In an avoidance-avoidance conflict, a person must choose between two equally unpleasant alternatives. As they move toward one of the two options, the repulsion of the choice grows stronger, which pushes them back to a state of indecisiveness between the two unpleasant alternatives. This can be overcome through willpower. Otherwise, the individual will be propelled into a perpetual state of indecisive neutrality.

In his revised psychoanalytic framework, Freud identified the struggle between superego and id as one of the keystones of conflict within an individual. In this way, Freud thought that the ego—in its role as moderator of the id and superego—could be trained to the level of conscious response, bridging the gap between the unconscious id and the conscious superego.

The adrenal glands release adrenaline and cortisol as reactions to sudden stress, in response to a signal from the hypothalamus via the pituitary gland that signals the release of glucocorticoids into the bloodstream. 

Karen Horney classified an excess of the need to be personally unassailable as the hallmark of the "moving away" strategy, in which one seeks to avoid conflict by removing themselves from others.

Karen Horney described a strategy of "moving against" as being the most childlike of neuroses, and the most aggressive. People who rely on this strategy seek out confrontation with the source of their stress, hoping in a display of aggression to solve their anxiety.

Studies have found that cortisol levels differ between men and women in similar stressful environments. Research has revealed that in some women when stressors are present, which may go towards explaining why the "fight or flight" response is often weakened or absent in women.

Herbert Spencer, one of the founding members of the structural functionalism psychological approach, viewed conflicts between members of society as analogous to conflicts between organs in the body (or cells, depending on the importance of the conflict).

There remains a stigma attached to mental illness and all too often common parlances mixes "going crazy" with having a mental illness. "A marked break with reality" is not often involved in having a mental illness while the other three options are almost always present. In other words, maladaptive behavior can be thought of as including the loss of full functioning in a given area of life (e.g. getting to work on time and performing well on exams at school).

Enuresis is characterized by an elimination or urine. While children with elimination disorders often experience disregulated emotional states, Enuresis is not characterized by an emotional tantrum prior to elimination.

Ellen's symptoms are consistent with “borderline personality disorder,” which involves instability in relationships, mood, and self-image. “Antisocial personality disorder” includes disregard for and violations of the rights of others. “Narcissistic personality disorder” also involves difficulty in relationships, but its primary feature is grandiosity. “Schizoid personality disorder” includes a restricted range of emotions and detachment from others. Last, “bipolar disorder” may have a negative impact on relationships, but its primary feature is the presence of at least one manic episode.