{"id":78231,"date":"2025-09-11T01:59:51","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T05:59:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=78231"},"modified":"2025-09-11T01:59:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T05:59:51","slug":"alexithymia-why-some-people-dont-understand-their-emotions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/alexithymia-why-some-people-dont-understand-their-emotions\/","title":{"rendered":"Alexithymia: Why Some People Don&#8217;t Understand Their Emotions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><span dir=\"auto\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-78232\" src=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/alexithymia.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"578\" srcset=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/alexithymia.png 680w, https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/alexithymia-250x213.png 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"auto\">Alexithymia refers to major difficulties in identifying, processing, and expressing emotions. Studied for several decades in various fields of psychology, this personality trait remains little known to the general public. A better understanding of it would help to include those affected in society.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Emotions are part of us and influence us while shaping our relationships with others, even though they often remain a mystery. For some people, the difficulty in identifying and understanding them can have repercussions on their health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">We often tend to think that we understand our emotions quite well. However, using certain measuring instruments (the Toronto scales), it is estimated that\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0003448710002830\"><span dir=\"auto\">between 17 and 23% of the population<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0encounters major difficulties in identifying and expressing their emotional states. This is what is then called alexithymia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Despite its frequency, this particularity remains little known to the general public,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0033298407001033?casa_token=Sk-a6y7R_PkAAAAA:1TXWIF41RV_XKuCGzMD-Z2lpWHy955PKpGIza4s2ueg-0dpKotcBvXn68vIgqhg-P7rkDB-xpA\"><span dir=\"auto\">although it can negatively impact mental health, interpersonal relationships<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0and, more generally, the quality of life of those affected.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Note that alexithymia is not currently considered a medical condition. It is not listed in the latest edition of the\u00a0<\/span><em><span dir=\"auto\">Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders<\/span><\/em><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0(DSM-5), the\u00a0<\/span><em><span dir=\"auto\">American Psychiatric Association<\/span><\/em><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0&#8216;s manual that classifies mental illnesses, nor in the World Health Organization&#8217;s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span dir=\"auto\">Etymology and history of the word \u201calexithymia\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">The term &#8220;alexithymia,&#8221; derived from the Greek\u00a0<\/span><em><span dir=\"auto\">a<\/span><\/em><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0(without),\u00a0<\/span><em><span dir=\"auto\">lexis<\/span><\/em><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0(word), and\u00a0<\/span><em><span dir=\"auto\">thymos<\/span><\/em><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0(mood, emotion), means &#8220;absence of words for emotions.&#8221; It was introduced in the 1970s by psychiatrist\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/pdf\/45114148.pdf?casa_token=YGsa4l08hKkAAAAA:UerI1EKtKmojQRTIw0RGkDYGpYxZmsd_Py-Rf8x7pVWSnH6RSj5UCYxzLptzy7eZW4kCSzKXwl7WMRkr6FqLZbJtI0IA9c32S3dQQvafS3an1GGehFBW\"><span dir=\"auto\">Peter Sifneos<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0. It refers to a set of difficulties in identifying, describing, and processing one&#8217;s own emotions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">To illustrate this, imagine being asked to describe a color you&#8217;ve never seen before\u2014this is a situation quite similar to what someone with alexithymia experiences when trying to explain how they feel.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span dir=\"auto\">Difficulty identifying and describing emotions<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Research shows that alexithymia is linked to\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0149763413001796\"><span dir=\"auto\">specificities in brain functioning<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0, particularly in areas involved in emotional processing and self-awareness, such as the anterior insula and prefrontal cortex.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Neuroimaging studies have revealed reduced connectivity between these regions in alexithymic people, which could represent a\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/viejo.medwave.cl\/link.cgi\/English\/Reviews\/Clinical\/6971.act?ver=sindiseno\"><span dir=\"auto\">clue to explain, in part, their difficulty in identifying and processing emotions<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/old.jpsychopathol.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/08-Messina1.pdf\"><span dir=\"auto\">Two main types of alexithymia are identified<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0. Primary alexithymia is considered a stable personality trait. Genetic or neurobiological\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/pdf\/48510146.pdf?casa_token=iQr4XEbEQrQAAAAA:LE_O16d2QYmXE_jxprTBW625Sgkt3TTUvpHR_yAYfNiluCtrvGSKJlfzLGH12PqnfoXyAdTX52uoT6y7b-yvgJU29cxyXxAV8kEZj3rP_HtxuErNFZMF\">developmental <\/a><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/viejo.medwave.cl\/link.cgi\/English\/Reviews\/Clinical\/6971.act?ver=sindiseno\"><span dir=\"auto\">factors<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0appear to play a major role.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Secondary alexithymia, on the other hand, appears as a result of trauma, psychological stress, illness, or mental health disorders such as depression. It develops later in life and affects previously intact emotional processing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span dir=\"auto\">Emotions in relationships with others and in the body<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Alexithymia thus represents either a\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/pdf\/45114148.pdf?casa_token=YGsa4l08hKkAAAAA:UerI1EKtKmojQRTIw0RGkDYGpYxZmsd_Py-Rf8x7pVWSnH6RSj5UCYxzLptzy7eZW4kCSzKXwl7WMRkr6FqLZbJtI0IA9c32S3dQQvafS3an1GGehFBW\"><span dir=\"auto\">primary<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0personality factor that conditions an inappropriate reaction to stress, or a\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/karger.com\/pps\/article-abstract\/50\/1\/29\/280734\/Construct-Validity-of-the-Toronto-Alexithymia\"><span dir=\"auto\">secondary factor<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0to stressful situations, in which case it has a more defensive value. In all cases,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1877042810015260\"><span dir=\"auto\">this emotional disconnection can affect interpersonal relationships<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">It can be difficult for an alexithymic person to emotionally support a loved one even when they don&#8217;t understand their own feelings. However, not understanding one&#8217;s emotions does not necessarily mean that one is alexithymic, and it does not systematically have repercussions on physical or psychopathological health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">People affected by these emotions know they exist, but they struggle to identify or express them. Rather than describing specific emotions like sadness, joy, or anger, they often talk about a general malaise or feeling out of step, without knowing why.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Sometimes, they even experience physical symptoms related to these misunderstood emotions. Even though they struggle to verbalize their emotions, people with alexithymia do feel them. These unrecognized emotions can manifest as physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach pain, or fatigue\u2014a\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0022399902004671\"><span dir=\"auto\">phenomenon called somatization<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Indeed, when emotions cannot be expressed in words, they often manifest themselves in the body, through discomfort or more or less localized pain. Moreover, certain studies have shown that alexithymia is a vulnerability factor that affects general health, promotes depression\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/pdf\/48510800.pdf?casa_token=Q1Zd_dkUuzsAAAAA:evJfahpfMeC8Xi08pVGQV_Ny803B54uleLejUKTqaXWM7XQNArgzhvS5O0BIQbi3RRYjCGN4Dkpxt6imdv_f1D3k_FgxOeradscteED4gDZ1x__mP49S\"><span dir=\"auto\">,<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0anxiety\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/bsam\/abstract\/2008\/07000\/alexithymia_and_somatization_in_general_population.13.aspx\"><span dir=\"auto\">,<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0and can constitute a\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.addbeh.2017.09.025\"><span dir=\"auto\">risk factor for alcohol dependence,<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0for example.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span dir=\"auto\">Lack of emotional warmth or defense mechanism?<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">A common misconception is that alexithymia is a lack of emotional warmth. Difficulties encountered on an emotional level constitute two components of alexithymia (the first is related to the identification of emotions, the second is related to their description), both associated with a third component (outward-looking operational thinking). The latter corresponds to a way of thinking focused on the operational rather than the emotional.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Although affected individuals may appear detached, this is not a deliberate choice. Alexithymia is a cognitive difficulty that makes recognizing and expressing emotions inherently complex. These individuals do not intentionally avoid their emotions; their brains process them differently. While research on the brain&#8217;s involvement in alexithymia has produced conflicting results, recent meta-analyses support the hypothesis of a\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medwave.cl\/revisiones\/revisionclinica\/6960.html?_view=en\"><span dir=\"auto\">neurobiological basis for alexithymia<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">In its secondary design, it could even constitute an\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/citeseerx.ist.psu.edu\/document?repid=rep1&amp;type=pdf&amp;doi=e2c7e4657af8b047094d7834e79a95eff0d34a41\"><span dir=\"auto\">unconscious defense mechanism<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0, used to alleviate negative and painful emotions and\/or to counteract the problematic consequences of certain stressors.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span dir=\"auto\">\u201cHeal\u201d it or learn to live with it?<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Although alexithymia is generally not curable since it is not a disease but a personality trait, just like\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/api-journal.accscience.com\/journal\/article\/preview?doi=10.36922\/jcbp.2681\"><span dir=\"auto\">the hypersensitivity with which it is associated<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0, there are ways to live better with it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Among the work on the subject, some studies highlight that psychotherapy,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20150227182128id_\/http:\/\/www.gainingmomentum.com.au\/alexithymia_article.pdf\"><span dir=\"auto\">particularly skills-based therapies<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0, shows promising results. These therapies help individuals recognize their emotions by focusing on their physical sensations and observable behaviors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Additionally,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/00207284.1988.11491084\"><span dir=\"auto\">group or individual therapy<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0can teach alexithymic people to observe their internal states without judgment, gradually helping them connect their bodily sensations to their emotions. Research continues on other therapeutic approaches.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Other studies are looking at therapies that are less focused on verbal expression, such as art therapy or music therapy. These approaches could offer alexithymic people a way to\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/John-Ogrodniczuk\/publication\/261742525_Changes_in_Alexithymia_Following_Psychological_Intervention_A_Review\/links\/61786b37a767a03c14b9cab6\/Changes-in-Alexithymia-Following-Psychological-Intervention-A-Review.pdf\"><span dir=\"auto\">better explore and understand their emotions, while freeing them from the sometimes intimidating nature of traditional therapies<\/span><\/a><span dir=\"auto\">\u00a0.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span dir=\"auto\">Understanding alexithymia for a more inclusive vision<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">A better understanding of alexithymia, its causes, and its consequences, is a step toward a more inclusive and nuanced view of emotional diversity. While emotions are universal, how we experience and express them is highly individual. Recognizing these differences helps create caring and supportive environments for those who struggle to connect with their emotions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"auto\">Raising awareness about alexithymia can also help us better understand the unique challenges this characteristic brings, particularly in interpersonal relationships, and trying to understand its origins would help us better understand its effects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Author Bios:<\/strong> Jimmy Bordarie is a Doctor, Lecturer, Aliz\u00e9e Richalley is a Doctoral student in developmental psychology and Caroline Giraudeau is a University Professor of Developmental Psychology all at the University of Tours<\/em><\/p>\n<p><small>This article was co-written by Aliz\u00e9e Richalley, Jimmy Bordarie, Amandine Deloustal and Caroline Giraudeau.<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alexithymia refers to major difficulties in identifying, processing, and expressing emotions. Studied for several decades in various fields of psychology, this personality trait remains little known to the general public. A better understanding of it would help to include those affected in society. Emotions are part of us and influence us while shaping our relationships [&hellip;]\n&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/alexithymia-why-some-people-dont-understand-their-emotions\/\" class=\"more\">learn more&rarr;<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109017],"tags":[435500],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-78231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health-care","tag-alexithymia"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Alexithymia: Why Some People Don&#039;t Understand Their Emotions - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/alexithymia-why-some-people-dont-understand-their-emotions\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Alexithymia: Why Some People Don&#039;t Understand Their Emotions - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Alexithymia refers to major difficulties in identifying, processing, and expressing emotions. Studied for several decades in various fields of psychology, this personality trait remains little known to the general public. A better understanding of it would help to include those affected in society. 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