The author summarizes the historical development of the concept of “neurosis” from its appearance in psychiatric and neurological classifications to its recent disappearance from diagnostic manuals. He stresses the importance of an epistemological understanding of the term in the context of the therapeutic relationship. The term neuropsychosis, introduced by Freud, was at the origin of a paradigm shift in the doctor-patient relationship, creating the idea of the patient as the active agent in his therapy. The return of a predominantly biological, post-Kraepelinian ideology has reversed this picture, reintroducing notions such as compliance with treatment and therapeutic education. These movements are considered from a historical perspective, without any value judgement.