Understanding Alexithymia: The Two Subtypes #autism

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[nataliamartinez]

Yeah I had no idea Alexithymia existed but it’s a bit of a relief because I was always made fun of for having a deadpan face and was accused of being heartless for ‘inappropriate’ reactions to things.

It’s true, it’s really hard to describe how or what I’m feeling unless it’s an extreme emotion. Other than that I tend to feel hollow or empty 🤷‍♀️

[Pete_]

Emotional detatchment rings true for me. I think this is a coping mechanism when I’m faced with a stressful situation. It is like my brain is protecting me in a way.

[amandawayne]

I have ADHD and PTSD, and I struggle with this. I have what I call "delayed processing"of my emotions, and then I also struggle to put them to words verbally. It helps if I write things out, but i often struggle to express ALL emotions, not just the "hard" ones.

[Insideoutie]

I do not have emotions. It is as it is. Affective Alexithymia or whatever I can mimic any emotion pretty good but I get mixed up with laughs sometimes. Apparently it is not appropriate to laugh in some ways.

[scottdrury]

A little from column A, a little from column B. The information presented in videos like this have been extremely helpful for learning how to function well while having an autistic brain.

[alexismcmackin]

I just call them big emotions and I can tell I’m having them when I use curse words. Fun times!

[B._]

I would say for me I experience varing degrees of both depending on environment.

[acetronaut]

I have cognitive alexithymia. I have very strong feelings, but no way to describe them. It's even worse when I'm overwhelmed with emotion, and can't take a step back to figure out what this is. I have the vocabulary, i know all the words and what they mean, but my experience doesn't translate. I can learn it though, I know most of what I feel on a daily basis, but I wouldn't in a new situation

[AutisticAthena]

Affective Alexithymia with detachment/suppression and somatic illness.

[itstruckmeeveryday]

But how does one distinguish between affective alexithymia and traumat-rooted disassociation?

[emka]

I didnt realize alexithymia also had the affective subtype. I have very good cognitive ability to identify and describe/discuss them, but I very often dont feel them. I know by the symptoms (decreased appetite, increased executive dysfunction, lower energy, etc) that Im stressed. But I dont feel overwhelmed until Im almost at my breaking point.

[gillb]

Im assuming you can have both. I would say I mainly have cognitive alexithymia but with a touch of affective. I can identify strong emotions; anger and excitement but all other emotions are confusing to me. I know I am feeling something, often quite strongly, but Im not sure what the emotion is and whether it is the emotion I think it is. I know im feeling something, i choose an emotion label based on how I should be feeling from ehat I have read or seen or heard other people expressing but im never very sure whether the label is correct and I dont know whether the 'learnt' reaction is appropriate.

[ambershepherd]

I don't really understand the difference.

[michaelfreydberg]

I feel like I have both. I can get real emotional over things that don’t bother others, then I can be more in control over things that bother others but not me. I can be like “why are you losing it like that?!”

But then I might lose my cool over something that others don’t notice at all. So I can be the adult in the room, and be a hypocrite at the same time.

[MunchkinByProxy]

Is it Alexithymia when a person feels fine, but then experiences an outburst of emotion and then realizes that they were etc.?

Also, is it Alexithymia when a person would feel fine but then realize their body is sending signals of an emotion, like grinding your teeth the whole day without realizing it because you are stressed without realizing it?


What is the difference between affective Alexithymia and depression?

Can a person have both forms of Alexithymia?

[Ayme]

I hate screaming for people to understand me

[ABeautifulEarthForOurChildren]

Healthygamergg also has a very informative video on Alexithymia, definitely worth checking out

[lisasilversmith]

Therapy taught me to know what I am emotionally experiencing is by feeling where tension/discomfort is within the body.

[IExpectedBSJustNotThisMuchBS]

When I think there's something off about a conversation, I can't get that from the feeling to my head to handle and so can't say anything about it until later when I've had time to process the feeling... why did I feel so uncomfortable when....?

[Thilosophocls]

Both at one time or another. But that was really only until i had a working vocabulary surrounding emotions. After i understood all the words I was able to put them to use and integrate my comprehension. But that wasn't until i was 35