Patanjali identifies five kleshas (afflictions) that drive unconscious behavior; addiction arises from these same root afflictions operating at intensified psychological depth.
Patanjali describes five kleshas—fundamental mental afflictions that generate all suffering: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death/change). These are not moral failures but psychological patterns operating in all humans; addiction involves these kleshas intensified and consolidated. Avidya drives the belief that substances satisfy. Asmita appears as the addicted identity: I am an addict, I am broken, I am different from others. Raga manifests as desperate attachment to the substance and related behaviors. Dvesha drives aversion to difficult emotions that the substance numbs. Abhinivesha fuels fear of withdrawal and resistance to the discomfort required for change. Understanding addiction through the klesha framework reveals the psychological depth beneath surface behavior. Effective recovery addresses these root afflictions: developing genuine self-knowledge (addressing avidya), building authentic self-worth beyond addicted identity (addressing asmita), cultivating equanimity toward both pleasure and pain (addressing raga and dvesha), and developing courage to face change (addressing abhinivesha). Patanjali's framework suggests that behavioral treatment alone, without addressing these underlying afflictions, leaves individuals vulnerable to relapse. Comprehensive recovery engages the fundamental psychological and spiritual dimensions that generate addictive patterns.
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