Feeling of Stress as a Problem of Internal Conflict
“The most important goal of psychotherapy is the desire for sincerity and spiritual integrity: there is no need to pretend, you need to be sincere in the manifestation of your emotions, express yourself in them, and realize yourself in your work, in your beliefs. This can only be achieved by resolving internal conflicts." Karen Horney ( was a German psychoanalyst who practiced in the United States during her later career).
When experiencing conflict, a person is in a constant state of stress.
Does it ever happen that you cannot take a step forward, make some important decision, or agree to a proposal because you want one thing with your mind, but something completely different with your heart? No matter what decision you ultimately make, it will still seem like you missed something important, or you might make a mistake.
These doubts and the emotional churning are tearing you apart and absorbing a huge amount of energy. This is a typical internal or intrapersonal conflict. Each of us encounters it in one way or another.
Internal conflict is a collision of real and desired needs, conscious and unconscious interests, and true and false feelings. Simply put, a person is faced with a choice of solutions in a given situation, but at the same time two options arise and both seem correct. They cannot understand what is more important to them, therefore, they are not able to make any decisions. If someone makes a random choice, it is difficult for them to act according to the plan.
Evidence Showing Absolute Inconsistency
A protracted intrapersonal conflict provokes neurosis, which later manifests itself with typical neurotic symptoms such as increased anxiety, attacks of panic and fear, impaired concentration, irritability, resentment, a desire to escape from reality into various addictions, problems with sleep, fatigue, and melancholy, which can be overwhelming.
Lying to yourself - I want one thing, but I do another. Self-deception entails deception of others. This is how internal conflict develops into external conflict. The person you interact with senses deception, a trick, or a lie on a non-verbal level. And they don’t believe the answer you give them.
Often internal conflict is not recognized. A person experiences discomfort but does not understand what it is connected with.
When someone is in a state of constant mental tension caused by anxiety and stress, psychosomatic symptoms appear. This is what is called psychosomatics. All diseases come from nerves - a well-known phrase. And it has a theoretical basis.
Unconscious problems are looking for a way out. Without finding a way out into consciousness, they manifest themselves at the bodily level. Due to problems in the psyche, the soma (body) reacts. Here comes a psychosomatic illness, which includes gastritis, psoriasis, stomach ulcers, and other sores.
Signs and Their Types of Internal Conflict
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