Alexithymia

Alexithymia is a condition responsible for a lack of understanding and identification of one's own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. It's still in the early stages of research, so it's not widely considered an official diagnosable condition, but it's starting to gain a lot of traction.

There are a lot of overlaps in symptoms between alexithymia and other conditions such as depression, autism and PTSD. At its core, alexithymia is the difficulty to identify feelings and bodily sensations related to feelings, the difficulty describing feelings to others and an "externally oriented cognitive style". Let me elaborate.

Someone with alexithymia may experience something that causes them a great deal of emotional pain. Maybe their boyfriend breaks up with them, and in the aftermath, although they cannot identify what they're feeling, they experience some kind of negative emotion that even causes them to cry. It's likely that they felt disconnected to their boyfriend during the breakup, as though his emotional state somehow wasn't being conveyed in a way that had any effect on the individual. Later in describing the breakup to a friend, the individual appears unaffected, as though recounting what they had for breakfast.

People with alexithymia aren't necessarily emotionless. But when asked to describe what they're feeling, they have great difficulty. They may say they feel "good" or "bad" but cannot explain further. This results in people with alexithymia having to observe the world and learn behaviours through external stimulus. There is no inner emotional drive to guide behaviour.

Alexithymic individuals are known to have a high level of life dissatisfaction, and be prone to impulsive or compulsive behaviours. Individuals will struggle to enjoy pleasant incidents, due to difficulty identifying deep and complex feelings. While others experience life's highs and lows, those with alexithymia experience a dulled version. When inner tension rises from unrecognisable negative emotions, individuals may find release through binge eating, substance abuse, sexual acts or another outlet.

People with alexithymia will tend to avoid close relationships, preferring more superficial relationships due to difficulty relating and expressing. Alexithymic people are often seen as being cold or distant and will not initiate social engagement. Interestingly, these characteristics makes alexithymic individuals excellent candidates for managerial positions and other professions which may require minimal empathetic engagement and more logical problem solving.

Not enough research has gone into alexithymia yet to determine it's cause, but they two main theories are genetics and brain damage. Some believe it's a communication hindrance between brain hemispheres that results in alexithymia. Some believe upbringing and traumatic experiences could cause alexithymia. Traumatic experiences could cause the brain to reject emotional processing abilities in order to cope with the otherwise overwhelming event. Alternatively, children who's emotional displays are regularly ignored or even dismissed may be conditioned not to attach value to emotion.

Alexithymia has also been linked to somatic diseases, due to a failure to regulate prolonged heightened emotional states. Continuous elevation of the autonomic and neuroendrocrine systems (e.g. heart rate, adrenaline), which other people would be more likely to attend to, can lead to somatic symptom disorders.

Depression is a common diagnosis for those with alexithymia, and may often even be an accurate diagnosis. Someone who is not able to feel life's highs and lows, and who has trouble being close to people could understandably develop depression. However, depression alone does not explain an alexithymic individual's experiences. Without understanding the nature of alexithymia, trying to treat depression may be a long and unsuccessful process.

Generally, the only treatments currently suggested are cognitive and other types of therapy. Some suggest that simply being mindful, and paying deliberate attention to heart rate, breathing and other physiological signs may help identify emotional states. As further research unveils the causes, precise treatments will hopefully become available. If you identify with any of the symptoms, please refer to a mental health professional for guidance.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, or deep dissatisfaction with your life, please see a therapist or call a hotline for your country.

Suicide Stop: https://www.suicidestop.com/call_a_hotline.html