ALEXITHYMIA: CHARACTERISTICS, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, TREATMENTS - ECONOMÍA - 2024

The alexithymia is defined as a personality characteristic of some people, who are unable to identify and describe their own emotions. It is a subclinical problem; that is, it is not considered a mental disorder. However, it can bring all kinds of difficulties to people who suffer from it.

The most marked characteristics of alexithymia are a marked dysfunction in the perception of one's own emotions, a lack of attachment to other people, and difficulties in maintaining romantic relationships, whether friendship or love. In addition, alexithymics often also have difficulty understanding other people's emotions.

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In general terms, one can speak of two versions of this problem: alexithymia as a state, and alexithymia as a trait. The first is a temporary condition, often caused by shock or a traumatic event. The second, on the contrary, is part of the personality of the individual and is part of her throughout her life.

It is a relatively frequent psychological problem, affecting approximately 10% of the population. In addition, it is known that it usually appears together with more serious disorders and other difficulties of the same kind.

In this article we will tell you what its main symptoms are, what can cause it, and what life is like for someone with alexithymia.

characteristics

The symptoms of alexithymia vary greatly from person to person, as this trait can appear in varying degrees. However, all those who possess it have a series of common characteristics to a greater or lesser extent. Next we will see which are the most common.

Inability to understand your own emotions

The basic feature of people with alexithymia is a more or less severe inability to understand their own feelings. They often mistake their emotions for simple bodily sensations, or cannot understand them beyond simple adjectives like "joy" or "sadness."

This is not to say that alexithymics do not feel emotions. Rather, these individuals often experience feelings such as sadness, anger, or even anxiety. However, they do not understand what is causing them, they are surprised by them, and they have little resources to manage them.

All this leads them to see themselves as automatons. Most of these people feel disconnected from themselves, and they get frustrated with their own emotions. This basic symptom is also the one from which practically all the others derive.

Little inner life

In addition to the lack of analysis of their own feelings, alexithymics also show dysfunctions in other aspects related to self-examination.

For example, they tend to be very critical of themselves; They do not usually set ambitious goals, nor are they carried away by dreams or fantasies.

All of this leads them to live life on "automatic pilot": by not reflecting on their own behaviors or thinking about what they want, they tend to get carried away by events. This usually means that they do not have much control over what happens to them.

Lack of empathy

People with alexithymia are not only unable to recognize their own emotions; they also have great difficulties understanding those of others.

This usually leads them to experience all kinds of conflicts with the people around them, who do not feel understood by them and tend to end up frustrated.

All this has to do with a great lack of emotional intelligence. Alexithymics think that others have to think and react in the same way that they would in each situation, so they also tend to be very little tolerant and easily get angry with others.

Excessive practicality

Another of the most characteristic features of people with alexithymia is that they are extremely focused on the here and now. They are not interested in planning, thinking about the long-term consequences of their actions, nor do they want to reflect on the ethical, philosophical or moral aspects of their actions.

His approach is generally very practical and rational, which normally shouldn't be a bad thing; But sometimes they take this to the extreme and end up acting in ways that are counterproductive to their own well-being.

Literality

When an alexithymic talks about his experiences, he focuses on the details of what happened to extreme levels. For him, the important thing is the facts; therefore, these individuals often have trouble telling interesting stories or holding the attention of others.

In general, due to this symptom, a person with alexithym will be perceived as serious, bored, or lack of imagination.

Sexual problems

One of the traits that usually cause the most discomfort in people with alexithymia is the appearance of sexual dysfunctions.

In men, this can lead to impotence or premature ejaculation, while in women anorgasmia can occur. Furthermore, both sexes normally have abnormally low libido.

Conformity

Because they do not understand their own emotions and desires well, alexithymic people tend not to consider what it is they really want to achieve in their life.

Therefore, they usually accept what happens to them, and settle for mediocre situations that do not make them really happy.

This can translate, for example, into maintaining unhealthy relationships, staying in a job that bores them, or a lack of goals or dreams that motivate them.

Impulsiveness

Finally, people with alexithymia tend to overreact to what happens to them. This translates into two different behaviors: the appearance of risky behaviors, and sudden emotional outbursts.

The first of the behaviors has to do with the tendency of alexithymics to act without thinking. Therefore, they are more likely to carry out behaviors such as substance abuse or reckless driving than those who do not present this trait.

The second behavior consists of overreacting to some stimuli in the form of emotional outbursts. Faced with a specific situation, alexithymics tend to act in an exaggerated way, usually showing anger, sadness or anxiety.

Causes

Alexithymia can be classified in many ways, such as whether it is temporary or permanent, or depending on the severity of your symptoms. However, one of the most important divisions is the one that distinguishes between those times when the problem is innate and those when it is not.

In the event that this trait is something the person is born with, we would be facing primary alexithymia; And when it comes to something acquired, it is known as secondary alexithymia. Next we will study the causes of each of them.

Primary alexithymia

This type of alexithymia has to do with exclusively biological causes, often present from the moment of birth. There may be various factors that cause it, but the most important are the following:

- Information transmission problems between the limbic system (in charge of our emotions) and the cerebral cortex (related to reason).

- Difficulties in communication between the two hemispheres. The right is more involved in the regulation and identification of emotions, while the left is the one that is mainly in charge of language.

In cases in which primary alexithymia appears from birth, it has to do with innate and hereditary factors that can be transmitted from parents to children. However, it can also appear later in life, due to diseases such as multiple sclerosis, head trauma, or stroke.

Secondary alexithymia

The second type of alexithymia is caused by environmental factors that occur at some point in the person's life. Normally, these situations occur in childhood, but any sufficiently extreme experience during the individual's adult life can potentially make this trait appear.

The most normal thing is that the experience was very traumatic, such as mistreatment, harassment, or rape. The person who develops secondary alexithymia unconsciously withdraws from her emotions in order not to suffer. However, in the long run this can lead to all kinds of problems.

Secondary alexithymia is often accompanied by certain psychological disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. It can also arise with certain problems such as anorexia, addictions (such as to food or alcohol), or difficulties in managing anger.

Consequences

The life of a person with alexithymia can be very complicated. Due to all the symptoms described above, these individuals tend to experience all kinds of problems in their day-to-day life that can cause them a lot of suffering in the long run. In this section we will see what are the most common consequences.

Difficulties in interpersonal relationships

Perhaps the most common problem people with alexithymia encounter is that they often do not understand those around them. Because they are unable to understand their emotions or those of others, this leads them to have all kinds of difficulties with their friends, family and loved ones.

When someone close to an alexithymic needs support, usually the person with this trait tends to dismiss the situation or feel overwhelmed. Therefore, the other will feel rejected and will usually end up distancing themselves from the individual.

On the other hand, by not understanding their own emotions, alexithymics often feel uncomfortable in situations in which they have to open up to another person; but, at the same time, they seek privacy. This leads them to constantly drift away and become closer to others, thus forming a very toxic pattern in most of their relationships.

Inability to achieve goals

As we have already seen, alexithymic people usually do not want to think ahead, plan, or reflect on what they would like to achieve. On the contrary, they prefer to live in the present moment without worrying about what will happen later.

The problem is that, on many occasions, this means that these individuals allow themselves to be carried away by circumstances. Thus, it is common to see alexithymics in jobs that make them unhappy, in marriages that do not work, with excessive weight or financial difficulties.

Risk behaviors

The impulsiveness of people with alexithymia, along with the discomfort caused by repressing their emotions and not understanding them, often lead them to act in often dangerous ways. If they do not learn to regulate themselves, many of these people end up having all kinds of serious problems because of this way of being.

Thus, among other things, many alexithymics end up carrying out behaviors such as unsafe and indiscriminate sex, excessive spending that they cannot afford, fights of all kinds, or reckless driving. In the most serious cases, they can even develop addictions, for example to alcohol, drugs or gambling.

Appearance of other disorders

Being disconnected from our own emotions is not good for mental health. This is why alexithymics are often affected by all sorts of psychological illnesses in addition to their problems understanding feelings.

Among the most frequent disorders that appear along with alexithymia are depression, bulimia, sexual dysfunctions, and almost all pathologies related to anxiety.

Treatments

Because alexithymia is not considered a disorder but a subclinical problem, there is not much research on how best to solve it.

However, thanks to the development of disciplines such as emotional intelligence, today we have several tools that can help those who suffer from it.

In general, the most important thing is to start by addressing the underlying problem: the lack of understanding of one's emotions. To do this, you can use all kinds of techniques that put the person's attention on what happens inside; for example, the use of emotional journals or group therapy.

Once the individual is able to detect what is happening, it is necessary for them to learn to self-regulate. To do this, you will be taught various emotional management tools. Some of the most common are relaxation, thought stop, rational debate, or mindfulness.

Finally, the therapist can work one by one on the problems caused by alexithymia. For example, if the person is having difficulties in their relationships with others, learning about assertiveness or practicing their empathy can help.

It should be noted that, being such a complex problem, curing the most serious symptoms of alexithymia is something that can take a lot of time and effort. However, with the right tools it is possible to achieve very significant improvements.

References

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