“Many people don’t realize they have alexithymia.” Who are these people and what is the problem? (+test)

What is alexithymia?

Mental health professionals do not consider it a disorder, although it can occur along with some mental illnesses.

Peter Sifneos, a psychiatrist and professor emeritus of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, first described alexithymia in the early 1970s. This word comes from the Greek: "A" means absence, "lexis" means word, and "thymos" means emotion. In general, alexithymia is translated as a lack of words for emotions.

People with alexithymia have trouble introspecting and monitoring their own mental and emotional processes.

Alexithymia also makes it difficult to identify and respond to other people's emotions. These problems can lead to difficulties in social settings and interpersonal relationships.

Secondary alexithymia

This disorder is also called organic. It is caused by various neurological pathologies, in particular:

• disorders of intrauterine development (mother’s lifestyle during pregnancy, infections suffered by the woman, hypoxia, etc.), complicated by the course of childbirth;
• genetic predisposition;
• suffered a severe neuroinfection (encephalitis, meningitis);
• traumatic brain injury;
• neoplasms, consequences of stroke and other organic brain damage.

Alexithymia - signs

• difficulty identifying feelings and emotions;
• problems distinguishing between emotions and bodily sensations;
• limited ability to convey feelings;
• difficulty recognizing and responding to other people's emotions, including tone of voice and facial expressions;
• lack of fantasy and imagination;
• a logical and rigid thinking style that does not take emotions into account;
• people with alexithymia are less altruistic than other people;
• lack a sense of humor;
• not satisfied with life.

Alexithymia as a psychological problem

The disorder occurs in 5–25% of relatively healthy people (we are talking about the absence of mental illness). This variation in epidemiological data is explained by differences in diagnostic methods.

Any psychology manual has a huge section devoted to feelings and experiences. But in practice, the simple question “How do you feel” often causes difficulty and confusion in the patient, and the doctor in most cases hears the standard answer “I don’t know.” Many psychotherapists interpret this phrase as resistance and reluctance to think, and only qualified, practicing specialists (and at the Leto clinic doctors have extensive experience working with patients with a similar problem) can recognize behind these words a serious and painful emotional disorder for a person.

Alexithymia - causes

Experts do not know the exact cause of alexithymia. Some studies suggest that this may be the result of the following conditions:

1. Genetics
   . Twin studies suggest that there is a genetic component to alexithymia. People are more likely to have alexithymia if a close relative also has the condition.
2. Environmental factors
   . The same twin study also suggests that environmental factors play a role in alexithymia. Examples of environmental factors include childhood trauma, the presence of a physical or mental health condition, or socioeconomic factors.
3. Brain injury
   . Research shows that people with damage to an area of ​​the brain known as the anterior insula have an increased risk of developing alexithymia.

Causes

In order for alexithymia to firmly enter a person’s life and become an integral part of this life, good reasons are needed. Sometimes dissatisfaction and irritability accumulate over years, eventually turning into such psychological detachment. If a person does not find the strength to act, then he has to build all sorts of psychological defenses. It is not easy to break through such “armor”, since the individual’s feelings are completely turned off. Let's take a closer look at the reasons for what is happening.

Lack of attention

The internal resource must be replenished with something. This is necessary to maintain mental balance. If a child does not receive enough care and affection from childhood, then it becomes easier for him to “collapse” and isolate himself from emotions. Alexithymia is the result of improper upbringing and a lack of understanding of one’s own needs. Lack of attention is a serious reason for significant areas of life to fade into the background. The personality not only isolates itself from what is happening, but also does not want to change anything over time. Gradually, wariness and suspicion become the norm, the reality of a particular individual.

Disappointment in people

A person with alexithymia does not trust anyone. He needs protection and help, but at the same time he mercilessly pushes away those around him. People are not interesting for the reason that they are a source of mental pain and impenetrable despair. Violation of interpersonal interaction leads to fears of experiencing deep disappointment again. Gradually, the sense of community and readiness to understand those who are nearby are lost. Sometimes the spiritual devastation is so global that it amazes with its strength.

Low level of empathy

The inability to understand another comes from the inability to hear oneself and notice individual needs. A low level of empathy makes a situation of empathy impossible and refutes any prospect of getting closer to a result that would be significant and lead to internal transformation.

Character traits

Sometimes the cause of alexithymia is the inability to compromise, isolation and distrust. It becomes easier not to register your own feelings, not to perceive them in any way, but to push them further into the subconscious. Some character traits really hinder and negate any attempts by others to get closer and build trusting communication.

Surviving the crisis

Sometimes alexithymia is temporary. This state indicates an existing problem and indicates that the person is in a deep crisis. In this case, the person realizes that this is not the norm of life, and at the same time he does not yet have enough strength to try to fix everything. An individual may not feel physical and mental pain because he is too focused on what is happening in the outside world.

Alexithymia - diagnosis

Alexithymia is not a mental health disorder, so doctors and mental health professionals cannot formally diagnose the condition. However, there are questionnaires and scales that are used to identify signs of alexithymia.

These include:

Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS)

, which evaluates:

• a person's ability to identify feelings and separate them from physical sensations;
• the ability to convey feelings to other people;
• a tendency to exhibit externally oriented thinking (rather than an introspective thinking style);

The Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ)

, which consists of 40 items in the following five subscales:

• emotions;
• fantasies;
• identification;
• analysis;
• verbalization.

Treatment methods

The doctor prescribes medications only to correct concomitant disorders, normalize sleep, eliminate anxiety, etc. Psychotherapy plays a major role. In our clinic, psychologists practice the following treatment methods:

• body-oriented work aimed at understanding one’s own body, the ability to manage its condition, accept it, and differentiate bodily sensations;
• training in stress management techniques;
• increased self-esteem;
• determination of life goals, prospects for personal growth;
• increasing flexibility of thinking and behavior;
• strengthening emotional stability;
• normalization of the sphere of relationships, including work with family members of the patient.

Alexithymia is extremely difficult to treat, but we know how to get rid of the painful illness and avoid severe social and physical consequences. Call us at 8(969)060-93-93 and make an appointment at any convenient time!

Link to mental illness

Alexithymia commonly occurs in people with certain mental disorders, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Depression

Some studies indicate that the clinical features of depression depend to some extent on the presence of alexithymia. Individuals with comorbid depressive disorders and alexithymia have more severe symptoms of depression, psychosis, and phobias.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Several small studies suggest that alexithymia is more common in people with PTSD. A 1997 study that compared Holocaust survivors with and without PTSD found that people with PTSD had higher scores on tests of alexithymia than those without PTSD.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

A 2013 study of 50 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) notes a link between alexithymia and hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Eating disorder

A 2020 review shows that people with an eating disorder are unable to identify and describe their emotions. Other studies have linked alexithymia to poorer treatment outcomes for eating disorders.

Scientists have also linked alexithymia to other conditions, including:

• suicidality;
• schizophrenia;
• neurodegenerative diseases.

Stages of alexithymia

Psychologists distinguish so-called levels of alexithymia. They need to be taken into account when you are trying to help someone or when you yourself are struggling with manifestations of your own isolation and detachment. First you need to figure out how far the problem has gone. It’s no secret that sometimes it happens that people simply aggravate their own situation, putting themselves in limiting frameworks. Let's take a closer look at the levels themselves.

1. Low level. The initial stage of development of an unhealthy state of the nervous system. As a result of the negative experience gained, there is a denial of the changes taking place. Here the problem is not yet visible in full.
2. Average level. At this stage, the problem becomes obvious to others. The individual is distinguished by his behavior: he ignores requests and addressed speech in general, and does not want to participate in those conversations where it is necessary to reveal true feelings.
3. High level. At this stage, a person finally ceases to understand what is happening to him. He withdraws so much into himself that he stops hearing his own voice and gives up the idea of ​​continuing to strive to achieve a satisfactory result.

conclusions

Alexithymia is the inability to identify and describe emotions. People with alexithymia have difficulty recognizing their own emotions and also have difficulty recognizing and responding to the emotions of others.

There is no formal diagnosis for alexithymia, although there are several scales that can help identify signs of alexithymia.

Because it is not a disorder, health care providers do not currently prescribe treatment for alexithymia. However, if the condition co-occurs with another disorder, such as depression or PTSD, people may seek treatment for these problems to avoid worsening symptoms or complications.

Related article: ADHD and schizophrenia: similarities and differences.

How to treat alexithymia

Some people don't even consider it necessary to seek help. They do not know how to treat alexithymia; they believe that although the situation is quite strange and incomprehensible, it is quite possible to live with it. The worst thing is not the symptoms themselves, but the fact that the person does not want to change anything. It becomes easier for her to give up on life in general than to try to make some effort. For successful treatment, it is necessary to understand that a person will in any case have to deal with the problem on his own. Nothing will be solved on its own, you need to make efforts to get the desired result. Treatment of alexithymia takes place in several stages.

1. Recognizing the problem. You need to come to the desire to free yourself from mental burden. The discovery of your own imperfection in most cases is accompanied by despondency and apathy. After all, you have to come into contact with mental pain from which you previously wanted to hide. Without this it is impossible to build a full and happy life.
2. Liberation from negative feelings. You need to see them in yourself and throw them out. Only in this case will relief come, it will be easier to act in the future and make bold decisions. You need to talk to your partner or close friend. The problem is that if the situation has gone too far, then your loved one may not be around.
3. Feeling the soil under your feet. After the negative emotions have gone, a feeling of melancholy and hopelessness may arise. In this case, this is a normal state, because for a long time I had to hide my feelings, in fact, devalue them. Finding a foothold is simply necessary. In the future we will have to rely precisely on this new understanding of reality.

Thus, the disease alexithymia certainly deserves the closest attention. When a person ignores it, it means that he pushes his disturbing experiences deeper and ceases to be aware of himself. If you cannot cope with the problem on your own, then it is recommended to contact the community of psychologists and rehabilitation specialists Irakli Pozharisky. Working with a specialist will help you cope with despair and hopelessness, and find a decent way out of the current situation.

Diagnostics

Alexithymia is often confused with other psychological reactions: depression, cognitive retardation or schizophrenia. Therefore, the issue of accurate and professional diagnosis is very relevant in our time. The alexithymia scale developed by the American scientist Taylor helps determine the presence of the syndrome. The questionnaire was translated and adapted in St. Petersburg by specialists from the Vladimir Bekhterev Psychoneurological Institute. With its help, more than a hundred patients were examined, as a result of which it was found that patients with the right hemisphere type of brain asymmetry are more unfavorable in terms of treatment.

Diagnosis is also carried out using another scale - Schelling-Sifneos. Doctors use John Crystal questionnaires, as well as projective techniques, since such people have no imagination, so their answers are standard and of the same type. Despite this, the use of tests for clinical purposes can be difficult due to the lack of regulatory data. In addition, doctors do not have enough time to conduct experiments, as well as accurately interpret their results.

How does alexithymia develop?

There are many theories why alexithymia occurs . Biological and gender theories speak about the functional predominance of the left - rational - hemisphere of the brain over the right. The cognitive-behavioral theory explains alexithymia by the peculiarities of upbringing: for example, boys are brought up with less attention to feelings, stereotypes of male behavior are imposed on them.

– In my practice, I most often observe family history: patients grew up in families where the emotions of the child and parent were not very important. Often parents do not know how to explain to their children what emotions they feel and in what ways they can be expressed; they divide them into negative and positive. In fact, there are no bad or good emotions; they are all functional and associated with a subjective assessment of reality,” explains the psychotherapist.

The problem of alexithymia

Modern science is still searching for an answer as to whether alexithymia can be distinguished as an independent pathological phenomenon or as a symptom complex accompanying other conditions, which any healthy person can encounter in destructive circumstances. Alexithymia is a phenomenon so ambiguous that it is interpreted as:

• A form of defense mechanism.
• Delayed or reverse developmental changes (cognitive and emotional).
• Sociocultural phenomenon.
• Neurophysiological pathology.

Forms of alexithymia

The study of alexithymia has revealed several forms of this pathology:

• Primary alexithymia is difficult to treat because it belongs to the category of congenital pathologies. The development of the primary form, as a rule, has a biological cause. Often these are the consequences of fetal hypoxia, minor developmental defects, the transfer of complex infectious and viral diseases in childhood;
• Secondary alexithymia is an acquired pathology, the cause of which can be severe stress, psychological and physical exhaustion of the body, psychological trauma, neurological and psychological diseases.