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Identifying Feelings

Autumn_Trees

One of the questions asked in the screening process for my diagnosis was "Do you struggle to identify your feelings" 

I answered this question with a huge, relieved, resounding "YES".  I honestly believe if I had ever been able to identify and name what my feelings are? I wouldn't be in half this mess I'm in now. 

My last therapist told me about something called a feeling wheel - which I am not ashamed to say my 30-something yr old ass found SO helpful. I'll include a link below: 
I bought one of these and stuck it on my wall above my desk. Whenever I was getting 'feelings' (hard to identify but you feel the bubbling up) I could look at this and be like 'okay I think it is THIS;. https://shorturl.at/beKP8

Something this evening has made me feel sad :( and disappointed :( and maybe remorseful :( 

It is helpful to have the feeling wheel to identify what those are rather than them coming out in bad ways (like hurting myself). 

Thought I'd share in case it was helpful for someone else.

  • Alexithymia is a fairly common autistic trait:

    en.wikipedia.org/.../Alexithymia

    Alexithymia, also called emotional blindness, is a neuropsychological phenomenon characterized by significant challenges in recognizing, expressing, and describing one's own emotions

    Here are a few books about the subject if you are interested in digging deeper:

    Emotionally Dumb, An Overview of Alexithymia - Jason Thompson (2009)
    ISBN 9780646512518

    Emotional Processing Deficits and Happiness, Assessing the Measurement, Correlates, and Well-Being of People with Alexithymia - Linden R. Timoney, Mark D. Holder
    ISBN 9789400771765

    Alexithymia, A World Without Emotions - Juan Moises de la Serna (2018)
    no ISBN given

    Disorders of Affect Regulation, Alexithymia in Medical and Psychiatric Illness - Graeme J. Taylor, R. Michael Bagby, James D. A. Parker (1999)
    ISBN 0521778506

    Integration and Self Healing - Affect, Trauma, Alexithymia - Henry Krystal (1988)
    ISBN 9780881631807

    • I am not very good at controlling my emotions. They are very intense.  .