The five kleshas framework identifies the psychological roots beneath addiction symptoms, enabling treatment targeting fundamental mental health causes.
Patanjali identifies five fundamental afflictions (kleshas): avidya (ignorance), asmita (egoism), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death). These are not peripheral to addiction—they are its psychological foundation. Addiction springs from ignorance about what truly brings happiness, ego-driven needs for control or escape, grasping after pleasure, pushing away pain, and existential denial. Traditional addiction treatment often focuses only on behavior, but Yoga Sutras reveals the deeper mental health dimensions. Treating addiction requires addressing these root afflictions: cultivating clear seeing about consequences, releasing false identity investments, understanding the addictive dance with craving and aversion, and developing existential resilience. This klesa-based analysis transforms addiction from a willpower problem into a comprehensible mental health condition with identifiable psychological roots. By systematically working with each affliction through appropriate practices, practitioners target the actual causes of addictive cycles rather than merely managing symptoms.
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