Emotionally Dumb: An Overview of Alexithymia by Jason Thompson (Kindle Edition - May 8, 2009) - Kindle Book

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Emotionally Dumb

An Overview of Alexithymia

Jason Thompson

E-book, 2009

Publisher: Soul Books.

ISBN: 978-0-646-51251-8,

108pp, $7.90 US (delivered electronically)

Description

Alexithymia is an inability to identify and describe one's emotions. Although individuals with alexithymia experience the typical physical responses associated with emotions - such as tears, butterflies in the stomach or an increased heart rate - they are unable to recognize these responses in terms of the emotions they might be signifying.

Emotionally Dumb describes the nature of alexithymia and includes therapeutic and self-help suggestions for overcoming some of the difficulties that alexithymia presents. The author discusses the possible causes and associated conditions, including Asperger Syndrome and posttraumatic stress disorder. The book provides details of the diagnostic tests available and includes an informal questionnaire, developed by the author, for people who believe they may have alexithymia.

Written in accessible language, this book is ideal both for professionals and for anyone with an interest in the subject.

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 What is Alexithymia?

-Description
-Difficulty identifying and describing feelings
-Impaired imagination
-Thinking style bound to the external world

Chapter 2 How is Alexithymia Caused?

-Biogenic alexithymia
-Psychogenic alexithymia
-Primary and secondary alexithymia
-Neurological structures thought to be involved

Chapter 3 What Alexithymia is Not

-Psychopathy/sociopathy
-Schizoid personality disorder
-Stoicism, and repression of emotions
-Normative male alexithymia
-Shyness and social phobia
-Apathy

Chapter 4 Overlapping Concepts and Co-morbidities

-Autism and Asperger's syndrome
-Obsessive compulsiveness
-Eating disorders
-Posttraumatic stress disorder
-Personality disorders
-Depressive and anxiety disorders
-Psychosomatic disorders
-Substance abuse
-Physical diseases and injuries

Chapter 5 Associated Characteristics and Behaviours

-Communication style
-Anhedonia and negativity
-Hypochondria
-Sleep disturbances, and poverty of dreams
-Involuntary emotional expression
-Intimate relationships
-Alexithymia in old age

Chapter 6 Alexithymic Parenting

-Difficulty identifying feelings
-Misattunement and misinterpretation
-Random unregulated emotion discharging
-Exploitation of children's cognitive abilities
-Mechanical, externally-oriented cognitive style
-Family relationships and support issues

Chapter 7 Therapy and Self-Help

-Biofeedback
-Imaginal feedback
-Self-help
-Family therapy
-Pharmacology

Chapter 8 Assessment

-How do I tell if I have alexithymia?
-Beth Israel Questionnaire
-Toronto Alexithymia Scale
-Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire
-Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children
-Online Alexithymia Questionnaire
-BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory
-Scored Archetypal Test

-Two-Factor Imagination Scale

AFTERWORD: A NOTE ON CLASSIFICATION
APPENDIX A: TWO-FACTOR IMAGINATION SCALE

APPENDIX B: AN EXPLORATION OF ALEXITHYMIA AND METAPHOR

REFERENCES
FURTHER READING