When treating anxiety neurosis, what is a common psychological symptom experienced by patients?

In the context of anxiety neurosis, recurrent episodes of intense anxiety are commonly experienced by patients. This symptom aligns with the core understanding of anxiety disorders, where individuals often face persistent feelings of apprehension or dread that manifest as panic attacks or high levels of anxiety in various situations.

These recurrent episodes can be debilitating, leading individuals to avoid situations they associate with previous anxiety. Patients may experience significant physical and emotional distress during these episodes, which reinforces the cycle of anxiety and can lead to further complications in their daily lives.

The other symptoms listed, while they may be associated with other mental health disorders, do not encapsulate the primary characteristic of anxiety neurosis as strongly as recurrent episodes of intense anxiety do. For instance, obsessive thoughts often relate more specifically to obsessive-compulsive disorder rather than a primary feature of anxiety neurosis. Persistent sadness is more indicative of mood disorders such as depression. Intense fear of social situations is characteristic of social anxiety disorder specifically, which is a subset of anxiety disorders but does not encompass the broader category identified in the question.