Alexithymia Test

[Polaris]

"Alexithymia is a personality characteristic in which the individual is unable to identify and describe their emotions. The main feature of Alexithymia is an emotional unawareness, lack of social attachment, and poor interpersonal relating. Furthermore, those suffering from Alexithymia have difficulty recognizing and understanding the emotions of others.


Alexithymia means there is:

1.Difficulty identifying feelings and distinguishing between feelings and the bodily sensations.

2.Difficulty describing feelings to other people.

3.Limited imagination and, therefore, little or no fantasies and limited dreams.

4.An unawareness of what is happening in their own mind and a very concrete way of thinking."


http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/somatoform-disorder/when-patient-has-no-story-tell-alexithymia


Wiki:

"Alexithymia is considered to be a personality trait that places individuals at risk for other medical and psychiatric disorders while reducing the likelihood that these individuals will respond to conventional treatments for the other conditions.Alexithymia is not classified as a mental disorder in the DSM-IV. It is a dimensional personality trait that varies in severity from person to person. A person's alexithymia score can be measured with questionnaires such as the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ), the Online Alexithymia Questionnaire (OAQ-G2) or the Observer Alexithymia Scale (OAS)."


Test

Spoiler

Test Results: 147 Points

Alexithymia: You show high alexithymic traits. If you are interested in Alexithymia we would be happy to have you as a regular visitor on our pages.

 

[Minuend]

Test Results: 128 Points

Alexithymia: You show high alexithymic traits. If you are interested in Alexithymia we would be happy to have you as a regular visitor on our pages.

I would think my imagination somewhat compensates for the lack of intuitive understanding of other people's emotions and reactions.

I do have difficulty with people in real time, but analyzing from a distance usually give an understanding that seems at least average, perhaps above.

I'm not as inflicted as those with alexithymia, though.

 

[nanook]

funny, i was at a class reunion last night and literally told several people, with whom I don't resonate with, that "i have no story to tell" i'm just being myself, surfing along.

if they read this article, they will be like "yeah, i know this one guy with alexithymia, he went into my class"

"They will insist that they have no problems, that life is fine and that they have no idea what is wrong. Their story is that they have no story"

 

[Base groove]

134 points


Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 22 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 16 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 13 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 26 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 22 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 24 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 11 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

105 Points, You show some alexithymic traits

Spoiler

Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 15 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 11 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 8 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 25 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 17 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 17 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 12 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

"They will insist that they have no problems, that life is fine and that they have no idea what is wrong. Their story is that they have no story"

This one is powerful.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

I think social introverts and maybe MBTI thinkers would identify with the traits to the extent that it overlaps somewhat with schizoid or avoidant personality. But like with most disorders there's a catch that differentiates normalcy from a diagnosis. The article goes on to explore the extreme acts of self-injury that are ways for those people to express their frustrated emotions, when I think the average social introvert/thinker would not go so far as to injure themselves or deny the causes of their actions.

• Kisha: burned herself, cut herself, jumped out of a building, 10 hours of sleep
• 19 year old college student: cuts all over her body
• Maureen: On various medication, 10 hours of sleep, occasional 80 hours of work, attempted suicide, underage sexual experiences, severe headaches, abdominal pain

I'm pretty sure I'm far from the above.

Test Results: 103 Points

Spoiler

Detailed Results

Your result is broken down into various factors to give you some insight into your result.

Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 13 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 11 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 8 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 20 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 19 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 20 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 12 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

 

[TheScornedReflex]

The article goes on to explore the extreme acts of self-injury that are ways for those people to express their frustrated emotions, when I think the average social introvert/thinker would not go so far as to injure themselves or deny the causes of their actions.

I self mutilate. But I don't think I have Alexithymia.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

I self mutilate. But I don't think I have Alexithymia.

Do you have any ideas on why there is self-mutilation going on for yourself?
Is it just small cuts or large/wide?

 

[TheScornedReflex]

Do you have any ideas on why there is self-mutilation going on for yourself?
Is it just small cuts or large/wide?

I burn myself more. I like the sensation better. Cuts are too quick and basically painless. I do like the blood. I prefer long and deep cuts. But I haven't cut myself in a long while. Burnt myself last night though.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Why do you think you do it though?

 

[TheScornedReflex]

I like the rush. A cry for help. I'm punishing myself. Chicks dig scars.. Choose which ever one you like the most.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Okay

>I'm punishing myself

Can I ask what for?

 

[TheScornedReflex]

Sure, but I'll send the answer via pm ^^.

 

[Polaris]

Test Results: 128 Points

I would think my imagination somewhat compensates for the lack of intuitive understanding of other people's emotions and reactions.

I do have difficulty with people in real time, but analyzing from a distance usually give an understanding that seems at least average, perhaps above.

I'm not as inflicted as those with alexithymia, though.

Yes, that's what I find too; I need the distance as whatever is going on in the moment is too distracting for me to process.

I don't really know where the borderline is between Alexithymic/non-Alexithymic though. I've only started researching this lately. I did not know there was a term for this personality trait. As ESC said, it would be easy for people with these traits to get confused between normalcy and non-normalcy as the borderlines would be blurred.

funny, i was at a class reunion last night and literally told several people, with whom I don't resonate with, that "i have no story to tell" i'm just being myself, surfing along.

if they read this article, they will be like "yeah, i know this one guy with alexithymia, he went into my class"

"They will insist that they have no problems, that life is fine and that they have no idea what is wrong. Their story is that they have no story"

I find this too. People will ask me about my life, and I have no idea what to tell them. Usually, when stuck, I will ask: "what would you like to know?" as I have no idea what people are expecting with this question. Sometimes people just say it for surface talk, and then I just shut down mentally. I cannot blabber on constantly about myself as I don't see the relevance to the situation at hand most of the time. It is different if there are specific questions. Then again, I never really know how much people actually want to hear unless they keep probing me.

Spoiler

My psychologist had a really difficult time getting anything out of me for the first 8 months. I would go there and feel really awkward as I didn't know what to tell her. My GP had suggested I go, and I found myself there two weeks later as he got me an urgent appointment. I still have no idea what came out of those sessions, but I often felt depressed afterwards.

134 points

Did you notice all the INTJs in the test site forum? :P

I think social introverts and maybe MBTI thinkers would identify with the traits to the extent that it overlaps somewhat with schizoid or avoidant personality. But like with most disorders there's a catch that differentiates normalcy from a diagnosis. The article goes on to explore the extreme acts of self-injury that are ways for those people to express their frustrated emotions, when I think the average social introvert/thinker would not go so far as to injure themselves or deny the causes of their actions.

• Kisha: burned herself, cut herself, jumped out of a building, 10 hours of sleep
• 19 year old college student: cuts all over her body
• Maureen: On various medication, 10 hours of sleep, occasional 80 hours of work, attempted suicide, underage sexual experiences, severe headaches, abdominal pain

I'm pretty sure I'm far from the above.

Test Results: 103 Points

Yes. It is possible to have Alexithymia without it leading to any disorder or destructive behaviour. I think it is where a subject is exposed to situations where there is a gradual build-up of frustration and inability to express, plus lack of support/understanding that such behaviours manifest.

The extreme cases in the article are indeed that: extreme. And as with TSR, hir doesn't associate with Alexithymia traits. I know an ENFP who practices regular self-harm as a result of many years of intense bullying and the consequential repressed anger/frustration.

Spoiler

I do get a lot of weird body aches and pains. Headaches that can last for up to three days at a time; abdominal pains and upsets, plus prolonged episodes of blurred vision/dizziness/insomnia and general fatigue.

I like the rush. A cry for help. I'm punishing myself. Chicks dig scars.. Choose which ever one you like the most.

Spoiler

I did self-harm when I was much younger. It had more to do with extreme frustration as a result of not being able to express anger or emotion. I would lock myself into my room during a melt-down and hit my head or fists hard against the wall until the pain caused me to do a "reboot".

 

[redbaron]

Oops. That was unexpected. Didn't think I was going to score so highly

Spoiler

Test Results: 160 Points
Alexithymia: You show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 29 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 20 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 15 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 32 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 24 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 27 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 13 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

 

[Polaris]

Possible scenario: while we think we are not emotional, as we have nothing to compare with, we may actually be quite 'normal'. So, when answering these questionnaires, because of this lack of comparison data, we rate more conservatively as we are not sure how emotions actually manifest. This may be due to our over-analytical nature; we are never quite sure if the emotion we are experiencing is an emotion....if that makes sense. For example: I often confuse feeling with thinking. I have weird bodily sensations, but can never quite pinpoint why they are there and where they come from.

 

[Deleted member 1424]

I scored 81 with no alexithymic traits in all except one category. While I would say that don't easily form new attachments and don't seem to attach as deeply as others, I always know exactly what I am feeling (or not feeling). I don't typically have a hard time understanding the emotions of others, although I tend to understand those emotions by modeling them in my head and analyzing them. I guess, I more readily understand the emotions of others than myself, even if I have no trouble identifying the emotions I experience.

 

[Kuu]

121 Points

Spoiler

Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 16 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 15 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 8 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 25 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 23 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 23 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 11 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

I think this test sucked. Most of the scenarios seemed terribly vague. How can one answer if its so unspecific and airy?

 

[redbaron]

I think this test sucked. Most of the scenarios seemed terribly vague. How can one answer if its so unspecific and airy?

Actually I think the questions are worded that way deliberately. Not necessarily to be vague, but as a means of distinguishing different types of people.

They seem to be worded in such a way that people who are in touch with their feelings will understand them, whereas they'll be increasingly confusing for people who are less in touch with their emotions. Personally I felt like all of the questions were actually quite confusing, and I had to think about them in excruciating detail to answer them in a way that was consistent with how I felt. Yet isn't that part of the test? I wonder if people who score low on the test had the same issue?

I think it's interesting anyway, because I very rarely know how I do feel, or even how I'm supposed to feel. IRL people think I'm joking when I say, "I don't know how to feel" when I'm actually being serious.

 

[Godofdogs]

intp flawz notebuk powint no. 1029: ganarellee hav Alexithymia....
(noted)
I um sun gonna publish it.

Btw, bing an ESFJ eye tested as non-alexwhatever (below 100).

 

[StevenM]

Test Results: 130 Points Alexithymia: You show high alexithymic traits.

Your result is broken down into various factors to give you some insight into your result.

Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 25 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 14 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 9 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 24 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 20 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 23 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 15 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

I'm not sure how I feel about that

 

[TimeAsylums]

I think this test sucked. Most of the scenarios seemed terribly vague. How can one answer if its so unspecific and airy?

x2

As @RedBaron somewhat said. I believe the questions are...almost vacuous intentionally. Have you ever looked at tests psychologists use to detect psychopaths? The questions are so...(MIND NUMBINGLY)simple, you almost believe it's a joke, yet apparently the tests work...really well, because any one capable of slightly higher thinking just goes "what the fuck?"

For example, how do you think Elliot Rogers would have responded if you told him he was a narcissist?

Anyway,

Test Results: 60 Points


Non-alexithymia: You show few to no alexithymic traits. If you are interested in Alexithymia we would be happy to have you as a regular visitor on our pages.

Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 8 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 5 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 9 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 14 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 11 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 7 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 6 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

 

[Anktark]

116. I don't have Alexithymia, I can understand feelings. It is just that I do not care (to do so).

 

[loveofreason]

Can't. Resist. Posting.

Replicant INTPforumer tested for emotional responses

 

[Brontosaurie]

113

 

[Brontosaurie]

116. I don't have Alexithymia, I can understand feelings. It is just that I do not care (to do so).

pretty much this. i get the impression that every emotion is an irredicuble expression of who i am, and trying to make sense of them by putting simple labels on them in an attempt to organize and "move on" would just cause cognitive dissonance. usually i gauge them intuitively (without the interference of words) as they surface and then leave them be. occasionally i dwell on them, exposing their complexity in analytical detail, but never allowing myself a firm conclusion.

 

[Variform]

Don't take the test, don't take the test, don't take the test, don't take the test... I have enough problems as it is. I don't wanna score high on anything else.

 

[walfin]

Test Results: 113 Points

Alexithymia: You show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 20 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 14 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 10 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 18 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 22 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 20 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 9 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

 

[TBerg]

139 Points

Your result is broken down into various factors to give you some insight into your result.

Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 23 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 16 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 11 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 27 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 27 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 21 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 14 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

 

[Madoness]

Test Results: 122 Points


Alexithymia: You show high alexithymic traits

Your result is broken down into various factors to give you some insight into your result.

Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 23 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 17 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 11 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 22 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 18 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 20 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 11 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

 

[CrayCrayPoTayTay]

"Alexithymia is a personality characteristic in which the individual is unable to identify and describe their emotions. The main feature of Alexithymia is an emotional unawareness, lack of social attachment, and poor interpersonal relating. Furthermore, those suffering from Alexithymia have difficulty recognizing and understanding the emotions of others.


Alexithymia means there is:

1.Difficulty identifying feelings and distinguishing between feelings and the bodily sensations.

2.Difficulty describing feelings to other people.

3.Limited imagination and, therefore, little or no fantasies and limited dreams.

4.An unawareness of what is happening in their own mind and a very concrete way of thinking."


http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/somatoform-disorder/when-patient-has-no-story-tell-alexithymia


Wiki:

"Alexithymia is considered to be a personality trait that places individuals at risk for other medical and psychiatric disorders while reducing the likelihood that these individuals will respond to conventional treatments for the other conditions.Alexithymia is not classified as a mental disorder in the DSM-IV. It is a dimensional personality trait that varies in severity from person to person. A person's alexithymia score can be measured with questionnaires such as the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ), the Online Alexithymia Questionnaire (OAQ-G2) or the Observer Alexithymia Scale (OAS)."


Test

Spoiler

Test Results: 147 Points

Alexithymia: You show high alexithymic traits. If you are interested in Alexithymia we would be happy to have you as a regular visitor on our pages.

One of the quickest ways to negate the validity of your research is to provide a strong bias previous to the collection of data.

Just sayin'

 

[Polaris]

^ Oh, yes. I'm aware of that

This was just a bit of, er...fun? I could go and take one of those Emotional Intelligence tests, and would probably score quite high....

But it is one aspect of psychology I'm interested in, and I wanted to see how other members perceived their emotional insight. It seems the test itself is designed with such vague parameters because potentially those people who are emotionally out of touch will not know what to do with the questions, while people who are emotionally insightful will find these easy to answer.

I am not trying to prove anything with this, it's actually just part of a larger process of my own understanding.

If you have any resources to supplement, I would be most delighted.

 

[Koosy]

[BIMG]http://puu.sh/9kSJP/8b15b7cfcf.png[/BIMG]

 

[EyeSeeCold]

What do you think about music therapy for alexithymia treatment? From the descriptions I'm not getting a clear idea of what it is exactly, but the emotional component at least is pretty evident. I suppose a person could choose music that (best) suits their mood and then information could be obtained from that for the therapist to utilize in therapy.

Perhaps it's also possible for a person to develop an emotional capacity and imagination through listening to emotionally dynamic music, and maybe even learn to identify and process feelings in themselves. There's a chance all that music might be tiring for the average person though.

 

[QuickTwist]

Sure I'll post my results.

Detailed Results:

This test shows that you have no problem identifying normal emotion, but yours are so complex that you can't describe them. Furthermore since most people have relatively simple emotions you have no problem identifying what they feel. You tend to not be able to think about how things in the external world are done if it doesn't relate to you. You tend to try to control what you think about instead of letting your mind go where it pleases. Uhhh... you don't trust people so you keep them at a distance and do not make yourself emotionally vulnerable to them to the point where you are crazy... You don't care about sex do you.

 

[Polaris]

What do you think about music therapy for alexithymia treatment? From the descriptions I'm not getting a clear idea of what it is exactly, but the emotional component at least is pretty evident. I suppose a person could choose music that (best) suits their mood and then information could be obtained from that for the therapist to utilize in therapy.

I think this is a really interesting question, and something I have pondered quite a lot.

For example, at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, music therapy is utilised as a means to help children identify and clarify emotions related to their illnesses. As we all know, smaller and younger children are unable to articulate emotions like a grown-up. So reactions such as crying and tantrums are expressions of frustration of not being able to express what is going on inside.

I suspect, or speculate that children who have been conditioned to suppress emotion will eventually experience it as Alexithymic traits. I was not allowed to express emotion as a child, or rather, things like crying and expressions of frustration was not allowed and would be punished quite harshly, hence my difficulties as a grown-up.

Spoiler

Tangent: What I find really intriguing is that this sort of suppression is even more common in the upbringing of boys and young men. From what I have observed, many parents are quite discriminating against boys when it concerns the expression of emotion. A little girl is allowed to express freely, while the little boy is somewhat discouraged or even dismissed quite harshly. Basically their emotions are invalidated, and I wonder how that manifests later in life... I have been thinking about making a thread devoted to this topic, but not sure yet how to formulate it or how well it would be received. Expressions of interest may prompt me to make one...maybe

The way I am trying to tie emotional suppression from childhood with Alexithymic traits is just one side of it though. There may be neurological causes as well.

Perhaps it's also possible for a person to develop an emotional capacity and imagination through listening to emotionally dynamic music, and maybe even learn to identify and process feelings in themselves. There's a chance all that music might be tiring for the average person though.

Yeah, I wonder how one would go about it though. I sometimes experience very strong emotions out of the blue with any random piece of music (mostly classical, and particularly live concerts), but I have no idea where the emotion comes from or what it represents.

I therefore suspect it would be somewhat useless if one is unable to identify what the emotion is, like myself. So here is where the professional aspect is important; grown-ups with Alexithymic traits are very much like children in that they are unable to articulate emotion. Professional aid in identifying and clarifying emotions would facilitate articulation and thus help the person with general communication and understanding of social dynamics.

It would also be a great way of receiving therapy without dwelling on painful memories of the past.

So yes, I do think this would be an interesting therapeutic option, particularly for those who have experienced emotional oppression.

This was a bit rambly, or even somewhat redundant in parts...please don't hesitate to ask questions where I failed to clarify.

 

[QuickTwist]

You said being unable to identify emotion is essentially like being trapped emotionally; like they are a child emotionally? How does this correlate to being a child? I just have to hear it once more. As an analogy or something.

 

[Polaris]

^ Only related to the way a grown-up is unable to articulate, like a child would be.

For example, the difference between a child and a grown-up is that the child will cry or even throw a tantrum when they are unable to articulate, while a grown up will most likely choose not to react at all because they have been conditioned not to act like children. So while the child is somewhat able to release tension, the grown-up will imprison themselves emotionally over time as they receive feedback that expression in the form of crying and/or rage is unaccepted, but they are still feeling it nonetheless and unable to express it verbally (I like the entrapment analogy, btw).

Is that what you meant?

 

[Grayman]

75


Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 9 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 6 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 3 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 21 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 15 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 14 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 7 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

I think this is a really interesting question, and something I have pondered quite a lot.

For example, at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, music therapy is utilised as a means to help children identify and clarify emotions related to their illnesses. As we all know, smaller and younger children are unable to articulate emotions like a grown-up. So reactions such as crying and tantrums are expressions of frustration of not being able to express what is going on inside.

I suspect, or speculate that children who have been conditioned to suppress emotion will eventually experience it as Alexithymic traits. I was not allowed to express emotion as a child, or rather, things like crying and expressions of frustration was not allowed and would be punished quite harshly, hence my difficulties as a grown-up.

Spoiler

Tangent: What I find really intriguing is that this sort of suppression is even more common in the upbringing of boys and young men. From what I have observed, many parents are quite discriminating against boys when it concerns the expression of emotion. A little girl is allowed to express freely, while the little boy is somewhat discouraged or even dismissed quite harshly. Basically their emotions are invalidated, and I wonder how that manifests later in life... I have been thinking about making a thread devoted to this topic, but not sure yet how to formulate it or how well it would be received. Expressions of interest may prompt me to make one...maybe

Young males are definitely pressured to suppress emotions, clearly not just by parents but peers and even social media. However when it comes to emotions I think females are more likely to be ignored, or dismissed through neglect, which still could lead to emotion processing difficulties such as in alexithymia. It's my suspicion that mothers are more strict on daughters, like fathers would be strict on their sons, but I suppose an authoritarian parent would be equally oppressive.


You want to make a topic querying members' childhoods? Or something else? We did have a thread on one's frequency of crying, you might be able to determine interest or get ideas from that.

The way I am trying to tie emotional suppression from childhood with Alexithymic traits is just one side of it though. There may be neurological causes as well.

I don't doubt it, it may end up being a whole different classification then though. I can't currently recall any physical disorders that are grouped in the same category as psychological ones.

Yeah, I wonder how one would go about it though. I sometimes experience very strong emotions out of the blue with any random piece of music (mostly classical, and particularly live concerts), but I have no idea where the emotion comes from or what it represents.

I therefore suspect it would be somewhat useless if one is unable to identify what the emotion is, like myself. So here is where the professional aspect is important; grown-ups with Alexithymic traits are very much like children in that they are unable to articulate emotion. Professional aid in identifying and clarifying emotions would facilitate articulation and thus help the person with general communication and understanding of social dynamics.

It would also be a great way of receiving therapy without dwelling on painful memories of the past.

So yes, I do think this would be an interesting therapeutic option, particularly for those who have experienced emotional oppression.

This was a bit rambly, or even somewhat redundant in parts...please don't hesitate to ask questions where I failed to clarify.

To be fair, classical pieces can be pretty abstract (aside from typically wistful or climactic movements). How is it for you when you listen to emotionally straightforward music (e.g. lyrics that drive a specific theme) ?

In regards to 'emotionally dynamic' I was thinking of music like Neurosis, Cult of Luna, or Isis (for processing sadness; I could think of other non-sad examples).

The Royal Children's site mentioned therapy involving instrument experimentation, I could see how it would be informative and alleviating if a child might gravitate towards drums for example and then start pounding away in a trance-like state. I have no idea about other instruments however.

 

[Polaris]

Young males are definitely pressured to suppress emotions, clearly not just by parents but peers and even social media. However when it comes to emotions I think females are more likely to be ignored, or dismissed through neglect, which still could lead to emotion processing difficulties such as in alexithymia. It's my suspicion that mothers are more strict on daughters, like fathers would be strict on their sons, but I suppose an authoritarian parent would be equally oppressive.

I agree. This is a huge topic, hence me being hesitant to begin a thread. It would require a lot of preparatory research, so it would be a bit like homework

You want to make a topic querying members' childhoods? Or something else? We did have a thread on one's frequency of crying, you might be able to determine interest or get ideas from that.

I was thinking about starting with a poll, and then make a thread based on the preliminary results. I would have to think about the poll options for a while, as it is easy to fall into the trap of confirmation bias by asking leading/loaded questions. As someone drilled in the rigorous methodologies of the natural sciences, social sciences are quite frustrating for me as the parameters are, well...wishy-washy, and thus very difficult for someone who prefers to deal with more tangible concepts in research -- even though the principles of methodology are the same. Then again, this is just a forum...

I don't doubt it, it may end up being a whole different classification then though. I can't currently recall any physical disorders that are grouped in the same category as psychological ones.

Yes. This is where I get frustrated with social sciences and psychology. It is extremely difficult to work with concepts such as behaviour as there are too many factors playing in; how can we ever pinpoint reasons for behaviours without considering a multitude of factors that are subject to significant personal bias; the raw data one is working with are subjective interpretations of events and thus nearly impossible to measure accurately. But I guess one would have an idea provided the population sample size is large enough. Which won't happen here...anyway, too much rambling.

So, alexithymia is described as a 'personality trait' -- which is a little vague. Various research indicates both genetic as well as environmental causes.

This is interesting (although, keeping in mind it's a Wiki interpretation):

"French psychoanalyst Joyce McDougall objected to the strong focus by clinicians on neurophysiological at the expense of psychological explanations for the genesis and operation of alexithymia, and introduced the alternative term "disaffectation" to stand for psychogenic alexithymia

McDougall has also noted that all infants are born unable to identify, organize, and speak about their emotional experiences (the word infans is from the Latin "not speaking"), and are "by reason of their immaturity inevitably alexithymic". Based on this fact McDougall proposed in 1985 that the alexithymic part of an adult personality could be "an extremely arrested and infantile psychic structure"

Then, there's this:

"
Conclusion:

The results from this large population-based sample suggest that genetic factors have a noticeable and similar impact on all facets of alexithymia. While the results suggested a moderate influence of shared environmental factors, our results are in concordance with the general finding that environmental influences on most psychological traits are primarily of the nonshared rather than the shared type."

Source


So...yeah

To be fair, classical pieces can be pretty abstract (aside from typically wistful or climactic movements). How is it for you when you listen to emotionally straightforward music (e.g. lyrics that drive a specific theme) ?

Yes, this is where I get frustrated. Classical music and many modern Jazz pieces seem to push random emotional buttons, while obvious music driving a specific mood or theme leaves me completely indifferent or just cringing with discomfort. It's like listening to a sob-story; it has an equally neutral, if not repellant effect. An exemption would be the music of Dan Arborise; I do find I have an emotional affinity with his music...and I think it's because it's subtle and doesn't force anything on the listener. Obvious emotion shoved right in my face tends to overwhelm me. I have to step back and process.

In regards to 'emotionally dynamic' I was thinking of music like Neurosis, Cult of Luna, or Isis (for processing sadness; I could think of other non-sad examples).

I did have a listen to some of these. I experience no noticeable effect....rather I get hung up on the intended force of emotion, which makes me disconnect and treat it like some external object of observation rather than allowing it to immerse into my experience and memory.

The Royal Children's site mentioned therapy involving instrument experimentation, I could see how it would be informative and alleviating if a child might gravitate towards drums for example and then start pounding away in a trance-like state. I have no idea about other instruments however.

I played the violin for a while. The resonance of the strings seemed to have some weird effect for reasons I cannot explain. I found the lessons highly beneficial on a great many levels. I therefore would like to pick it up again. I had someone try Tibetan Bowl therapy on me once, and I turned into this mess which was highly unexpected and rather embarrassing as I had not been warned beforehand or given any clue as to why the therapist wanted to use it. She just said she wanted to try something and I conceded -- so the reaction was overwhelming and frightening. (Anyway, this is even more interesting; the physics of Tibetan Singing Bowls...) I would guess instrument therapy would work along similar principles, but I know nothing more about it.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Spoiler

I agree. This is a huge topic, hence me being hesitant to begin a thread. It would require a lot of preparatory research, so it would be a bit like homework

I was thinking about starting with a poll, and then make a thread based on the preliminary results. I would have to think about the poll options for a while, as it is easy to fall into the trap of confirmation bias by asking leading/loaded questions. As someone drilled in the rigorous methodologies of the natural sciences, social sciences are quite frustrating for me as the parameters are, well...wishy-washy, and thus very difficult for someone who prefers to deal with more tangible concepts in research -- even though the principles of methodology are the same. Then again, this is just a forum...

Yes. This is where I get frustrated with social sciences and psychology. It is extremely difficult to work with concepts such as behaviour as there are too many factors playing in; how can we ever pinpoint reasons for behaviours without considering a multitude of factors that are subject to significant personal bias; the raw data one is working with are subjective interpretations of events and thus nearly impossible to measure accurately. But I guess one would have an idea provided the population sample size is large enough. Which won't happen here...anyway, too much rambling.

Then again, this is just a forum...

Yes If you're interested go for it, just consider it a test-run (mindful, but not rigorous preparation).

McDougall has also noted that all infants are born unable to identify, organize, and speak about their emotional experiences (the word infans is from the Latin "not speaking"), and are "by reason of their immaturity inevitably alexithymic". Based on this fact McDougall proposed in 1985 that the alexithymic part of an adult personality could be "an extremely arrested and infantile psychic structure"​

I wonder if (selective) mutism might be a correlative trait in alexithymia, or if they share features.

Disaffectation

In coining the term McDougall hoped to indicate the behavior of people who had experienced overwhelming emotion that threatened to attack their sense of integrity and identity.

In coining the term McDougall hoped to indicate the behavior of people who had experienced overwhelming emotion that threatened to attack their sense of integrity and identity. Such individuals, unable to repress the ideas linked to emotional pain and equally unable to project these feelings delusively onto representations of other people, simply ejected them from consciousness by "pulverizing all trace of feeling, so that an experience which has caused emotional flooding is not recognized as such and therefore cannot be contemplated". They were not suffering from an inability to experience or express emotion, but from "an inability to contain and reflect over an excess of affective experience."​

Upon reading this I'm confused about my conception of alexithymia. So it's not about lacking the capacity for feeling or range of emotions?

Yes, this is where I get frustrated. Classical music and many modern Jazz pieces seem to push random emotional buttons, while obvious music driving a specific mood or theme leaves me completely indifferent or just cringing with discomfort. It's like listening to a sob-story; it has an equally neutral, if not repellant effect. An exemption would be the music of Dan Arborise; I do find I have an emotional affinity with his music...and I think it's because it's subtle and doesn't force anything on the listener. Obvious emotion shoved right in my face tends to overwhelm me. I have to step back and process.

I did have a listen to some of these. I experience no noticeable effect....rather I get hung up on the intended force of emotion, which makes me disconnect and treat it like some external object of observation rather than allowing it to immerse into my experience and memory.

I can understand being overwhelmed, most acoustic / singer-songwriter music scares me though . Just curious, are there heavy metal bands that you're into? Including derivative genres of course.

I played the violin for a while. The resonance of the strings seemed to have some weird effect for reasons I cannot explain. I found the lessons highly beneficial on a great many levels. I therefore would like to pick it up again. I had someone try Tibetan Bowl therapy on me once, and I turned into this mess which was highly unexpected and rather embarrassing as I had not been warned beforehand or given any clue as to why the therapist wanted to use it. She just said she wanted to try something and I conceded -- so the reaction was overwhelming and frightening. (Anyway, this is even more interesting; the physics of Tibetan Singing Bowls...) I would guess instrument therapy would work along similar principles, but I know nothing more about it.

I have never heard of those before, I might check out some videos. I am aware of trance induction / brainwave entrainment though and I suppose that's possible with any of the instruments. Calming effects are generally positive in psychotherapy so yeah I suppose that's how the instruments could be beneficial.

 

[Polaris]

Yes If you're interested go for it, just consider it a test-run (mindful, but not rigorous preparation).

Hmmm, yes I am thinking about it. However, I think I will put this project on ice for now....the forum is so eerily quiet I doubt there will be much response

Spoiler

McDougall has also noted that all infants are born unable to identify, organize, and speak about their emotional experiences (the word infans is from the Latin "not speaking"), and are "by reason of their immaturity inevitably alexithymic". Based on this fact McDougall proposed in 1985 that the alexithymic part of an adult personality could be "an extremely arrested and infantile psychic structure"

I wonder if (selective) mutism might be a correlative trait in alexithymia, or if they share features.

*is momentarily distracted by the 'dismay' button*

I think alexithymia is just an identifying term for a set of traits related to an inability to express or internally process emotion (whether the causes are genetic and/or environmental)-- which could manifest in a number of different ways, possibly including selective mutism. They may or may not share features though. I'm kinda aware of being out of my depth here, so I won't speculate any further.

Disaffectation

Spoiler

In coining the term McDougall hoped to indicate the behavior of people who had experienced overwhelming emotion that threatened to attack their sense of integrity and identity. Such individuals, unable to repress the ideas linked to emotional pain and equally unable to project these feelings delusively onto representations of other people, simply ejected them from consciousness by "pulverizing all trace of feeling, so that an experience which has caused emotional flooding is not recognized as such and therefore cannot be contemplated". They were not suffering from an inability to experience or express emotion, but from "an inability to contain and reflect over an excess of affective experience."

Upon reading this I'm confused about my conception of alexithymia. So it's not about lacking the capacity for feeling or range of emotions?

No...I don't think it ever was. Just to clarify:

"a·lex·i·thy·mi·a [ey-lek-suh-thahy-mee-uh] noun Psychiatry.

- difficulty in experiencing, expressing, and describing emotional responses.

Origin: a-6 + Greek léxi ( s ) speech (see alexia) + -thymia
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2014."

~~~
​

"Medical Dictionary

alexithymia a·lex·i·thy·mi·a (ə-lěk'sə-thī'mē-ə) n.

- Inability to describe emotions in a verbal manner

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company."

I found a pretty informative article here, if you are interested:

"The construct of alexithymia encompasses the characteristics of difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, externally oriented thinking, and a limited imaginal capacity. These characteristics are thought to reflect deficits in the cognitive processing and regulation of emotions and to contribute to the onset or maintenance of several medical and psychiatric disorders. This article reviews recent methods for assessing alexithymia and examines how assessing alexithymia can inform clinical practice. Alexithymia is associated with heightened physiological arousal, the tendency to notice and report physical symptoms, and unhealthy compulsive behaviors. Alexithymic patients may respond poorly to psychological treatments, although perhaps not to cognitive-behavioral techniques, and it is unclear whether alexithymia can be improved through treatment. Interpretive problems regarding alexithymia include its overlap with other traits, whether it is secondary to illness or trauma, the possibility of subtypes, and low correlations among multiple measures. Nonetheless, we encourage the assessment of alexithymia in applied settings."
​

Spoiler

In my case emotions were such a cause of distraction, discomfort and confusion I eventually chose to ignore them. I couldn't reconcile emotions with my rational internal monologues. I gradually ceased to react in any discernible way, from about 10 years of age (I think it was about the time my younger sister was born and my mother went into a long depression, so I took on a protective role of my sister and thus had an excuse to ignore the internal chaos). I could not experience anger, happiness, enthusiasm or sadness. I pushed people away from me who I thought were becoming too close for comfort. I was empty, robotic, and had nothing to tell people, so I avoided them.

Later in my adult years I had very little going on internally except for the purpose of dealing with what was happening in the immediate context. I finished high school without actually learning anything (I still had well above average marks), and drifted in an out of university courses, temporary jobs and longer stints of traveling. I kept running away, trying to fill the void with.....stuff. I ended up receiving therapy upon a recommendation by my GP, but nothing much came out of the sessions. The article above describes similar difficulties with alexithymia patients.

I can understand being overwhelmed, most acoustic / singer-songwriter music scares me though . Just curious, are there heavy metal bands that you're into? Including derivative genres of course.

Haha, yeah. I couldn't stand singer/songwriter music until recent years. Dan Arborise is probably the only artist I keep getting back to.

Why does this type of music scare you, if I may ask?

Yeah, I like metal, but a limited range. I have posted some metal/metal derivative stuff in Anthile's music thread at times. I like hybrid stuff like Lumsk and some of the Scandinavian metal bands like Arcturus and Borknagar (probably quite biased here as an old school friend used to be a vocalist associated with both bands). Recently I have opened my ears to Opeth (I used to think they sounded too much like a lot of other more recent metal bands, but they do have some stuff that seems more authentic). During the Seattle rock revival I was right into Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, and later funk-metal bands like earlier Chili Peppers. I don't know if Tool falls much under the metal category, but I really like them. When I was much younger I had a brief fascination for bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Iron Maiden -- but I find a lot of recent (last 10 years) metal bands sound a bit cheesy, samey, and too hung up on sticking to their genre. If you have any suggestions I am happy to have a listen, though.

Anyway, enough derailing in my own thread....

 

[QuickTwist]

BTW @Polaris, I don't want to put pressure on you but I think your thread idea is a great one. In fact I think it is so important I think it would be ok if you took some time off from being a mod (for a brief time) to pursue your idea. I would understand of course of your obligation to the forum being a mod as well. Just know you would have my support. Thanks.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Hmmm, yes I am thinking about it. However, I think I will put this project on ice for now....the forum is so eerily quiet I doubt there will be much response


*is momentarily distracted by the 'dismay' button*

I think alexithymia is just an identifying term for a set of traits related to an inability to express or internally process emotion (whether the causes are genetic and/or environmental)-- which could manifest in a number of different ways, possibly including selective mutism. They may or may not share features though. I'm kinda aware of being out of my depth here, so I won't speculate any further.



No...I don't think it ever was. Just to clarify:

"a·lex·i·thy·mi·a [ey-lek-suh-thahy-mee-uh] noun Psychiatry.

- difficulty in experiencing, expressing, and describing emotional responses.

Origin: a-6 + Greek léxi ( s ) speech (see alexia) + -thymia
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2014."

~~~
​

"Medical Dictionary

alexithymia a·lex·i·thy·mi·a (ə-lěk'sə-thī'mē-ə) n.

- Inability to describe emotions in a verbal manner

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company."

I found a pretty informative article here, if you are interested:

"The construct of alexithymia encompasses the characteristics of difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, externally oriented thinking, and a limited imaginal capacity. These characteristics are thought to reflect deficits in the cognitive processing and regulation of emotions and to contribute to the onset or maintenance of several medical and psychiatric disorders. This article reviews recent methods for assessing alexithymia and examines how assessing alexithymia can inform clinical practice. Alexithymia is associated with heightened physiological arousal, the tendency to notice and report physical symptoms, and unhealthy compulsive behaviors. Alexithymic patients may respond poorly to psychological treatments, although perhaps not to cognitive-behavioral techniques, and it is unclear whether alexithymia can be improved through treatment. Interpretive problems regarding alexithymia include its overlap with other traits, whether it is secondary to illness or trauma, the possibility of subtypes, and low correlations among multiple measures. Nonetheless, we encourage the assessment of alexithymia in applied settings."
​

Spoiler

In my case emotions were such a cause of distraction, discomfort and confusion I eventually chose to ignore them. I couldn't reconcile emotions with my rational internal monologues. I gradually ceased to react in any discernible way, from about 10 years of age (I think it was about the time my younger sister was born and my mother went into a long depression, so I took on a protective role of my sister and thus had an excuse to ignore the internal chaos). I could not experience anger, happiness, enthusiasm or sadness. I pushed people away from me who I thought were becoming too close for comfort. I was empty, robotic, and had nothing to tell people, so I avoided them.

Later in my adult years I had very little going on internally except for the purpose of dealing with what was happening in the immediate context. I finished high school without actually learning anything (I still had well above average marks), and drifted in an out of university courses, temporary jobs and longer stints of traveling. I kept running away, trying to fill the void with.....stuff. I ended up receiving therapy upon a recommendation by my GP, but nothing much came out of the sessions. The article above describes similar difficulties with alexithymia patients.

Okay, reading the article did make it clearer. Using an analogy, alexithymia would be like being hot but not being able to sweat, or not having a pressure valve to release steam, plus lacking the awareness of those processes except for the resulting tension. Just with emotions and psychological states. To that extent it would seem related to asperger's/autism.

That brings to mind people who overwork themselves with cardio exercise or weightlifting due to the 'externally oriented thinking' and focus on physical symptoms.


Now that you're aware of alexithymia do you feel different about your past experiences? Do you have a desire to seek more therapy? From what you've described so far, it's clear you'be been through a lot but at the same time you've acknowledged your own competence in dealing with situations. I imagine that might make you feel conflicted about actually needing any help. I don't intend to compare my life to yours but I feel that way sometimes.

Spoiler

Haha, yeah. I couldn't stand singer/songwriter music until recent years. Dan Arborise is probably the only artist I keep getting back to.

Why does this type of music scare you, if I may ask?

Yeah, I like metal, but a limited range. I have posted some metal/metal derivative stuff in+ Anthile's music thread at times. I like hybrid stuff like Lumsk and some of the Scandinavian metal bands like Arcturus and Borknagar (probably quite biased here as an old school friend used to be a vocalist associated with both bands). Recently I have opened my ears to Opeth (I used to think they sounded too much like a lot of other more recent metal bands, but they do have some stuff that seems more authentic). During the Seattle rock revival I was right into Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, and later funk-metal bands like earlier Chili Peppers. I don't know if Tool falls much under the metal category, but I really like them. When I was much younger I had a brief fascination for bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Iron Maiden -- but I find a lot of recent (last 10 years) metal bands sound a bit cheesy, samey, and too hung up on sticking to their genre. If you have any suggestions I am happy to have a listen, though.

Anyway, enough derailing in my own thread....

It's just that certain brand of intimate quietness, it's awkward for me.

That's pretty cool. I guess we have some overlapping tastes, but I haven't really explored the modern death/black and folk metal scene over in Europe. I think the deepest I've gotten to was Turisas. I've still yet to get into the hyped Opeth.

 

[Polaris]

Okay, reading the article did make it clearer. Using an analogy, alexithymia would be like being hot but not being able to sweat, or not having a pressure valve to release steam, plus lacking the awareness of those processes except for the resulting tension. Just with emotions and psychological states. To that extent it would seem related to asperger's/autism.

Yes -- and the ASD border is where it becomes a topic that I will avoid as I have no expertise or formal background on which to support further speculations. This is a publicly accessible forum, so I am conscious of avoiding the spread of quackery.

However, on that note, I will leave a crumb for those who are interested in following the trail further; this article does indeed indicate that alexithymia is present, or part of the complexities in ASD, so I guess the question is: can alexithymia be separated from ASD, or are they intrinsically linked; i.e., one cannot exist without the other?

There is indication in the following article that there is an overlap, which means they are currently considered as separate conditions, in which the presence of alexithymia traits does not always necessarily include, but is linked with Aspergers:

"Here we aim to demonstrate that there is considerable overlap in the clinical presentation of persons with a diagnosis of Alexithymia and Asperger's syndrome."

That brings to mind people who overwork themselves with cardio exercise or weightlifting due to the 'externally oriented thinking' and focus on physical symptoms.

In what way do you compare these? Would you mind explaining further?

Now that you're aware of alexithymia do you feel different about your past experiences? Do you have a desire to seek more therapy? From what you've described so far, it's clear you'be been through a lot but at the same time you've acknowledged your own competence in dealing with situations.

I think I have felt differently since I started researching the complexities of MBTI. So, of course, one thing lead to another, and I've ended up with the issue of emotions as a main point of interest. I've realised I probably wasn't born like this; there were countless incidents that gradually affected my behaviour. My mother and father were/are both extremely detached emotionally, so one could perhaps argue there is an inherent factor playing in, but I suspect their traumatic backgrounds (war, torn-up families, and abuse on both sides) contributed to their 'stoic' appearances and the resulting imprinting on us as children. I don't even think it is necessarily related to type much. My sister is ENFP, but she is very much out of touch with her emotions, and bottled up to the point where she can have unpredictable explosions seemingly coming out of nowhere. My INFJ brother is like a robot, but he claims to understand himself emotionally, and he is very good at expressing verbally although there is very little expression in body language, so I suspect he has learnt by observation and copying the way I did. But to this day (he is 50) he remains alone and unable to form meaningful relationships.

To answer your question: yes and no, for the reason you stated. I use interactions such as these here on the forum as 'therapy' of some sort; being able to express and perhaps relate to others through a relatively anonymous medium. I cannot stand the confrontation of face to face therapy, and I think I have read so much that I have been able to answer many questions related to my behavioural patterns.

Then again, when one feels confident is often when one should take a reality check...so I have been thinking of seeing a professional, but not to delve into the past or for the purpose of the benefits of therapy -- more to confirm or disprove some ideas that I have. I suspect I may be on the ASD somewhere, but then, this thread has made me realise there may be other and less 'dramatic' explanations. So, I will probably investigate further as I feel a need for closure, but as you noted, I too have this thing about not 'needing' help, as I seem to be able to work through it on my own.

I imagine that might make you feel conflicted about actually needing any help. I don't intend to compare my life to yours but I feel that way sometimes.

Do you think this topic has brought some light on issues you may relate to? Or perhaps muddled things more....

 

[Koosy]

Test Results: 155 Points


Alexithymia: You show high alexithymic traits. If you are interested in Alexithymia we would be happy to have you as a regular visitor on our pages.


Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 27 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 20 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 15 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 31 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 21 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 30 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 11 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

 

[kvothe27]

Test Results: 122 Points



Alexithymia: You show high alexithymic traits


I don't know. I've been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum as well as with schizoid personality disorder.

 

[Cherry Cola]

70

Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 15 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 6 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 6 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 11 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 9 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 12 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 11 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

 

[dark+matters]

My results were, "Meh. Maybe you have some alexithymia."


Category: Difficulty Identifying Feelings: 21 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Difficulty Describing Feelings: 15 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.

Category: Vicarious Interpretation of Feelings: 7 Points <8 - 9>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Externally-Oriented Thinking: 21 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Restricted Imaginative Processes: 11 Points <18 - 21>
In this category you show no alexithymic traits.

Category: Problematic Interpersonal Relationships: 18 Points <15 - 18>
In this category you show some alexithymic traits.

Category: Sexual Difficulties and Disinterest: 16 Points <10 - 12>
In this category you show high alexithymic traits.