Psychoanalytic theorist
Karen
Horney developed one of the best known theories of neurosis. She believed
that neurosis resulted from basic anxiety caused by interpersonal relationships.
Her theory proposes that strategies used to cope with anxiety can be overused,
causing them to take on the appearance of needs.
According to Horney,
basic anxiety (and therefore neurosis) could result from a variety of things
including, " . . . direct or indirect domination, indifference, erratic
behavior, lack of respect for the child's individual needs, lack of real
guidance, disparaging attitudes, too much admiration or the absence of it, lack
of reliable warmth, having to take sides in parental disagreements, too much or
too little responsibility, over-protection, isolation from other children,
injustice, discrimination, unkept promises, hostile atmosphere, and so on and so
on" (Horney, 1945).
These 10 neurotic needs can be classed into three
broad categories:
- Needs that move you towards others.
These neurotic needs cause
individuals to seek affirmation and acceptance from others and are often
described as needy or clingy as they seek out approval and love.
- Needs that move you away from others.
These neurotic needs
create hostility and antisocial behavior. These individuals are often
described as cold, indifferent, and aloof.
- Needs that move you against others.
These neurotic needs result
in hostility and a need to control other people. These individuals are often
described as difficult, domineering, and unkind.
Well-adjusted
individuals utilize all three of these strategies, shifting focus depending on
internal and external factors. So what is it that makes these coping strategies
neurotic? According to Horney, it is the overuse of one or more of these
interpersonal styles. Neurotic people tend to utilize two or more of these ways
of coping, creating conflict, turmoil, and confusion.
In her book
Self-Analysis (1942), Horney outlined the 10 neurotic needs she had
identified:
1. The Neurotic Need for Affection and Approval
This needs include the
desires to be liked, to please other people, and meet the expectations of
others. People with this type of need are extremely sensitive to rejection and
criticism and fear the anger or hostility of others.
2. The Neurotic Need for a Partner Who Will Take Over One�s Life
These
involve the need to be centered on a partner. People with this need suffer
extreme fear of being abandoned by their partner. Oftentimes, these individuals
place an exaggerated importance on love and believe that having a partner will
resolve all of life�s troubles.
3. The Neurotic Need to Restrict One�s Life Within Narrow Borders
Individuals with this need prefer to remain inconspicuous and unnoticed. They
are undemanding and content with little. They avoid wishing for material
things, often making their own needs secondary and undervaluing their own
talents and abilities.
4. The Neurotic Need for Power
Individuals with this need seek power
for its own sake. They usually praise strength, despise weakness, and will
exploit or dominate other people. These people fear personal limitations,
helplessness, and uncontrollable situations.
5. The Neurotic Need to Exploit Others
These individuals view others in
terms of what can be gained through association with them. People with this
need generally pride themselves in their ability to exploit other people and are
often focused on manipulating others to obtain desired objectives, including
such things as ideas, power, money, or sex.
6. The Neurotic Need for Prestige
Individuals with a need for prestige
value themselves in terms of public recognition and acclaim. Material
possessions, personality characteristics, professional accomplishments, and
loved ones are evaluated based upon prestige value. These individuals often
fear public embarrassment and loss of social status.
7. The Neurotic Need for Personal Admiration
Individuals with a
neurotic need for personal admiration are narcissistic and have an exaggerated
self-perception. They want to be admired based on this imagined self-view, not
upon how they really are.
8. The Neurotic Need for Personal Achievement
According to Horney,
people push themselves to achieve greater and greater things as a result of
basic insecurity. These individuals fear failure and feel a constant need to
accomplish more than other people and to top even their own earlier successes.
9. The Neurotic Need for Self-Sufficiency and Independence
These
individuals exhibit a �loner� mentality, distancing themselves from others in
order to avoid being tied down or dependent upon other people.
10. The Neurotic Need for Perfection and Unassailability
These
individuals constantly strive for complete infallibility. A common feature of
this neurotic need is searching for personal flaws in order to quickly change or
cover up these perceived imperfections.