Ambivalence: its development, mastery, and role in psychopathology

The term ambivalence-meaning the coexistence of love and hate toward a person or object-is commonly used both in the vernacular and in psychiatry. However, how ambivalence contributes to understanding and treating some important psychiatric disorders has not been well defined. This article reviews Bleuler's original use of the concept, as well as contributions by Freud and other theorists, as background. The author proposes that mastery of ambivalence-depolarization of the primary drive expressions of love and hate so that a degree of ambivalence toward a loved object can be tolerated-is a fundamental developmental task. The significant role that ambivalence plays in some major psychiatric disorders-schizophrenia, borderline personality, and depression-is illustrated with case material and discussed.