Alexithymia
Deficiency in understanding, processing, or describing emotions / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alexithymia (/əˌlɛksɪˈθaɪmiə/ ə-LEK-sih-THY-mee-ə), also called emotional blindness,[1] is a neuropsychological phenomenon characterized by significant challenges in recognizing, expressing, sourcing,[2] and describing one's emotions.[3][4][5] It is associated with difficulties in attachment and interpersonal relations.[6] While there is no scientific consensus on its classification as a personality trait, medical symptom, or mental disorder,[7][8] alexithymia is highly prevalent among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ranging from 50% to 85% of prevalence.[9]
Alexithymia | |
---|---|
Other names | Emotional blindness |
A drawing by an artist with alexithymia depicting confusion about one's own emotions | |
Pronunciation | |
Specialty | Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry |
Frequency | 10% (lifetime risk) |
Alexithymia occurs in approximately 10% of the general population and often co-occurs with various mental disorders, particularly with neurodevelopmental disorders.[10] Difficulty in recognizing and discussing emotions may manifest at subclinical levels in men who conform to specific cultural norms of masculinity, such as the belief that sadness is a feminine emotion. This condition, known as normative male alexithymia, can be present in both sexes.[11][12][13][6]