Patanjali identifies five fundamental mental afflictions (avidya, asmita, raga, dvesha, abhinivesha) that directly map onto core DBT targets and dialectical patterns.
Patanjali's kleshas—the five fundamental afflictions of ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, and fear of death—provide a diagnostic framework for understanding emotional dysregulation. Avidya (ignorance) manifests as clients' inaccurate beliefs about emotions or themselves; asmita (false self-identity) appears as rigid self-concepts ('I am broken,' 'I am unlovable'); raga (attachment) emerges as desperate clinging to outcomes or relationships; dvesha (aversion) becomes avoidance of emotions or situations; abhinivesha (fear of annihilation) underlies suicide attempts and self-harm. DBT addresses these kleshas through specific modules: emotion regulation targets ignorance about feelings; distress tolerance reduces attachment and aversion; interpersonal effectiveness challenges false identity; mindfulness practices all five. The kleshas framework suggests emotional dysregulation isn't a single problem but rather overlapping afflictions requiring multi-modal treatment. A suicidal client may simultaneously suffer ignorance about emotion regulation, false identity as inherently worthless, attachment to pain relief through self-harm, aversion to discomfort, and existential terror. Patanjali's taxonomy validates DBT's comprehensive approach and helps practitioners understand why single interventions rarely resolve chronic dysregulation.
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