, demanding, impulsive, difficult to adapt, defensive, overreactive, or making bad decisions.

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ii. Cognitively: black-and-white thinking, excessive anxiety, difficulty making decisions, unreasonable fear, and a tendency to jump to the worst-case scenario.‍

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iii. Emotionally: constant worry or fear, irritability over small things, easily overwhelmed, lowered self-esteem, rapid mood changes, and alertness in everyday interactions and situations.

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iv. Physically: headaches, stomach issues, rises in blood pressure, muscle tension, and difficulty sleeping.

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You may not realize it, but doing this daily can change how a person acts and shows up. This can lead to tiredness, inability to concentrate, social isolation, relationship problems, and inadequate performance at work or school.

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Furthermore, neurotic anxiety can be a symptom of underlying mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety disorders.

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Coping

With nervous anxiety, there is no one way to deal with it. A person can deal with it and move on through one or more of these approaches:

‍i. Self-care strategies: Lifestyle changes like mindfulness techniques, regular exercise, modifying food habits, and getting enough sleep can help regulate anxiety and focus on the present moment.

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ii. Seeking professional help: It can help you process your emotions and thoughts and find healthy coping strategies. More importantly, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy may help transform one's internal dialogue and way of thinking, while Psychotherapy can help uncover unconscious factors that contribute to neurotic anxiety. 

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iii. Social support: Surrounding oneself with compassionate individuals, such as friends, trustworthy family members, or adults, can make the journey more manageable and comfortable. Attending support groups can also be encouraging and make someone feel that they are not alone in what they are going through.

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iv. Stress management techniques: This can be included in the first strategy, but we want to reiterate how important it is to do what feels good for you when you’re overwhelmed or stressed. We approach stress differently, and this could include limiting social interactions as you process your feelings, journaling, listening to music, cleaning the house or their room, and working out. Your therapist may recommend strategies that you can practice too. Remember to engage in healthy coping methods to help you manage your anxiety more effectively—and by healthy, we mean strategies that are safe for you and others.

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We are often our own worst critics, but with the right tools and techniques, we can manage neurotic anxiety. If you need any assistance or someone to talk to, schedule an appointment with us at www.empath.ph.   

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Note: The causes and symptoms stated do not encourage self-diagnosis. Feel free to email us at info@empath.ph if you need help.

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References:

• Anxiety. (n.d.). https://www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety#:~:text=Anxiety%20is%20an%20emotion%20characterized,they%20are%20often%20used%20interchangeably.
• Anxiety Disorders. (n.d.). National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders#:~:text=The%20symptoms%20can%20interfere%20with,and%20various%20phobia%2Drelated%20disorders.
• Serrano, I. M. A., Cuyugan, A. M. N., Cruz, K., Mahusay, J. M. A., & Alibudbud, R. (2023). Sociodemographic characteristics, social support, and family history as factors of depression, anxiety, and stress among young adult senior high school students in metro Manila, Philippines, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1225035
• Shafir, H., & Westphalen, D. (2023, September 8). Neurotic Anxiety: Signs, Symptoms, & Treatment. Retrieved from Choosing Therapy: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/neurotic-anxiety/#:~:text=Neurotic%20anxiety%20describes%20a%20type,compulsive%20disorders%20being%20most%20common
• Leopold, B. (2023, November 30). Neurotic Anxiety: Examples, Symptoms, and How to Cope. https://overcomewithus.com/anxiety/neurotic-anxiety-examples-symptoms-and-how-to-cope

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