People who experience alexithymia have a hard time understanding, feeling, and expressing their emotions.
Also called emotional blindness, alexithymia is associated with a range of health conditions, including depression, anxiety disorders, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Talk therapy and self-help strategies may help increase your emotional awareness and ability to connect with others.
Alexithymia makes it difficult to identify, feel, and express emotion. Also called emotional blindness, alexithymia can affect your relationships and sense of self.
Research suggests that around 10% of people experience alexithymia. It’s not a clinical diagnosis, but it is associated with a range of health conditions. For example, people with depression, anxiety disorders, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience alexithymia.
There’s no way to cure emotional blindness, but you can learn to manage your symptoms and increase your emotional awareness.
Common symptoms of alexithymia
Alexithymia can affect your ability to understand and describe your emotions. You may find it difficult to distinguish between your emotions and physical sensations, often because the link between body cues and emotional meaning feels unclear. For example, you might say, “I feel tired,” instead of, “I feel sad.” When you're nervous, you might assume you’re distracted or have a stomachache because your physical signals register more clearly than your emotional ones.
Alexithymia can impact the way you respond to other people’s emotions. You might have difficulty recognizing facial expressions, emotional cues, or when someone is upset. As a result, others might perceive you as indifferent, emotionally distant, or lacking empathy, even if that’s not how you feel inside.
Other signs and symptoms of alexithymia include:
Having a rigid way of thinking that doesn’t consider feelings and emotions
Struggling with self-reflection
Having limited imagination
Focusing on external events rather than your own thoughts and feelings
Lacking emotional awareness
If you think you have alexithymia, consider seeing a mental health professional. Although it's not a clinical condition, providers can assess your emotional awareness and help you develop strategies to better identify and express your feelings.
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Underlying causes of emotional blindness
Experts have identified several potential risk factors for alexithymia. For example, emotional blindness may be more common among people assigned male at birth. It's also seen more frequently in teens and older people.
Other risk factors for alexithymia include:
Genetics: Some research suggests that you’re more likely to have alexithymia if a close relative also has this trait.
Environment: Alexithymia is linked to low education level and socioeconomic status. Not having a strong support network can also play a role.
Past trauma: Alexithymia is associated with a history of trauma and adverse childhood experiences.
Other conditions alexithymia shows up with
While alexithymia isn’t a health condition, it can be a sign or symptom of one. For example, some people with anxiety or depression may find it difficult to identify or describe their feelings. Alexithymia is also associated with eating disorders, personality disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Alexithymia is also common among people with neurodevelopmental disorders, like autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some counts show that half of autistic people experience alexithymia. It’s also associated with medical conditions like asthma, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes.
Managing alexithymia and emotional blindness
Alexithymia can affect your interpersonal relationships, mental well-being, and daily functioning. People with alexithymia may be more likely to ruminate or have trouble sleeping. While you can’t cure alexithymia, you can learn to improve your emotional awareness.
Treatment options for alexithymia
Talk therapy can improve emotional recognition and regulation. Some effective approaches include:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT focuses on the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. You'll learn how to label your emotions, reframe rigid thought patterns, and improve emotional regulation.
Psychodynamic therapy: Psychodynamic therapy can help you reflect on how your past experiences influence present-day challenges. You’ll explore repressed thoughts and feelings and learn how to cope with them.
Music therapy: Music therapy uses music to help people manage symptoms and improve quality of life. If you have alexithymia, it can provide an alternative way to express your emotions.
Tips for processing emotions
Other strategies to help you identify and process your emotions include:
Keeping a journal: Keeping a daily journal is a chance to connect with your thoughts and feelings. If you’re unsure where to start, consider prompts like, “What happened today?” or, “Did anything feel uncomfortable or tense?”
Practicing mindfulness: Mindfulness exercises can be an effective tool for improving emotional awareness. By learning to focus on the present moment, you may be more likely to connect with your emotions.
Using visual tools: The feelings wheel and feelings list are two tools created to help people label their emotions. They include six main emotions and various sub-emotions. The six main emotions are sad, angry, scared, happy, strong, and calm.
Connecting with others: Joining a support group can provide a safe space to share your experiences, develop coping strategies, and grow your support network.
When you build emotional awareness, you gain a roadmap for your inner world. It can transform confusion into clarity and help you connect more deeply with yourself and the people you care about.
Brandy Chalmers, LPC
Clinical reviewer
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Alexithymia is a personality trait associated with multiple mental health conditions. It can affect your well-being and ability to connect with others. Fortunately, talk therapy can teach you how to develop greater emotional awareness.
At Rula, we’re committed to delivering a comprehensive behavioral health experience that helps people feel seen and understood so they can get back to feeling their best.
Rula makes it easier to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who accepts your insurance so you don’t have to choose between affordable care and excellent care. With a diverse network of more than 15,000 providers, 24/7 crisis support, and appointments available as soon as tomorrow, we're here to help you make progress — wherever you are on your mental health journey.
Alex Bachert
Alex Bachert is a freelance copywriter and mental health advocate. Since earning her masters degree in public health, she has focused her career on creating informative content that empowers people to prioritize their health and well-being. Alex has partnered with organizations like Ro, WellTheory, and Firsthand, and her work has been recognized by the Digital Health Association.
When she’s not writing about mental health, Alex is usually playing pickleball, meeting with her local board of health, or enjoying time with her three kids.
Brandy Chalmers, LPC
Having faced challenges like childhood abuse, neglect, and the loss of her father to suicide, Brandy Chalmers is deeply passionate about providing compassionate care. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and Registered Play Therapist with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy.
Brandy also teaches at a university, sharing her expertise with future mental health professionals. With over a decade of experience in settings like inpatient care and private practice, she specializes in helping clients with perfectionism, trauma, personality disorders, eating disorders, and life changes.
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