Confused body sensations
11.03.2016 by CVCurious if anyone else experiences this as it is very inconvenient -
So I have a stomach problem. Going back into hospital soon to try and find out what it is and fix it (one great thing about being alexithymic - I don't care about surgery at all) but in the meantime, I can't tell the difference between what sensations mean, and I have to go through this whole gauntlet of actions at 3am to try and stop the sensation so I can get any sleep. I can't tell if it is stomach pain because there is something wrong with my stomach in general, or maybe I ate something that disagreed and it's that, or maybe it's gas, or maybe it's hunger, maybe thirst, or maybe it's connected to some emotional state I can't perceive properly, on and on. So I'm up at 3am mechanically stuffing bread in my mouth to discount that, drinking milk and antacids in case it's that, taking painkillers in case it's that, and trying to think about something pleasant in case it's that.
I just have no idea. As I said, inconvenient, and I have put on a lot of weight recently by apparently being unable to tell if I'm hungry or not, so I just drink milk until the sensation stops, but that doesn't last long until I have to do it again and this is apparently more fattening than eating properly. It's just because I can't tell the differences between what these sensations mean.
Alexithymia related?
Suggestion
11.03.2016 by spicyheinz
There was a period where i too had stomach pain, eating salt helps with the pain and yes, i do think that it is alexithymia related.
What does that say about alexithymia and illness?
Could it have the same kind of affect on healthcare as something like congenital insensitivity to pain would? Just because you don't feel pain or perceive it the way others would, does not mean you are not being damaged, just that you fail to act on it? Is an alexithymic more likely to neglect their health?
I had an example of this recently. For probably months (ironically I can't remember, which is precisely the point) I had this scalp issue. It was definitely unpleasant, but all I bothered to do was switch to dandruff shampoo. Recently it got ridiculous so I finally ended up going to the doctor because there was blood all in my hair and I was getting blood on my clothing. The GP asked why I hadn't had this looked at sooner, as it was raw and was obviously painful and itchy and so on, and I honestly didn't know. Turns out, it looks like all that was needed was a prescription lotion to rub into the scalp once a day to clear up the infection.
My scalp had been bleeding for weeks and I just didn't register / translate into action.
I have the gastroscopy in a few days and I'm beginning to think that might follow form - I have been sick with this stomach issue for months now, and it may have a very simple fix like the scalp, but I may have neglected it and caused myself months of illness just because it didn't occur to me to actually do anything about it, probably because it doesn't hold the emotional impact that would force anyone in their right mind to go to the hospital.
Makes me very suspicious as this isn't the first time I've neglected an illness, more than once a serious illness, possibly because it doesn't mean much? I don't know.
