Emotional during movies.

Yes, this has happened to me quite a lot, and often with the most unexpected things and at unexpected times. It happens much less with TV and movies because I haven't indulged in either of those things for many years, but it can happen when I'm reading books or browsing some of my favourite internet cartoons.

I think that being alexithymic is a big part of it for me. I often know that I have an emotion going on somewhere in the background of my mind, but just can't figure out which emotion it is until I see a concrete example of it right in front of my eyes - then everything clicks into place, and it all comes flooding out. Many years ago, when I had a very high stress job that burned me out to the point of becoming a complete recluse in my private life, it was almost an everyday occurrence that watching the SImpsons while eating my tea would suddenly make me realise how lonely I was coming back from work to an empty house.

It's also very, very ingrained in me not to show my emotions. I was strictly brought up (by my Father mostly) with the "boys don't cry" and "I'll give you something to cry about" ethos. I can still recall being absolutely mortified at bursting into tears in front of everyone when we'd gone on a visit to family friends and we watched "Tarka the Otter" (animals do it for me big time!). Even now, after receiving loads of therapy for my depression etc., I habitually fight tooth and nail not to show negative emotions in front of other people, even when I know it would be a perfectly normal reaction and I'm among people who wouldn't judge me for it. Sometimes that little kick from seeing something on screen can be the straw that breaks the camel's back, though.

Trogluddite said:

I think that being alexithymic is a big part of it for me. I often know that I have an emotion going on somewhere in the background of my mind, but just can't figure out which emotion it is until I see a concrete example of it right in front of my eyes - then everything clicks into place, and it all comes flooding out.

That's a very interesting thought, which strikes me as very probably what's going on for at least some of us on this thread.

Although it's something that I was dimly aware of earlier, the last counsellor that I saw encouraged something similar as a way to help me with my alexithymia (although she didn't name it as such). She'd worked with autistic people earlier in her career, and I realised very quickly that she truly understood how profound and innate my problems with emotional communication were, rather than attributing them to repression or lack of engagement with the counselling, as had happened with previous counsellors. (this was a complete fluke, by the way; it was neither formally intended as autism-specific counselling, nor was she the counsellor I'd originally been assigned - my diagnosis wasn't even confirmed at this time).

As well as being very good at reading the physical manifestations of emotions which I was oblivious to, reflecting them back to me, and helping me to recognise them myself, she suggested finding concrete examples wherever I could as prototypes for comparative analysis - similar in principle to the "social stories" that are sometimes used as an aid to learning social skills. Even then, it didn't click straight away that this was probably what had been going on all my life when little, flickering drawings on celluloid made me feel more powerful emotions than real life often seemed to.

I have to admit, I was a bit sceptical at first, in part because I was reluctant to think of myself as being so emotionally immature that I might need such a thing. However, I think it has definitely helped me, particularly for managing anxiety, depression, and their causes, which very often had to become alarmingly severe before I even noticed them, let alone acted to do anything about them.

Although it's something that I was dimly aware of earlier, the last counsellor that I saw encouraged something similar as a way to help me with my alexithymia (although she didn't name it as such). She'd worked with autistic people earlier in her career, and I realised very quickly that she truly understood how profound and innate my problems with emotional communication were, rather than attributing them to repression or lack of engagement with the counselling, as had happened with previous counsellors. (this was a complete fluke, by the way; it was neither formally intended as autism-specific counselling, nor was she the counsellor I'd originally been assigned - my diagnosis wasn't even confirmed at this time).

As well as being very good at reading the physical manifestations of emotions which I was oblivious to, reflecting them back to me, and helping me to recognise them myself, she suggested finding concrete examples wherever I could as prototypes for comparative analysis - similar in principle to the "social stories" that are sometimes used as an aid to learning social skills. Even then, it didn't click straight away that this was probably what had been going on all my life when little, flickering drawings on celluloid made me feel more powerful emotions than real life often seemed to.

I have to admit, I was a bit sceptical at first, in part because I was reluctant to think of myself as being so emotionally immature that I might need such a thing. However, I think it has definitely helped me, particularly for managing anxiety, depression, and their causes, which very often had to become alarmingly severe before I even noticed them, let alone acted to do anything about them.