Hey guys! Welcome back to my blog! For this weeks topic, I will be writing about something called alexithymia and it’s connection to autism. Again, this is something I’m learning right along with you guys, and I’m so lucky to find actually autistic resources on Instagram to help me come up with topic ideas! Honestly, I’d be lost without them, and this blog probably would’ve already died by now! Lol!
Alexithymia is when people have a hard time describing their emotions, which can also make anxiety worse for us. It’s a common thing of people of all neurotypes, but it’s extra common in autistic individuals/individuals with autism. Approximately 50%-85% of autistics/people with autism are alexithymic. However, another source says it’s 1 in 5, so I’m not sure what to believe tbh. Interception, which is the sense of one’s body international state, is common when you’re dealing with alexithymia. (I’m thinking about planning on writing about that for a future post). Some examples of that would be acknowledging when you’re hungry, and temperature signals. For part this post, I’m using a post from the account @flappyfroggie on Instagram and they said “I’ve noticed that whilst it is known to be common in autistic individuals, there seems to be a scarcity on how to deal with it and express and understand our emotions better”. I also think this is true because I’ve never heard of alexithymia be talked about ever. We have emotions, but it’s hard for some of us to express them, and there needs to be more acceptance for that. Like I said above, alexithymia affects anxiety. Well, there are 2 reasons for this. One of them being autistic people/people with autism can have problems with anxiety coming to alexithymia is because we sometimes have a hard time sensing physical symptoms (which part of what alexithymia is) of anxiety. This may include when your heart rate changes, and adrenaline rushes. It can make thins feel unpredictable, and confusing which can worsen anxiety. Another reason is it can make it difficult for autistic people/people with autism to control their emotions. People who struggle with anxiety can accept certain levels of worry sometimes. However, an autistic person/person with autism who has alexithymia may find this more difficult to regulate than NT’s. Before I read that part, I was about to say “yeah I don’t accept worrying of any kind”, even though I don’t think I have alexithymia. I’m usually very good at advocating for myself. On another note, they may push these feelings away, which will end up making things worse! Alexithymia is one of the reasons why basic therapy isn’t always effective for autistic people/people with autism. If we’re seeking treatment for anxiety, it is important for someone to know about alexithymia if we do deal with that, but not everyone does! So that’s about it for this post. Thanks so much for reading and I’ll see you all next week! Email- [email protected] Instagram- @embracingmysuperpower Facebook- Embracing my Superpower Tik Tok- @embracingmysuperpower https://www.instagram.com/p/CXZE9a-Mnzc/?utm_medium=copy_link https://www.autistica.org.uk/what-is-autism/anxiety-and-autism-hub/alexithymia https://www.instagram.com/p/COQNFKXsVAf/?utm_medium=copy_link (another good post I didn’t use for my blog, but good information if you’re interested in learning more!)
1 Comment
Ira Lax
1/28/2022 09:46:21 am
Kailey: You’re so good at knowing about how to handle your feelings in a positive way. i think your blog really helps others get better at that too! Thanks for sharing your ideas.
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