What is Alexithymia?
The word alexithymia literally means “no words for emotion”, from the Greek a for "lack", lexis for "word" and thymia for "emotion". Alexithymia is a maladaptive psychological disorder characterized by the inability to identify and verbally describe emotions and feelings in oneself as well as in others.
People who suffer from alexithymia are limited in their ability to experience fantasies or dreams or to think in an imaginative way. Rather, they portray an externally focused way of thinking, relying on facts and specifics. People with alexithymia are often described by others, including their loved ones, as cold and aloof. They severely lack empathetic abilities and have great difficulty in effectively understanding and responding to other people’s feelings.
Alexithymia in individuals is a variable characteristic that can be measured by researchers and psychologists through multiple choice questionnaires or surveys. Each answer has a predetermined score. The total score of the questionnaire is analyzed to indicate the presence or lack of alexithymia in a particular individual. Research that relies on these measurements has shown that those who score high in alexithymia are severely limited in their ability to form and maintain intimate relationships. Lower scores show only difficulty in relationships.
In the past, alexithymia was classified and limited to psychosomatic disorders, which are disorders that involve physical symptoms of the body that are created or exacerbated by the mind. For example, someone who is very angry but does not express his or her anger may develop a stomachache. Alexithymia as a psychosomatic disorder manifests in the form of bodily complaints and symptoms of an individual who can not effectively express emotion. However, research has revealed that alexithymia can be present in individuals who do not suffer from psychosomatic disorders or physical complaints.
There are two types of alexithymia, state and trait alexithymia. State alexithymia has a specific cause and is usually a temporary condition. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), caused by experiencing a horrific event, is one example that is known to trigger state alexithymia. Trait alexithymia is thought to be a characteristic inherent in one's personality. This type can be inborn or caused by events that occur in one’s early childhood, such as abuse or neglect from a primary caregiver.
Written by J.Gunsch
