What Causes Alexithymia?

[@omsnaga]

In regards to emotional neglect/abuse I think it shows how important it is to mirror a childs feelings to connect with them, if you are unable to do so it will have an effect on them. I had that problem with my mother, in old pictures of us we have completely different facial expressions. I think it's important to note that it can happen even if the parent is well meaning if the parent has some sort of untreated mental condition of their own.

[@SandAngels73]

Could you please cover alexithymia in autism spectrum disorder. I wish it had been addressed in this video. Alexithymia in ASD is the result of how the brain develops due to genetic factors rather than abuse.

[@blubtasticc]

When my friends cried I’d find it funny because I knew they were sad but I couldn’t feel the empathy or what they were feeling

[@MrTonyJ]

Many people on the spectrum have this. They do not necessarily have any personality disorders, nor a history of abuse.

[@jennifersinclair7249]

My mother has this condition to the MAX. I have never ceased to be surprised of her nonchalant responses.

[@spoatytheone7589]

I got a very good imagination but I don’t know any emotion but anger all my emotions are anger

[@aaronguenther3577]

Mine are anger sorta and sadness lots and lots of sadness and emptiness

[@shadowthehedgehog9190]

Wow, I've often wondered why I have trouble feeling and expressing my emotions, as well as identifying what others are feeling. I also have always been frustrated by my dumb, mundane dreams [if I can remember them at all]. I had no idea the two could be related. Thanks for this informative video.

[@maddiebarlow]

I'm writing a story with a sixteen year old boy who was sexually abused as a child, which turns into alexithymia. This video really helped me understand this condition more, thank you

[@AlastorTheNPDemon]

Emotions are confusing to me. I know that I feel negatively and positively, but there are a few emotions that I just can't quite wrap my head around. You said in another video that clinical narcs have issues seeing fear or sadness in others, and this is certainly true in my case. As for the feeling I get when I'm slighted... It is a rather vulnerable feeling. I looked in the mirror one day last year while I was in this mood and saw a most serious frown. Apparently, this is anger. Wow, the mind is such a fascinating thing, isn't it?

[@ruth540]

I have this myself & BPD. It has taken me a very long time to be able to "fill in the blank". I correlate my physical symptoms & reoccurring thoughts/impluses to a possible emotion. So I can tell (when deep enough into the emotion) when I'm angry, depressed, agitated, empty or maybe anxious. I can't yet "feel" any other emotion besides those 5. I always catch them right before I "tip" over. Stops me from lashing out at someone or from having a full on panic attack. Anyone else who has this issue, I highly suggest attempting to be more intuitive. Look up "symptoms" of certain emotions and ask yourself at least once a day "how am I feeling?". Hope it helps x

[@wyattbunnell8083]

So you feel more of or have only deep negative emotions?

[@RabidRacc00n]

Thank you this will help me

[@kristicapo9000]

You have a low level alexithymria i can say and it will be gone in no time but what i suggest you to do is not tell yourself you have alexithyrmia but that you are numb. Feeling numb is categorised the same as having low level alexithyrmia

[@Cruelidea69]

What I have realized is focusing on emotions confuses me more.

[@maryamghareeb4862]

Ryan Talcott how’s that?

[@fadelessdreamer]

Neglect is abuse. It hurts the same.

[@diablominero]

I'm fairly certain that I have alexithymia from my autism (I wasn't mistreated in childhood). However, I'm also infuriatingly abstract in some situations. Other times, I'll choose a concrete example to represent an abstract concept, but the other person latches on to the details of the example and can't see the forest for the tree I chose to show. Is it possible that the difficulty with abstract thought isn't true as such, but rather there's a difficulty communicating abstract thought? I don't know how an experiment could distinguish between those possibilities, but it's certainly worth thinking about.

[@autismenlightenment]

I have alexithymia and post traumatic stress disorder. I have been working on it and last night i had my second positive dream in the last year. I had a lot of nightmares as a kid and stopped dreaming altogether for the bulk of my life.

[@taylorh.3484]

Autism Enlightenment Hello. I would like to know what is the name of your therapy, if you don’t mind. I may have Alexithymia from my depression.

[@melodymacken9788]

Never heard of it. Now I have. Excellently explained and concise presentation Dr.

[@moniquetammenga3468]

Dr. Tod Grande! I was looking for more information about narcissistic personality disorder. And especially about this condition. I had already found an article about it in Dutch and I am happy to have come across this video in English on the website of You Tube. Thank you for this information. 🙏😏

[@ToddWife]

Thank you for this. I've been struggling with alexithemia for a long time, most prominently in the past 2.5 years. Almost all resources I've found talk about it exclusively in the context of autism. Great for people who need that specification, but im not autistic and still trying to understand it. I was severely abused as a child, so it makes perfect sense that it may have resulted from that, but why would it show up so late, in my 30s? Or maybe ive always had it but its never been an issue til now. Thank you for making this video.

[@jakbares]

Díky!

[@loverofmysoul4753]

It is like butterflies in stomach. I can't describe it.

[@alexxc.1669]

Idk if you will get a notification for this, but I get that feeling too!

[@stephenhowe4107]

1:15-1:16 : "What this means is there is a low-level of introspection". This is not true. And I have both Asperger's and Alexithymia (having done the Toronto test). The reality is like Asperger's, you may some of the symptoms of Alexithymia, not all of them. I am highly introspective. But I don't have an awareness of some feelings towards others when I look within. They are just not there. They are blank. Something else I notice is that for certain states of being, like loneliness and anxiety, I don't sense it but I do notice almost physical sensations, which replace the emotion. So for loneliness there is almost a sense of leaching away. For anxiety, I sometimes get hollow sensations in the stomach. Stuff on love I never sense or feel. Warmth is the maximum I feel. I sometimes speculate that the emotions are there, but inaccessible. So they are there deep down but somehow you cut off from them in your being. But I don't know if this is real or not. It is just a theory. From Scientific American on Alexithymia, symptoms: 1) Difficulty identifying different types of feelings 2) Limited understanding of what causes feelings 3) Difficulty expressing feelings 4) Difficulty recognizing facial cues in others 5) Limited or rigid imagination 6) Constricted style of thinking 7) Hypersensitive to physical sensations 8) Detached or tentative connection to others 5, 6, and 7 are not true for me. The rest are. On 7 while I am not hypersensitive, I have a distinct preference for quiet. Some of those symptoms may overlap with Asperger's

[@mobeen916]

Hi i cant speak english i just read a coument can you told me what mean the sbrger i have alexythimea

[@rachelg9873]

:( I think my son has alexithymia, I'm a single mother. I don't think I've abused or neglected my son. I only recently was able to get him diagnosed with autism. My biggest fear is being a bad parent. I know I've made mistakes, maybe I have left gaps and I'm not aware of it. I will continue to seek professional help for us both. Idk what to do.

[@maidenmarian1]

This is another great video and it explains a lot of things that I have wondered about. Thank you again Dr. GRANDE. i really really liked this video a lot.

[@Costerella7]

I like to think I have an imagination, I like to imagine scenarios in my head of different lives I could have. I’m not able to really know the difference emotions, nor explain what I feel. But I usually just feel nothing. Like a empty feeling.

[@theshivers1967]

Interesting. Having been told that I “can’t express emotions,” by a therapist and that this was my problem, this has helped me at least to untangle some things. I was physically but not by my parents. I was emotionally manipulated, but certainly not by my parents. In these times, I just felt wanted to clarify that. My therapist was going in that direction.

[@koba9606]

For me it’s almost complete numbness. I can still experience anger at times. But I think I spent so much of my life disassociating from my own emotions as part of a defense mechanism, that I have a difficult time feeling anything now. I’ve always hated the feeling of anxiety when I’m troubled by something and dissociating from those emotions seems to have rewired my overall ability to feel or understand my own emotions now. It has wreaked absolute havoc on my romantic relationships and my personal relationships in general.

[@lexiehollens3610]

What about Alexithymia and ASD? Is it a common comorbidity ? Are there any studies on this subject?

[@PapaRadroach]

Very interesting and informative video, thank you!

[@DrGrande]

You're welcome!

[@meowpow4640]

If you did something that impacted someone’s life then someone went up to you and was joy full and thanking you a lot and but you wouldn’t express happiness that you helped someone is that alexithymia?

[@AmbivalentAlexthymic]

I would say this is state alexithymia you are describing. With Trait alexithymia you are not born with it but you are more prone to developing it. Also with trait alexithymia you don't have to be abused or neglected to have it.

[@saltlifegull4091]

Dang, Dr. Grande is just good!

[@rejaneoliveira5019]

Fantastic information, Dr. Grande. Thank you!❤

[@DrGrande]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@trixielanges8089]

I know sadness, anger, and emptiness. The emotions that I’m use to. If I’m not use to it then I don’t know what I’m feeling.

[@BrandilineMelt]

My teenage daughter has this. She has autism and has never suffered abuse or neglect. I wondered if you have addressed this in autism since you made this video.

I heard a statistic that 40% of autistics experience alexathymia compared to the general population which is about 10%. Do you know if in autistic individuals it is due to emotional neglect as well?

[@Alex-ph5ir]

Hi Dr. Grande, I’m curious - do all three components have to be present to ‘count’ as this condition? I relate strongly to the second one (difficulty expressing emotion), but not the other two; I do also have anxiety disorders and PTSD stemming from childhood trauma. Not asking for a diagnosis at all, just explaining why I’m curious to learn more about Alexithymia. If it is always characterized by having all 3 symptoms, are there any other recognized conditions relating to significant difficulty expressing emotions? Thanks for your informative videos!

[@Iseedeadpplss]

Alex B I was wondering the exact same thing! I hope Dr. G sees this and can answer please?

[@yasminpinarsoy1715]

Very educational for me. First time I have heart this terminology 💎🌹💮

[@retroactivejealousy-worldl1805]

What about alexithymia as a symptom of Autistic Spectrum Conditions?

[@yourenough3]

Thanks for the content Dr. G.

[@DrGrande]

You're welcome!

[@RabidRacc00n]

Being 14 are knowing you have alexithymia and having emotional and a little bit of physical abuse which is really hard for me to do anything without someone getting confused or upset

[@jflsdknf]

Can you please cover how to communicate with alexithymics in a relationship?

[@wongawonga1000]

I always get the feeling that psychology lacks any real theoretical framework. Physics, for example, is supported by a large number of laws which can be modeled mathematically to predict behavior. For example, using Newton's Second Law of Motion (Force = mass * acceleration) and Hooke's Law for compression/extension of springs (Force = Spring Constant * Displacement), a differential equation can be created whose solution predicts that a mass on the end of a spring bounces up and down in a sinusoidal manner. At a more advanced level, Einstein was able to make predictions regarding the nature of space and time that weren't experimentally verified for several decades after the initial publication of General Relativity. Psychology on the other hand seems to consist of the sum total of empirical research that has been conducted. There is no real capacity to make theoretical predictions based upon existing laws. This video serves as a case in point. It describes Alexithymia in a purely empirical manner. Studies have been performed that show that the symptoms A, B and C seem to crop up as a result of emotional abuse in childhood. Statistical analysis shows that there is a very small chance of a null hypothesis (i.e. that A, B and C are in fact not related and what was seen was just a fluke) and therefore a label is created for this cluster of symptoms (i.e. Alexithymia). The absence of a theoretical framework for psychology then leads to the farce seen with the DSM whereby, with each new issue, symptoms associated with mental disorders are rearranged, some existing disorders are removed and new disorders are created. The subjectivity of its content invariably then leads to controversy. One comment relating to DSM-V was that they're turning childhood into a disease.

[@leainelodoen5519]

This was helpful . Thank you!

[@DrGrande]

You're welcome!

[@georgiannfibbe6026]

You have just described three generations.

[@adindaretnoutami3847]

I have a male friend who often says that he finds it difficult to express his feelings in friendship. What should I do? Honestly I feel like this is being emotionally violent on me 😢

[@edgreen8140]

Your gonna see it in personality disorders. They don't know what they feel or their core values.

[@Estelle-Maureen]

Good one!!!

[@bloopy6166]

I wonder how psychedelic drugs would effect a person with alexithymia

[@andysmith5997]

They scare the fucking shit out of you

[@MB-pf7gv]

It depends on what drug we’re talking about. I have alexithymia and I have a hard time feeling anything-not just identifying already-existing feeling. I’m not advocating for the use of LSD but it helped me in the past to feel. When I took a small dose, I was, for lack of a better word, happy. I felt nothing but good things. I wasn’t scared. I had fun. I felt relaxed (anxiety is my natural state). I have three small kids so I haven’t experimented in many years. If I could, I definitely would.

[@virgosintellect]

Amanita Muscaria is the tree of knowledge of good and evil. You become the creature that goes bump in the night and no longer fear it but can no longer ignore the fear of others that see you.

[@littlesailor1533]

It's very interesting actually. I had a bad trip (totally my fault, wouldn't happen if you think before you do something) It made me not necessarily emotional, but the physical symptoms of emotions that I had were wayy stronger. I noticed that I was getting paranoid by worry of people noticing I was on drugs. It just changed my perception of reality a little bit... I noticed everyone's footsteps everything was just amplified. Sound especially since there were a lot of people talking. I also had a narrow tunnel vision thing going on, but I didn't feel anxiety although I knew I was anxious.

[@virgosintellect]

It developes after a certain amount of trust falls that fall through.

[@nespith]

This is a bit confusing to what my understanding of what Alexithymia is. I outright don't know what a lot of emotions feel like and as far as I know have not felt them before. I've never had anything I would describe as "butterflies in the stomach" before for example. I don't really see how something like depression and anxiety could bring this on to people because someone who was neurotypical's from birth and gained alexithymia from depression would still know what these emotions feel like and have felt them before.

[@windenribons8084]

so can a sociopath have alxthymia becuse they were abused and never was showed sympathy froum parents or others like so they start out with emotion then the morals went away could the understanding of emotion can be taken away too

[@David-op8go]

that's my story man

[@Gunner149]

Exactly what happened to me

[@navjotsingh3138]

Can it be caused by chronic pain?

[@billhildebrand5053]

Comment 73: 443 likes 7 dislikes. 11,526 views. 1. Difficulty identifying emotion 2. Difficulty describing feelings 3. Externally oriented cognitive style...

[@majji8604]

I need help i hear the problems what is the solution?

[@mobeen916]

I also

[@KlirrenDieFahnen]

Could it be that a child having alexithymia leads to making that child more prone to emotional abuse and/or neglect? Meaning that the cause is sometimes outside the realm of psychology and perhaps biological or neurological?

[@tamz0309]

Could you please update this for children with alexithymia and are also on the autism spectrum.

[@als.avatar]

thank you! awesome video! here's my current situation... I want to express myself through my art in school and the future but I feel as if I struggle with Alexithymia... Now I also have anxiety(, aggression, and impulsivity as you said...). But in order to create my emotions I have to express them, something I struggle with because I might have Alexithymia. And I have to explain why I draw what I draw, which I also struggle with because I have GAD, Generalise Anxiety Disorder. A real situation, am I right?

[@georginashanti4605]

You didn't mention Autism as a comorbidity. I can't watch this whole video because I don't feel it relates to my experience as an autistic adult. I also have an excellent imagination and my dreams are often vivid. The alexithymia for me is often much worse during periods of intense burnout.

[@andresdiaz7112]

Why would you not cover the 4th portion of it in terms of the lack of Imagination, that's the key in the whole thing. That's the end game.

[@jv-co9vc]

Do you think alexithymia could also be comorbid with cluster A personality disorders? Particularly Paranoid PD

[@gingermummy8025]

Dr Grande, I see that you are leaving out the autistic spectrum people here. My experience is that alexithymia is very much an issue for autistics, emotional abuse and/or neglect regardless. Being a female, I still tend to cope with emotions in the male way, by inhibition and/or withdrawal. I don’t find seeking social support particularly natural at all. That said, I’m not suggesting my style is by any means more healthy, I just find talking about emotions very hard and my difficulties embarrass me. I also think it’s interesting to see that narcissists also can be alexithymic. One popular and simplified explanation of autism is that you feel strongly but struggle to express it, and for narcissism it goes the other way - you feel nothing but are very good at faking it. How can both of these fit under the same umbrella term? 🤔

[@BLUEGENE13]

i very much have this

[@xivwords5448]

Was on sopranos

[@JC-vy7ns]

I got curious of alexithymia after watching k-drama he is psychometric

[@ayushgurung7909]

ClaireOfficial same here😂

[@susanbeever5708]

You didn’t mention autism.

[@JamieHumeCreative]

No. I don't think so. But what do I know. ..

[@simonkerolf1283]

What is emotion?

[@claytondenchuk478]

I had child maltreatment. 😢

[@hetjamesfield4473]

Trust me, it is just child neglect...

[@steveg4082]

Call every time you use the word sex when you really mean the word gender I’m thrown as a listener. In my mind, sex means lovemaking, and gender means cis gender.

[@Mrtaco-bs1lg]

I'm pretty sure I have this

[@NarcissismSimplified]

👍

[@jeetpatra7437]

Umm yeah I have that too!!

[@maniok1977]

What about people with autism?????

[@gensoumusic2145]

That's what I have...

[@suzanorchard-farris478]

If you replaced your references to differentiation between sexes with the word "Gender" it would be much easier to follow you. Also, Alexithymia frequently occurs in those who suffer with Asperger's.

[@bell269]

i have alexithymia

[@livenotbylies]

Autism. Also very common in autism

[@_Trakman]

Bingo

[@feigekatarina5745]

You should really say gender instead of sex. I think it would get rid of a lot of misleading concepts. Like right now, every time you say sex, I'm thinking to myself, how does this have anything to do with sexual preferences or sexual relations? What does it do to LGBT people? Are you talking physical gender, or emotional idea of gender? I'm not an expert. I'm just confused. This would be less of a problem if you said gender instead of sex.

[@windenribons8084]

he looks so siruse

[@Cronoo]

Welp..

[@BENJAMIN12M]

Feels like dying

[@yourkarma2250]

meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@navjotsingh3138]

If someone has alexythymia, he can't have anxiety because he is phychologically immune

[@silvervoyager8321]

You should say gender instead of sex. Just my opinion.