Alexithymia

By Chantay Stanley, LCSWA

Alexithymia also known as emotional blindness, is a condition that affects one in ten people. It involves experiencing problems related to feeling emotions. The individual may acknowledge that he or she is experiencing an emotion but may not be able to identify the specific emotion but most individuals with alexithymia are unable to experience emotions. Although alexithymia is not considered a primary diagnosis, it is secondary to conditions such as depression and autism.

There has not been a definitive cause assigned to alexithymia. Researchers believe that it may be a genetic condition or caused by damage to the part of the brain that controls social skills and emotions called the insula. Approximately fifty percent of Individuals that have been diagnosed with autism are said to experience alexithymia but attribute the inability to feel emotions to the autism, never attributing it to alexithymia.

Along with experiencing the inability to express emotions, an individual with alexithymia may also experience problems showing affection, and may be angry and confused among showing other symptoms.

Treatment for alexithymia has not yet been developed, however, psychodynamic therapy and Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can assist with improving an individual's emotional awareness and ability to express their emotions.

If you believe that you are experiencing alexithymia please contact our office as we may be able to assist you. 

If you would like to take a test pertaining to alexithymia you can visit https://www.alexithymia.us/test-alexithymia