Do you ever feel disgust or repulsion?
27.08.2015 by daughterMy mother has alexithymia but she considers herself totally normal, but with a lot of health issues. Some of these issues stem from a lack of hygiene: if her elderly cat vomits or defecates on the carpet, she might just leave it. I steam cleaned her carpets and thought I might need a hepatitis shot there was so much filth. She doesn't seem repulsed or disgusted by walking barefoot on it, but she says her "allergies" are so much better after I clean. Also, if she thinks she's getting a cold, she will sometimes not shower for a week. I don't think this is common for alexithymics, but please correct me if I am wrong. Thank you for helping me understand you better.
Disgusted or not
28.08.2015 by Alex16papercut
Hey, you ask if we ever feel disgusted or repulsed. For me personally it's a no, I don't, not really. Though I know if something is to be repulsed or disgusted by, still it doesn't really play a big role for me. I think it depends on how severe your Alexithymia is. If it's bothering you a lot that your mom doesn't seem to care, then I'd recommend to just talk to her about it and try and explain why it's bothering you, cuz often we haven't thought the thought of it bothering someone else. So just tell her how you feel about the carpet and she'll most likely try and see things from your perspective, though for some that's a tough task, so be patient and help explain it for her :)
Thank you
28.08.2015 by daughter
This is very helpful. If I may ask, do you feel love, or ever miss people? I know my mother loves her cat: she cried uncontrollably when her cat got sick. However, when I ran away from home at age 16, she never tried to get me back and never seemed worried about me. Afterwards, she never called to see how I was or if I needed anything (which I very much did). I cannot point to anything that would indicate that she loves me. Can she love animals but not people? Thank you.
Yes to animals not people
03.09.2015 by DXS
It's how I feel. I cannot take (or I feel repulsed by) cruelty to animals. However, the starving children ads do nothing for me.
Also, Flight 93 on the 9/11 thing affected me deeply. But the guy who blew up the Oklahoma Fed building, nothing. I figured out later what was affecting me on the Flight 93 was "courage." People who show great courage will elicit emotional responses from me.
Thank you for that confirmation
04.09.2015 by daughter
It helps a lot in understanding what you may be experiencing. Does anything thing else (besides courage and cruelty to animals) elicit an emotional response from you? Or do you pretty much only feel happiness, sadness, and/or anxiety?
cleanliness
05.09.2015 by JudyJ
I agree with the others that you may need to talk to her and let her know nicely how you feel. My husband says "I'm a mess" but he will tell me " I think we need to fold laundry or wash dishes" to help me remember to do things. Sometimes you need a reminder from the outside world about what needs to go on. Good Luck!
No, I have not noticed anything else
25.10.2015 by DXS
Does anything thing else (besides courage and cruelty to animals) elicit an emotional response from you?
Pretty much.... no.
Although I do start to get anxiety if I start feeling high and giddy. When ever I have felt happy and giddy, something BAD happens the next day and I feel like I went "splat" from the top of a ladder. I don't like the "splat" feeling.
