Introduction

Abstract

Among the most common psychological disorders are those that have traditionally been included within the category of ‘neurosis’. There are a number of difficulties (both practical and theoretical) which prevent us from making any precise estimate of how many people are affected by one or other of the neurotic disorders; but even the most conservative estimates suggest that several million people must be incapacitated by them. Some of the less restrained estimates have suggested that as many as 50% of the population may at some time be affected. Whichever figure one chooses to accept, it is clear that neurotic behaviour cannot be regarded as something that is isolated from everyday life, or that is unusual. Large numbers of people are seriously affected by the neurotic disorders, and few of us are entirely free from some minor ‘neurotic’ reaction. Theories of neurosis play an important part in our understanding of human activity and should not be seen as relevant only to the behaviour of a small number of disturbed individuals.