Do you guys think that there is an alexithymia spectrum?
Like, on one end is someone with all the emotions and on the other end is someone with none?
And the middle would be some of the emotions or the emotions, but just dulled?
Just wanted to know what you guys thought.
I think there is, for different aspects of alexi. For instance If something sad happens I cant really tell if I'm upset about it or not.
I had a good friend die a little while ago and I couldn’t say that I felt sad, although I could tell something felt weird like more empty than usual. But I did cry sometimes when talking about him but I couldn’t tell why.
But on the other hand I'm good at telling what others are feeling from what they say, do, look like ect... where others with alexi find that difficult. Although that could be about practice.
Maybe less of a spectrum, more of a line graph?
One part of autism that is difficult is to understand the inconsistency. That an individual can appear very "high functioning" cognitively and intellectually for example, and yet be completely incapable of doing things like using a phone, holding a job, etc. The same person can appear fine in some circumstances, and shift into shutdown/meltdown in others. It is not just one broad category of functionality.
I believe the same may be true of alexithymia. Perhaps you can understand, identify and feel only the strong emotions, such as fear, or rage. Anything more subtle just gets lost. Or perhaps you can feel positive emotions, and are blocked in response to negatives. Perhaps you feel nothing but can understand the feelings of others, perhaps you can't feel or understand at all. I think it may be individual-specific and more a series of dips and peaks, abilities and inabilities, rather than a rigid degree of severity.
I've experienced something similar recently. A 'friend' of mine died earlier this year and I didn't feel anything in particular, but at one stage my eyes did get misty at one point. Likewise his teenage son died in a car accident last month and I experienced a similar reaction. Things certainly make more sense now that I know about Alexi.
Another weird thing that happens is while I watch movies I can get a lump in my throat and tears in my eye, but I don’t feel anything emotionally. Clearly me body is having a response to the stimuli but there is no emotional experience.
What would be really nice is if I could experience more useful emotions like love, so I could honestly say I love you to my wife and mean it rather than as a response to her.
Like you I’m extremely good and guessing others emotional states, but I suspect that is more down to reading facial and micro expressions and assuming an emotional state due to the situations context.
