Thursday Thirteen

I have a friend who tells me I am "neurotic" all the time. I used to cringe when I heard this, because that's not a good trait in our society.

I also wasn't entirely sure I knew what it meant. Of course I've heard the word, but it isn't one I use myself to describe, well, anyone. So, I looked it up. I never like to assume.

It is, unfortunately, true. I took a free test at bigfive-test.com and it came back as my being totally neurotic.

According to the test, neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative feelings. Freud originally used the term neurosis to describe a condition marked by mental distress, emotional suffering, and an inability to cope effectively with the normal demands of life. He suggested that everyone shows some signs of neurosis, but that we differ in our degree of suffering and our specific symptoms of distress. Today neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative feelings.

Those who score high on Neuroticism may experience primarily one specific negative feeling such as anxiety, anger, or depression, but are likely to experience several of these emotions.

People high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive. They respond emotionally to events that would not affect most people, and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult.

So, without further ado, here are 13 traits of a neurotic person (they may not all apply to me):

1. Anxiety: Frequent feelings of worry or fear.

2. Irritability: Easily annoyed or angered.

3. Emotional instability: Rapid mood changes and difficulty regulating emotions.

4. Self-doubt: Lack of confidence in one’s abilities or decisions.

5. Depression: Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.

6. Self-consciousness: High awareness and concern about how others perceive them.

7. Moodiness: Frequent mood swings.

8. Stress vulnerability: Difficulty coping with stress.

9. Pessimism: Tendency to expect the worst outcomes.

10. Guilt: Often feeling responsible for things that go wrong.

11. Perfectionism: Setting unrealistically high standards for oneself.

12. Social withdrawal: Avoiding social interactions due to fear or anxiety.

13. Overthinking: Excessive rumination on problems or worries.

There are more, of course. Aren't there always?

Maybe I'll change my sign-off to the Neurotic Dragon Queen.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 869th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.