Alexithymia & Interoception Livestream and Q&A
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2022
- Check out this recording from our livestream on 9/20/2022. We chatted all about alexithymia and interoception, and had a great question and answer session! I am so glad we get to talk about this important topic as a group.
Alexithymia is a term that’s used to describe when someone has difficulty identifying their feelings-or more specifically identifying and describing their emotions. Researchers have found that one in 10 people can experience this alexithymia and these rates are even higher in people that are neurodivergent, have experienced trauma and/or have a mental health diagnosis. Alexithymia does not mean that a person lacks emotions, it just alludes to the fact that they have a hard time figuring out exactly what emotion they’re experiencing and sometimes even putting words to that experience.
When someone frequently experiences this difficulty identifying how they feel, they might experience something called Alexithymia. Because there’s a connection between interoception and Alexithymia, evidence-based interoception resources can help. Learn more by visiting www.kelly-mahler.com/what-is-interoception/interoception-and-alexithymia/
So what is Alexithymia?
Alexithymia is a Greek term that translates to “no words for emotions.” Researchers commonly define it as an experience in which a person has difficulty identifying and describing their emotions. Essentially, someone who experiences Alexithymia has a hard time understanding their feels.
While about 10% of people experience Alexithymia, the rate increases for people who are neurodivergent, experienced trauma, and/or have a mental health diagnosis.
To me, Alexithymia is only a surface term. I’m more concerned about what is causing it. What is the deeper reason why someone struggles to identify their emotions? Why can it be hard to distinguish between feeling happy, sad, or frustrated? Why can it hard to express emotions to others? As an occupational therapist, finding the root cause of Alexithymia is important because it allows professionals and caregivers to find more effective supports.
Use Our Evidence-Based Interoception Resources to Improve Alexithymia
Nurturing a connection to our interoceptive sense is not easy. But with the right evidence-based supports, you can practice noticing bodily sensations and learning what they mean uniquely to you. Our interoception resources help those with Alexithymia be able to better understand and describe how they’re feeling, such as:
One of our most popular resources, The Interoception Curriculum: www.kelly-mahler.com/product/the-interoception-curriculum-bundle, provides a systematic framework for discussing interoception and Alexithymia. The Body Check Ring: www.kelly-mahler.com/product/body-check-ring/, a tool that includes printable cards, an activity booklet, and an online mini-course, is a great resource and handy interoception communication tool. You may also want to try out Interoception Exercise Cards: www.kelly-mahler.com/product/interoception-exercise-cards/ or our Interoception Yoga Cards: www.kelly-mahler.com/product/interoception-yoga-cards/. These cards will help you turn exercise into a powerful interoception awareness builder.
For more on alexithymia and interoception, check out my blog here: www.kelly-mahler.com/resource...
For more info, visit: www.kelly-mahler.com
#interoception #alexithymia #emotionalregulation 
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“You’re there to coach them through that, you’re not there to tell them how to feel” I love that!
Thank you for highlighting such an important aspect of the work!!
This is very good. How do you help caregivers, who may be well intentioneed, stop gaslighting, "fixing" and "helping" instead of holding space around neurodivergent kids and their asynchronous/atypical development?
That is a great question, and one I’m actively working on as a parent. Understanding a little bit about interoception and how we are all so diverse in our felt experience can lead to more curiosity. Trying to learn more about our child’s inner experience rather than assuming to understand can be an important (but hard) shift!
Is there any research about how chemicals like legal (or otherwise) drugs interfere with interoception? This would be particularly relevant to late diagnosed adults who currently are or have been prescribed many different medications like pain meds, tranquilizers and antidepressants. If you are already disassociated from your senses, adding another layer just seems to add to the confusion. Which I mention since neurodivergence tends to run in families, so ND kids might have at least one interoceptionally challenged family member that will be caring for them. @KellyMahlerOT
@@KellyMahlerOT good on you. Interception is the other big thing that throws off NT parents/doctors/teachers/etc. perhaps the trifecta of misunderstanding autistic children is
1. Double empathy / uncanny valley
2. Developmental asynchrony
3. Interception differences
Maybe throw in the tendency to overdiagnose for ADHD. The name of the game is: stop thinking of everything as a problem! The double empathy gap/uncanny valley creates this unconscious drive to "fix." Care providers need to constantly be asking "is this really a problem... And from the perspective of whom?" Unfortunately almost any "help" can be conversion/assimilation in disguise. We need to make sure everyone is prioritizing acceptance and putting "do no harm" first
@@utubeuserintheusa yeah, this is a huge issue. Everybody wants to tinker and "fix" and "help" neurodiverse people so we don't get the space we need to know ourselves and find our own balances
@@utubeuserintheusa I have not done a literature search in the last year or so, but do know there are published studies showing the effects of medication on the insula (which is the interoception center of the brain). Also studies in the addictions field finding interoception differences--including in substance use.. Lived experience also supports your connection--countless reports on how medication changes the way that we feel (interoception!). And the way a medication can impact a person interoceptively is highly variable between individuals.