You might imagine mental health difficulties always involve intense or unmanageable emotions, but some people struggle for the opposite reason. They feel cut off from their own emotional lives. This is called alexithymia. It means you find it hard to identify or describe your emotions.
Alexithymia is present in many mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. It can make life incredibly confusing and cause teens to have emotional difficulties in the future.
This article will cover:
Emotions are a fundamental part of the human experience. They:
Emotions support communication in relationships, helping us to distinguish hurtful actions from loving ones.[1] They’re there all the time, whether at a low or intense level, and are important in every aspect of life.
These functions require you to connect with your emotions and understand what you’re feeling and why. This is more difficult for people with alexithymia.[1]
In short, alexithymia makes it harder to notice, identify, and describe their emotions. It can vary in intensity, but signs of alexithymia include:[1][2][3]
A teen with alexithymia might say they feel “weird” or “off,” without being able to say more. Or they might only realize they’re upset once their stomach hurts or their jaw feels tight. It can look like they’re being difficult, but they genuinely can’t find the right words yet.
But just because someone has difficulty being in touch with their emotional state doesn’t mean they’re free from distress. As we’ll explore, alexithymia can increase your risk of mental health conditions and strain your closest relationships.
Alexithymia can complicate psychiatric treatment as so many therapies rely on building emotional intelligence. For this reason, specific alexithymia treatment accounts for this symptom, so teens get the appropriate support.
Alexithymia treatment can help teens with many different conditions as it isn’t tied to one single diagnosis. Whether your teen’s symptoms are connected to depression, anxiety, or autism, alexithymia treatment can help.
The first people diagnosed with alexithymia presented with bodily symptoms of fatigue or pain. Alongside their physical symptoms, these patients described being distressed but struggling to put their emotions into words.
Teens with psychosomatic conditions are good candidates for alexithymia treatment. Their physical symptoms of distress tend to ease as emotional self-awareness increases.[1]
Alexithymia and depression often overlap, though they are separate experiences. Having difficulty identifying emotions may be a risk factor for developing depressive symptoms down the line. As a result, alexithymia treatment could help prevent a teen’s mental well-being from worsening in the future.[1][2]
Those with anxiety, panic, and post-traumatic stress disorders report higher levels of alexithymia. When experiencing the physical symptoms of anxiety, they can struggle to understand and ease them.
Alexithymia-focused therapy may, therefore, help teens with mapping symptoms to emotions and self-regulation.[1][3] For example, a therapist might help a teen learn that a tight chest and shallow breathing are signs of anxiety, not that something is physically wrong.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is another condition linked to higher rates of alexithymia. However, while teens with other anxiety types tend to struggle identifying and describing emotions, those with OCD tend to predominantly show the externally-focused thinking style.[1]
Alexithymia shows up often in many neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. Teens with autism may have impaired emotional awareness and also struggle to recognize and empathize with other people’s emotions.
Alexithymia is likely to add to anxiety symptoms in teens with autism, and so alexithymia treatment could be of significant help.[1]
Some people can develop alexithymia if they’ve suffered a traumatic injury to the brain. Alexithymia treatment can be part of the recovery process, tailored towards the severity of a teen’s specific injury.[1][4][5]
Alexithymia treatment may be particularly helpful during adolescence. Teenagers with alexithymia are more likely to experience symptoms of poor mental health. On top of that, high levels of alexithymia at this time are linked with future difficulties with emotional regulation.[6]
Research finds that alexithymia is a risk factor for developing anxiety and depressive disorders, difficulties with emotional well-being, disordered eating, self-harm, substance use, and suicidality.[6]
Teenagers already face a lot of academic and social stress. This puts them at risk of psychological difficulties. On top of that, teens are only just beginning to develop emotional regulation skills. If alexithymia is present, it becomes much harder for teens to develop these skills at the same rate as their peers.[6]
Alexithymia treatment during the teenage years is a real opportunity to build emotional regulation skills that will serve teens well in the future.
Mission Prep is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
Like any specialized psychological treatment, therapy for alexithymia starts with a deep understanding of the symptoms. There are many therapeutic approaches, and each can be tailored to a teenager with alexithymia.
Depending on the therapist’s approach, work usually begins with exploring the cause of your alexithymia. It may be a stable personality trait or a neurodevelopmental difference. It may also be a defence mechanism in response to trauma, adverse experiences, and attachment difficulties in childhood.[3][7]
Identifying a potential cause can then help determine what kind of therapy is used. The aims of alexithymia treatment include:[1][7]
Therapy explores ways to express emotions, such as through exercise, crying, and self-soothing. It also explores ways to deepen relationships to address any difficulties with emotional intimacy and co-regulation.
Every approach shares an understanding of alexithymia and the aims above. But each one uses different techniques for recognizing and processing. Here are some options that research finds can significantly reduce symptoms:[5][7]
Mission Prep provides treatment for teens experiencing various mental health conditions. Mental Health support is a phone call away – call 866-901-4047 to learn about your treatment options.
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If you’re a teen who feels disconnected from your emotions, or a parent who’s worried about their child, counseling and psychotherapy may help. At Mission Prep Teen Treatment, we use evidence-based therapeutic approaches and innovative interventions to foster sustainable change for adolescents and their families.
To best serve each teen, we offer tailored treatment programs at various levels, including residential and outpatient mental health programs. We build a plan around each person’s symptoms and goals. That might mean individual therapy, family sessions, or a mix of support.
Our facilities are an important part of the treatment process at Mission Prep Teen Treatment. We believe it’s critical for teens to have a safe and welcoming environment to build the tools they need to facilitate healing. We maintain modern and welcoming homes to provide stability to adolescents throughout treatment.
Mission Prep Teen Treatment accepts insurance and is in-network with most major providers. We are happy to help you check your insurance coverage for mental health care.
To explore the different treatment options for adolescent alexithymia, or to ask any questions you have, get in touch with us today. Contact us online or call 866-901-4047 to speak with a caring member of our team. Reach out for a free, no-obligation conversation.
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