Alexithymia/uh-LEK-si-THY-mee-uh/
Difficulty identifying and describing one’s own emotions; common in autistic people and others.
Andy says:
It’s like having a weather station inside you with fuzzy labels. You feel “stormy,” but naming whether it’s anger, fear, or hunger is hard.
Detailed Explanation
Alexithymia involves reduced emotional awareness and difficulty translating bodily signals (interoception) into emotion words.
It may affect:
- Help‑seeking and therapy engagement
- Social communication and conflict repair
- Daily decision‑making (what do I need right now?)
It’s not “lack of emotions” — emotions are present but less labelable.
Community Context
Many autistic and ADHD people report alexithymia. Supports include interoception training, emotion word banks, and nonverbal check-ins. Reducing masking and building predictable routines can improve awareness.
Quick Tips
- Use body maps and mood thermometers; check HALT (hungry, angry, lonely, tired)
- Journal body sensations first, then try emotion words
- Agree on signals for “pause” or “overwhelmed” when words are hard
Do / Don't
- Do: offer choices (one of these feelings?) and visual aids
- Do: validate uncertainty ("not sure" is okay)
- Don't: equate flat affect with no feelings
Scientific Context
Alexithymia moderates social and mental health outcomes in autism; interoceptive accuracy and labeling skills are active research areas.
Language Notes
Overlaps with interoception and emotion regulation; not a diagnosis in itself.
Related Terms
Interoception
The sense of internal body signals (hunger, heartbeat, temperature, tension) that inform emotions and regulation.
Emotional Dysregulation
Difficulty adjusting the intensity and duration of emotions to match the situation, especially under stress.
Autistic Burnout
A state of intense physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion experienced by autistic people.
Masking
Consciously or unconsciously hiding one's neurodivergent traits to fit in with neurotypical expectations.
Sources
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