Patanjali's five kleshas (afflictions) framework identifies ignorance, ego, craving, aversion, and fear as root causes of suffering, which DBT addresses through integrated skill development.
Patanjali identifies five kleshas—avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego-sense), raga (craving), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death)—as the root causes of psychological suffering. Emotional dysregulation is klesha in action. Avidya means not seeing reality clearly; dysregulated individuals misperceive threat, misinterpret others' intentions, see themselves distortedly. Asmita-ego drives shame and defensive reactivity. Raga-craving for pleasant emotions fuels desperation; dvesha-aversion to pain amplifies struggle. Abhinivesha manifests as catastrophizing and existential anxiety. DBT's comprehensive approach addresses kleshas systemically: mindfulness counters avidya through accurate perception; distress tolerance reduces raga-dvesha spirals; emotion regulation builds capacity to tolerate abhinivesha; interpersonal effectiveness addresses asmita-ego reactivity. Patanjali teaches that kleshas are dissolved through knowledge and practice, not suppression. Recognizing one's particular klesha pattern—whether primarily driven by craving, aversion, or fear—allows targeted DBT application. This reframes emotional dysregulation from symptom to meaningful signal pointing toward deeper work.
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