since pain can release endorphins I would have to say that neurosis could lead to masochistic tendencies.
Neurosis is a much broader term which includes mild masochistic tendencies. I think extreme masochism is considered psychotic.
This strikes me as a semantics question. Define 'neurosis'. It is kind of weird what is happening in psychology right now. There is a move, driven by the clinical psychology industry, to try to reclassify almost any 'non-normal' behaviour as a neurosis. The end result of this process, if someone does not stop it, is that every man, woman, and child on planet Earth will be defined as clinically neurotic and in need of psychological services. This because we are all different, and everyone will have some difference in behaviour or thinking that can be twisted to mean we are abnormal. James Bond will be lying on the analyst's couch because his willingness to knock out the bad guy is clearly a psychological defect. Nelson Mandela will be seen as abnormal because his willingness to help everyone is clearly pathological. So is masochism as neurosis? As far as the guys making $$$ from counselling and analysis are concerned, of course it is. Line up here and pay us your money - lots of it.
even though it's a broad term I think most of them can tend to have masochistic tendencies, especially long term stresses and anxiety, pain can become cathartic in a way.
