What Does Splitting Mean?

Splitting means having difficulty holding opposing thoughts. A person who experiences splitting is unable to weigh positive and negative attributes of a person or event or recognize that good and bad attributes can be true at the same time.

What is an example of splitting?

Examples of splitting behavior may include: Opportunities can either have "no risk" or be a "complete con" People can either be "evil" and "crooked" or "angels" and "perfect" Science, history, or news is either a "complete fact" or a "complete lie"

What does splitting mean in mental health?

Splitting is a psychological mechanism which allows the person to tolerate difficult and overwhelming emotions by seeing someone as either good or bad, idealised or devalued. This makes it easier to manage the emotions that they are feeling, which on the surface seem to be contradictory.