Topic: Questions; how do you fix this?

English Alexithymia Forum > Questions and Answers

Questions; how do you fix this?
31.08.2015 by NoName2015

Hey guys,

I don't know if I have alexi or what but I am generally lost at what is going on with me. The furthest incident I can remember is my fascination with hamsters. I loved them, took care of them, eventually had too many, and than lost that fascination. A few escaped, it was sad because I know they probably died a horrible death somewhere.

Than I got guinea pigs. Again...fascination! Researched the shit out of them. Got too many. And than dulled my emotions towards them.

At this point, I was in high school. I have always been a weird person. I read books, and don't understand how people fell in love with the first man they saw. Sex was explored and ultimately...it was boring. I don't feel good. It's more mechanical (yay I did it!) than a pleasurable act.

My grandfather killed himself right before my senior year. I fled the death. I know what emotion to feel. I blocked it to feel/act normal. It's the same thing I did when every pet died of old age/some sort of accident. Cat in the dryer, guinea pig attacked by ferret, hamster got loose, rabbit died of heat stroke. I KNOW these things could of been prevented. I know what I did wrong. But I block the guilt, the pain, and return to just a act.

Fast forward too now. I cant seem to find my emotions. I go backpacking in search of awe...at the top of a mountain looking over a valley. I feel nothing... The only thing I get out of it is showing pictures and knowing that I do something none one else around me does. Same thing with zip lining, skiing, amusement parks. My senses are just getting duller and duller.

I want to feel...What can I do to snap out of this and be a normal person? I want to fell excited to go somewhere. I want to get a happy sensation on a roller coaster.

Treatment options
31.08.2015 by daughter

Hi NoName2015. I'm researching treatment options for my alexi mother. I found this book very helpful: http://www.amazon.com/Emotionally-Dumb-An-Overview-Alexithymia-ebook/dp/B0038VZJ9U (You can copy and paste that link into your browser window.) It has a chapter on the different kinds of treatment, depending on whether your alexithymia is more genetic or more psychological in origin (pharmacology vs cognitive therapy). One thing it does stress is that you find a therapist who has experience in treating alexithymia. A naïve therapist may start with the usual treatments to help you get "in touch" with your emotions, which could backfire and just make you feel overwhelmed and confused. An experienced therapist will know the better ways to approach your treatment.

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