Topic: Possible book about Alexithymia

English Alexithymia Forum > Literature

Possible book about Alexithymia
25.04.2014 by MeetraSurik

Hi, My name is Luke.

I've noticed that there really isn't that much awareness about this subject. Well, none really, off this website.

I've decided that I want to change that. I want to write a book, based around a character with Alexithemia, named Alexis. I really don't have anything set in stone at this point, but I honestly can't write it alone. I tend to get sidetracked and just give up on a story relatively early on, which is why i need help. If I had a partner, or group of partners, to collaborate with over the course of it's writing, it would be much smoother, as well as have the voices and opinions of multiple people instead of the narrow view of a single individual.

If you are interested, let me know

Thank you

Yeah
25.07.2014 by MeetraSurik

Yeah, send me a Private Message if you're interested

About you're story
02.09.2014 by Elita

Hey Luke, I surmised that you're either finnished or half-way to you're story. I always observed that people would hate this certain person because he/she is too cold. Having Alexithymia is dead-cold. I just hope that more people would be interested in you're story and perhaps have more understanding in Alexithymia on the way

I am interested, toooooo
11.09.2014 by SnowWhite

Elita: http://users.math.yale.edu/~bbm3/web_pdfs/encyclopediaBritannica.pdf


my read for the next days... :-)

The Doctors?
06.03.2015 by DXS

How about someone asking the daytime show THE DOCTORS to do a segment? Or Oprah, but that would be less credible.

I'm Interested
08.10.2015 by lysis

I have had an 'extraordinary' and disgusting life. Full of intrigue double crosses, bluffs, prison, suicide attempts mine and mum, grammar school, bullying, the psychiatric system and gay sex.

Any of my life you want to ' rip off ' would be a lovely weight off my feeling alone. I have had plans for years to write a book "a facial rash too far" fictionalising some of the real content of my life and how I eventually went completely off the rails.

it would be like "Howard Marks - Mr Nice", only not nice at all, and without psychopathic shine, in fact mostly haplessness, utter haplessness.

also I forgot
08.10.2015 by lysis

also theres an american Cult - The Cult of the Subgenius. It seems relevant to alexithymia, SubGenius, since many have high IQs and low everything else ;p

I Wish To Write A Book With An Alexithymic character as well
05.11.2016 by HermanTheMerman

I'm going to be honest, I have wanted to write a book with an Alexithymic lead for quite sometime. I often found myself writing extremely dislikable main characters and not really knowing why they were that way, where they just rude? No. There had to be more to their character than that, were they depressed? No, it didn't suit them and seemed like an excuse, a cop out for shitty writing. It was because of my inability to figure out the Why of them being this way that made me fall into crappy clichés and plots to nowhere. Now that I have done some research on alexithymia, I can begin to figure out Why they are the way they are. However, I will have to delve much deeper into my research in order to do the protagonist justice.

Anybody watch the Outer Limits?
25.11.2016 by Dave

There was an episode called, "The Awakening", that featured an Alexithymic main character; Beth. I've been researching Alexithymia for self-help reasons, and I've found out that today Beth would be classified today as having Type II Primary Alexithymia (maybe that should be a combination of Type I and II). The research doctor on the show says that most people with Alexithymia fake emotions; implies some research was done for this episode of the Outer Limits.

When I watched The Awakening (about 20 years ago) it made an impression on me, but I didn't realize why. Something happened to me recently that reminded me of the show, so I re-watched it and found out that I had forgotten that Beth's condition was called Primary Alexithymia.

The Awakening wasn't the only TV show about Alexithymia.
26.11.2016 by Dave

The Bridge had an alexithymic character, Sonya Cross; a deputy sheriff with the El Paso Sheriff's Department. Sonya Cross is supposed to be autistic, but she displays a lack of emotion. A lot of people think of a lack of emotions as an autistic trait, but that is only because most autistics are also alexithymic.

There have been a lot of TV shows and other works of fiction about psychopaths. Psychopaths, like most autistics are also alexithymic. In fact, a lot of mental conditions are comorbid with alexithymia; e.g., schizophrenia. So I think there have already been a lot of works of fiction with alexithymic protagonists, but they weren't classified as such (except for Beth in The Awakening).

For development of character:
07.12.2016 by thoughts

A ‘good’ main character that has Alexithymia traits but also proper insight and self-awareness.
“Reduced empathic concern leads to utilitarian moral judgments in trait Alexithymia” (Patil & Silani, 2014)
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE: Front. Psychol., 26 May 2014 | http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00501
LINK TO ARTICLE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4033264/

Mama thought...
08.10.2017 by Z

"There is no much time and there are many obstacles. So please Mom pray for me..."

I want the best of the best for my son, Muslims believe charity stands in the way of calamity i.e. charity shields even against events that can cause great loss, distress or damage. The obstacles you face cannot be that great in number or in strength...even if they are then ward off loss through charity! Make progress, move forward in all aspects of life, private or otherwise. I am praying for you, son!


What the 'civilized guy' considers to be primitive...I would call 'close to nature'.

I feel very much as I am in the same boat as you... no one is the finished article and I am with the hope that in sight of God we are considered to be 'diamonds in the rough'...i.e. humans trying to be true to their nature... and we can be further polished, cut and refined to bring out that someone with even more value.

There is, however, a dilemma that 'primitive guys' can face... perhaps best illustrated with an example from our common past history.

Example:
Mom saw son suffering so she gave her best comfort packaged in the phrase 'May God give you guidance'. Son cried out in agony and pushed back the package. Mom saw even more suffering so she more aggressively forwarded the same package. So it went back and forth. Though Mom was aggressive in giving her best package to son, she was surprisingly passive in opening the package in front of the son. How was the son supposed to know what was the intention of Mom, he cannot look into her heart...perhaps he perceived mom's good intentions as attempt of manipulation? Once Mom revealed her intentions by revealing the contents of the package...son happily took the package and got some (much deserved) relief.

The point I am trying to make is that it goes against the 'primitive guys' instincts to be a showman...true, we should not do good for show...right is right and wrong is wrong...just as good is good and evil is evil. However, doing good has, at times, a social component as well...and there one should take into account the perception of others (i.e. not to confuse being aggressive with being active...afterall in the example above, Mom was both aggressive and passive at the same time).

Mom is only human and making mistakes is a part of being human... I repent to God for my mistakes and ask again son for forgiveness.




Do you know anger is a form of stress that can in the long-run make one physically ill? Then who will look after you, tend to you, and cook for you? Think a little about yourself. Avoid stress-

Why would I not even look at the files with the drawings? Drawings especially made for me? Similarly why would I not even listen to the proposal of the electrochemical-project, though being intrigued by it? What is it that I keep asking you?

think with calm,
spit the anger, dear Hashim, it is like a burning coal on the chest





Every mother-child relation is unique, not to compared.
You are special to me...
as I to u



You should give your words their due deserved respect and value, dear-one. I do.



mom is waiting for her son, come let us talk, let us resolve the issue between us

mom is waiting for her son, come let us talk, let us resolve the issue between us



It is true that I cannot live up to your expectations as mother. In my own way I tried atleast to be a good mom to you. No regrets.

I am very happy you are having peace after experiencing extreme difficulties for a such a long time :-) !!! It was painful to have to see you go through that suffering...and now after hardship the relief has finally come! And the reward is yours to reap after all that patience and restraint!

God give you guidance.

Good night,
Khala




so rather than being among the blessed you want to be as the worker who gets paid his wages?

When you discard the mother-son relation for a 'typical' give-and-take relation, You actually replace the blessings with (meager) wages/profit.

In neither of the two types of relations are hugs an option.

So why choose the relation in which you relegate your position, and choose 'little profit' over prosperity?





Would she not withdraw to ensure that no harm comes to you? So you are correct: Self-destruction is not a fruitful strategy.
Regarding a Muslim’s definition of welfare, it envelopes both the duniya and akhira.




Play-dough comes in these sealed small jars, each jar containing a particular distinct color. Once the jars are opened …well, in the end the color of the dough is not as original. Mostly I do not have the vocabulary to describe what color it is, or what blend of colors could have made it. If I have it in front of me, static/dead, then possibly I could come close to some analysis. Now imagine play-dough in a lava-lamp; dynamic/alive, so difficult to comprehend in real-time.

God knows why your feelings…I feel as if I can feel them and understand them. But (perhaps due to gender? Alexithymia?) a feeling can be interpreted differently in action: that which would make you want (to defend); that same feeling could make me want (to be full of care). It is confusing because it sounds pretty much the same but still not. So the action connected with the feeling, is it the same? And if it is/not, can it still be consoled in the same way?

I wish I could console You properly…as You deserve.




I think you see me standing in front of you, not listening to you; nor even intending to listen to you; and that I am not taking you seriously. Despite this, you are being very patient and kind with me.

I see myself standing beside you, confused about many things but not about where I stand. Our relation is pure in sight of Allah, so I have no hesitation with it. You are hurt and often wronged by circumstances. On top of it, you get more intense pain when you see me hurt…you do not want to see me hurt… neither would I like you to see me hurt, yet somehow you are so aware of it. In acknowledging it, I wanted to show that I can feel (emotionally connect) with you.

On hindsight I failed because I expressed only half a thought. So here is the other half: Like we are able to share thoughts with one another, similarly we should be able to share the confusion with one another, i.e. establish an emotional connection.

My emotions do tend to come out as scattered thoughts, very true. And I think that I do express emotions differently from how one ‘normally ought to’...also very true.

Am I making sense for you?




I think you see it as follows: an emotional connection was established long-time back and now you feel exhausted with going round-and-round in the same circles.

Kindly consider the following:
I see a very strong and majestic column to the bridge…on your end. Where is the column on this end? Where do the two meet?

To share an insight with you: what you see as OBVIOUS facts… I came to be aware and understand a little about them through your last messages. You sound surprised that it is so and perhaps this explaining-of-the-obvious is very painful for you? But through it I finally see some moving forward rather than going round-and-round in the same circles. So rest if you like, but don’t give up Hashim.



That's all folks.

I like the idea.
28.12.2017 by scarredlightning

Hi, my name is Alexis, i think this would really be great if you were to write a book about Alexithymia. Actually. I really hope you do.

Hi Alexis
30.12.2017 by Z

I don't want to write a book, I want the woman with the nickname thoughts to respond positively to my proposal to her. If you wish to help, send a message to her and tell her that I cannot live without her hug.

??????
30.12.2017 by scarredlightning

What? I'm confused. Sorry.

Alexis
30.12.2017 by Z

1. There is a user named "thoughts" on this forum, who is a woman and she would like to adopt me.
2. She stopped talking with me when I asked for her hug.
3. I cannot live with her hug.
4. You suggested that the contributors of this topic write a book about Alexithymia.
5. I replied that I don't want to write a book about Alexithymia, but I would like you to message thoughts that I cannot live without her hug.
6. Now you got de-confused.
7. Send a personal message to thoughts and tell her I cannot live without her hug and reprimand her for not loving me, not adopting me, not talking with me because her behavior is inappropriate.

To Z
31.12.2017 by scarredlightning

To convince her otherwise? But I do not know her and cannot be sensitive enough to her reasonings to assist??

Alexis
31.12.2017 by Z

Your concerns don't matter. If you know a better way to convince her, then do it. Otherwise do what I told you before the end of the year or get lost.

To Z
01.01.2018 by scarredlightning

I didn't initiate this, this I believe is unreasonable, and I'm sorry to the maker off his topic as they are probably having to be disturbed by these posts. Also the best way to convince someone is to do it directly, and yourself.

Next time
01.01.2018 by Z

You cannot sleep, think or relate, ask yourself why you do so, since the best way to solve your problems is doing it on your own.

Next time
01.01.2018 by Z

You cannot sleep, think or relate, ask yourself why you do so, since the best way to solve your problems is doing it on your own.

Z, next time?
02.01.2018 by scarredlightning

Why's it labelled nxt time? Also, do you mean that you can't sleep, think relate etc?

Why would you mind?
02.01.2018 by Z

I said I cannot live without the hug of Mama thoughts and you refused to tell her the truth. Now you care about my relating and sleeping and etc?

idk.
02.01.2018 by scarredlightning

is there harm in a question? also, chances are that she'll read this forum and find out anyway.

The odds
05.01.2018 by Z

are she likes being flirted but she is afraid of the emotional connection.

ummmmm
05.01.2018 by scarredlightning

maybe you should keep that a bit private? I'm sure she doesn't want all her info spilled everywhere... :)

I didn't spill
06.01.2018 by Z

Her info everywhere, she forgot that she told me I am her son. OK enough with her, she won't be able to keep her own word. Besides this forum is stupid and emotions are crap.

11.07.2022 by User3b87cB2b

This is all new to me at 61 yrs old. “Running on Empty” introduced this to me. I’ve just pretended a lot I think. Felt like I was playing a part rather than Living My Part. Our 3 kids are grown so I have time now to straighten things out in my own thought process and this Emotional Non-Awareness thing seems to fit. My Mom called me peculiar, I have a good poker face and couldn’t really share how I felt about anything. I wanted to be told how I felt I suppose : /

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