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alexithymia

/ˌeɪlɛksəˈθaɪmiə/
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Other forms: alexithymias

Alexithymia is a condition that makes it difficult to feel or express emotions. Someone with alexithymia might realize their heart is beating fast but be unable to connect that with a feeling of fear or excitement.

Alexithymia was coined by psychotherapists in the 1970s from the Greek a-, or "not," lexis, "word," and thymos, "feeling." It gave a name to a person's inability to identify their own feelings, a condition that's associated with being on the autism spectrum. Sometimes called "emotional blindness," alexithymia can sometimes make it hard for people to form emotional attachments to others.

Definitions of alexithymia
  1. noun
    difficulty or inability to recognize and describe one's own emotions
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