Having a wide repertoire of feelings is part of the general pattern of most people. Within the same situation, we can feel anger, sadness, joy, fear, among others, but what happens when we experience more than one emotion at the same time?
Although this quality is usually common in many people, it can become a complex situation if it begins to harm social relationships, emotional ties, and areas of work functioning. Do you want to know more about this? In this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about the Affective ambivalence: what it is, causes, symptoms and treatment.
What is emotional ambivalence
One of the first aspects to have in order to know what affective ambivalence is lies in understanding what exactly we are talking about when we refer to that concept. In general terms, we can define affective ambivalence as a mood characterized by the presence of two or more feelings simultaneously. In simpler terms, a person with emotional ambivalence is capable of feeling love and hate at the same time. This concept has been classified by the DSM-V within general personality disorder.
It is important to highlight that a series of diagnostic criteria must be met to make an adequate diagnosis:
- Difficulty in
- Deterioration of work, social and family relationships.
- Pattern lasting over time that has an impact on the way of thinking and behavior.
- Inflexible behavior pattern.
- The onset can originate during adolescence and persist for several years of life.
- The alterations cannot be explained by the presence of another mental disorder or by the effects of a substance and/or medication.
Causes of emotional ambivalence
Knowing the origins that give rise to the characteristics of affective ambivalence is crucial when establishing tools to resolve possible conflicts. Among the most relevant causes in the development of emotional ambivalence we can highlight:
- Environmental factors: are the experiences of the past that determine people’s patterns of behavior, thought and emotion. It is possible that the person with emotional ambivalence has experienced situations in which he would have experienced intense emotions at the same time if someone in the family environment possessed those kinds of qualities, later replicated by the ambivalent person. Imitation is a condition with importance in the development of personality.
- Genetic factors: Genetic inheritance shapes the way people respond to the stimuli presented to them. There are various areas within the cerebral cortex that are associated with emotional processing. In this way, it is possible that certain neural connections are activated with greater intensity in certain situations.
Symptoms of emotional ambivalence
Affective ambivalence presents a series of visible manifestations on both the physical and emotional levels and behavior of a person that can impact the development of their daily activities. Knowing these signs can help us detect this state to start looking for effective treatments and face the consequences of emotional ambivalence.
Some of the most important symptoms of emotional ambivalence are:
- Uncertainty.
- Repetitive thoughts.
- .
- Fear.
- Anxiety.
- Stomach ache.
- Excessive sweating.
- Palpitations.
- Tremors.
- Shortness of breath.
- Incrise of cardiac frecuency.
- Dizziness
- Nausea and/or vomiting.
- Presence of two or more emotions simultaneously about a person, object and/or specific situation.
It should be noted that the presence of one or more symptoms does not necessarily imply that we are dealing with a person who has emotional ambivalence. It is essential that the diagnosis be carried out by a mental health professional who evaluates the clinical conditions of each patient according to their needs and requirements.
Treatment of emotional ambivalence
Currently we have treatments that have proven to be remarkably effective against this problem. Below we explain two options to address a picture of emotional ambivalence.
Psychological therapy
Psychotherapy consists of a space that offers the possibility for the person to reflect on their thoughts, emotions and behaviors associated with the symptoms they manifest. On the one hand, short-term therapies attempt set resources and tools that the patient finds them useful in addressing situations that give rise to emotional ambivalence.
The most recognized brief therapy is (CBT). On the other hand, longer-term therapies seek the origin of the symptoms from the memory of childhood situations that are linked to the condition. This makes it possible to act differently in times of stress and/or anxiety. Here we can place psychoanalysis as the most important treatment.
Psychiatric medication
In serious cases that manifest serious consequences in the development of daily life, there is the possibility of resorting to psychiatric medication. These medications produce changes in neuronal connections associated with emotional processing.
However, it is important to be clear that psychiatric medication should only be used under the supervision of a mental health professional.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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References
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: Panamericana Medical Publishing.
Bibliography
- Freud, S. (1909). Analysis of a case of obsessional neurosis. (“The Rat Man Case”). Complete works. Buenos Aires: Amorrortu.
- Manzanedo, M. (1984). Affective ambivalence, Angelicum, 61 (3), 404-440.