Alexithymia

The alexithymia is one of many disorders psychological characterized by preventing people who suffer express their emotions and feelings, then, people who suffer are classified as cold , distant and insensitive . For some people it is a mental or neurological disorder , and there are those who claim that it is only a characteristic of the person or a personality trait. The truth is that the inability to show their feelings leads to many problems and frustrations. For alexithymics there are no words of love or hate. The emotional barrierThat affects them prevents them from showing their emotions because deep down, they don’t understand them either. The disease supposes an interference in the daily life of the person who suffers it since interpersonal relationships are affected.

Diagnosis of alexithymia

To make a diagnosis of alexithymia , a lot of observation and self-observation of the person being studied is needed . This observation must be carried out in different everyday situations to recognize your own emotions and guarantee an accurate diagnosis. It is important to study people for the factors necessary to determine the presence of the disease. Some doctors use the Toronto scale to determine the presence of alexithymia, the result of which is considered reliable and valid. It is a more specific instrument so it is considered an excellent tool to detect the absence or presence of signs.

Causes of alexithymia

Apparently the cause lies in an inadequate connection between the cerebral hemispheres . The functioning of the brain developed so generally through the corpus callosum . There is sometimes a functional or organic rupture of the medial cerebral commissure that would be responsible for causing alexithymia since when this happens, it is impossible for the emotions that are registered by the right hemisphere in right-handed people to be able to present a verbal expression , which is a function located in the left hemisphere . The infantile and juvenile causes of alteration in the corpus callosum are due toinheritance or emotional deficiencies . Brain injury can occur during the intrauterine development period, through head trauma , encephalitis, or a brain tumor.

Symptoms of alexithymia

The most common symptoms are the following:

• There is a very low capacity for introspection of fantasies, these people usually have almost zero inner life and do not have dreams or wishes.
• They do not know how to detect or recognize the emotions of other people. They have no empathy with others.
• These people have a serious appearance and are apparently always bored.
• They are people who talk very little and are too practical and rational . His way of thinking is always externally oriented.
• They do not have the ability to handle feelings, they have many difficulties in creating and maintaining affective bonds with other people, so their interpersonal and social relationships are inadequate or non-existent.
• They are very emotionally dependent or isolated
• They suffer from sexual problems such as loss of desire or impotence.
• Problems expressing themselves verbally, mime or with gestures about their emotions or feelings, they have no fantasies, their capacity for introspection is very low and they have little
• Their verbal comments are very monotonous, slow, do not have many topics of conversation, and are very boring.

Treatment of alexithymia

The main treatment is carried out through interpersonal psychotherapy , with it it is tried to achieve a reduction of the personal conflicts present in a large part of the alexithymic’s life and at the same time, through introspective analysis , the way to improve the restriction of emotional awareness (ability to name and express emotions) and improve thinking and imaginary life with the contribution of reflections. In alexithymics who are more sensitive to psychotherapy, dramatic results can be obtained with a comprehensive brief psychotherapy aimed at stimulating communication skills. TherapyBody expression or relaxation techniques, such as forms of non-verbal psychotherapy, can be helpful on some occasions.

Examples

They do not recognize that the pressure they feel in their throat is simply a reflection of a need to cry and that the way to get rid of that lump is, precisely, by crying. They simply continue the sensation in their throat, which blocks and limits them as well as frightens them.

Another example is, when someone wants to buy a car and is unable to make up his mind in view of the performance of different models, he may choose the one that gives him the most pleasant feeling . For those who suffer from Alexithymia, they will face serious problems in making a decision.