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?Alexithymia

Draziwekans

Alexithymia - I came across this word, which appears to describes myself, does this resonate with others on the spectrum ? Does cPTSD in autism contribute or cause this, or could it just be (c)PTSD. Especially repeated shutting down over time. How do you know if shutting down is the autism, or ptsd?

Parents

  • Prior to my autism assessment, fortunately, I knew about alexithymia. It was a difficult personal journey to accept that I experience it, and to understand that not being able to describe or identify emotions didn't mean I was unfeeling and "malfunctioning". It still didn't prepare me for how difficult I found it to answer the question "What does happiness feel like?", and the excruciatingly uncomfortable silence during the assessment while I tried to "find" the feeling. 

  • in reply to Sia

    I have sometimes had 'you must know how you feel, or be able to say how you feel, everybody does'. Maybe I have also blocked/not allowed myself to outwardly express, possibly a defence mechanism i wondrr.

Reply Children
  • in reply to Draziwekans

    I'm not a psychiatrist, so I won't try to conclude what alexithymia means in your case. I do know that it could be either, and that the mechanisms behind it can be different. In autism, it's often considered to be related to differences in sensory and emotional processing. It may be more of a "day to day"experience. In PTSD or cPTSD, it could function as a protective mechanism, where emotional awareness becomes reduced when the body perceives a threat. It could also be an interaction between both of these factors.