Lesson 3: Neurosis

Introduction

This lesson was created using some material from General Psychology 20, Alberta Distance Learning Centre.

Overview

The term neurosis sounds mysterious and even exciting, but for people who are affected by it, it is any thing but glamourous. Is there any justification for studying bizarre mental conditions besides the fact that they are fascinating to research? Statistics indicate that approximately 10% of the population suffer from some mental disorder requiring professional treatment. One in ten young people is troubled by serious emotional problems. Half of the routine medical cases treated by doctors are compounded by a mental illness factor. Those facts alone are good reasons to study neurosis.