Klesha: The Five Afflictions Underlying Emotional Dysregulation

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.