medical Definition of alexithymia
: inability to identify and express or describe one's feelings
Note:
People with alexithymia typically display a lack of imaginative thought, have difficulty distinguishing between emotions and bodily sensations, and engage in logical externally oriented thought.
- Individuals with high levels of alexithymia are usually aware of their emotional arousal; however, they have difficulty differentiating emotions and verbalizing them.
- —John S. Ogrodniczuk et al., The American Journal of Psychotherapy, 2004
