Alexithymia is the cause you have difficulty expressing emotions, this is the trigger

Not everyone can express their emotions well. However, for people with alexithymia, this becomes even more difficult. Alexithymia is the inability to recognize and convey emotions. Often associated with antisocial disorders, this condition actually has different characteristics. The following is the review.

Why does anyone experience alexithymia?

When faced with the question, "How do you feel?", You may be confused about the answer.

This is what people with alexithymia experience. Even though they understood that he was feeling happy, they didn't know how to express it.

Alexithymia is not a mental illness or disorder. This condition is subclinical.

That is, its characteristics cannot be equated with symptoms of clinical diseases such as diabetes, bipolar disorder, flu, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and so on.

However, alexithymia is a psychological phenomenon whose existence is still recognized.

This condition is often associated, and even occurs together with mental disorders such as depression, PTSD, autism, and schizophrenia.

The cause of alexithymia is not well understood. However, experts suspect that the trigger comes from genetic factors, childhood trauma, and physical or mental illness that affects certain brain functions.

On a study in a journal Neuropsychologia, damage to the anterior insula of the brain was found to trigger emotional disturbances similar to those of alexithymia.

The anterior insula is the part of the brain that regulates feelings, attention, and sensitivity to sensory stimuli.

What are the characteristics of alexithymia?

In general, the main characteristic of alexithymia is the inability to express emotions.

When interacting with other people, those who experience alexithymia tend to exhibit the following behaviors:

• Difficulty recognizing emotions and feelings.
• Difficulty distinguishing between emotions and the body's response to these emotions.
• Difficulty recognizing and responding to other people's emotions, including facial expressions and tone of voice.
• Having a very logical and rigid way of thinking without including feelings.
• Not able to convey his feelings well.
• Lacking a good emotional distraction mechanism when dealing with stress.
• Rarely imagine or fantasize.
• Seemed stiff, aloof, no sense of humor, andignoranttowards other people.
• Feeling dissatisfied with his life.

Alexithymia is a condition that appears in the form of a spectrum. That is, the severity and impact varies from person to person.

A person may still be able to recognize their emotions, but some may not be able to do it at all.

In some cases, people with alexithymia are not even aware of this condition.

The impact is frustration on the sufferer and the people around him, because the inability to express emotions becomes an obstacle in interacting.

Can alexithymia be overcome?

The way to deal with alexithymia is to deal with psychological problems that trigger it.

This is why when you feel you are experiencing symptoms of alexithymia, the first step you need to take is to consult a psychologist.

A psychologist will help you learn to recognize emotions, as this is a major problem that people with alexithymia experience.

You can also undergo therapy to understand the relationship between your thoughts, emotions, and responses.

Types of therapy that can be done include group therapy, skill-based therapy, cognitive and behavioral therapy, and so on.

In addition to treating alexithymia, these therapies are also intended to treat psychological problems that you are experiencing.

Although not a medical condition, alexithymia is a psychological phenomenon that has an impact on life.

However, you don't need to worry. Slowly but surely, regular therapy with a psychologist can help you identify and express your emotions well.