Man to experience emotions - both pleasant and not so.
As a rule, a person is aware of what he feels, since he has the ability to recognize his experiences and is able to describe them.
But there are those who cannot neither recognize nor express own emotions in words.
What is this phenomenon called? Consider the definitions of the basic concepts, causes, symptoms, prognosis and methods of treatment.
What are these people called?
In everyday life, emotionless people are called callous, indifferent, thick-skinned, dry, soulless, cold, indifferent, insensitive, cynical.
From a scientific point of view, such persons are considered alexithymics.
Alexithymia - This is a disorder in which a person is not able to express their own emotions in words.
Aleksithymics are distinguished by their conflict nature, weak stress tolerance, poor imagination. They often encounter somatic diseases that form on human emotions.
Healthy individuals experiencing intense emotions, they are able to recognize and understand, and therefore eliminate and calm.
Since the alexithimic is not aware of his experiences, he is unable to find a competent approach to their elimination. Such people look at the world with hostility, do not know how to respond normally to stress.
They dont have neither motivation, nor moral orientation, nor goals appearing under the influence of positive emotional stimuli.
Definition of concepts
Emotional rigidity manifested in the fact that the individual is weak, very selective and in a narrow range shows emotional reactions to various stimuli.
Emotional dullness - This is a special mental state in which a person either expresses very weakly or loses higher emotions altogether (sympathy, respect, tolerance, tact, modesty, honesty, conscientiousness, etc.).
Emotional coldness is called a disorder in which the individual does not feel emotions at all, or their manifestation diminishes.
With emotional stupor under the influence of intense spiritual experiences (fear, horror, danger to life) a state arises in which affective activity, motor activity is blocked, and the thinking process slows down.
Emotional depression - pathological mental state, which is characterized by a decrease in mood, loss of interest in everything around, deterioration of well-being.
Unemotional person - why is he like that?
Non-emotional or non-emotional person - why is he like that?
Some consider alexithymia a disease, others believe that it is personality trait. Alexithymia is conditionally subdivided into primary and secondary.
Primary caused by congenital malformations that occur during the development of the fetus, the birth of the child into the world, the passage of the first childhood diseases.
Secondary due to reasons that can manifest itself in a more conscious age:
- traumatic experiences;
- stressful situations;
- mental disorders.
Some experts see the causes of this disease in aspects related to social culture.
A person is not educated, he has no social culture, an elementary upbringing, in which he could study himself, his emotions and the ways of their manifestation.
Why not enough emotions in life?
According to psychoanalysts, alexithymia is considered emotional dullnessdeveloping as a defensive reaction to a certain negative factor. Throughout his life, a person all the time faces stressful situations.
If he is not able to overcome them, there is a gradual addiction. The absence of an emotional reaction to what is happening is a protective mechanism of the human psyche.
The cause of alexithymia may be one or another parenting conceptsthrough which the individual had to go at a tender age.
Statements like "men should not cry," "public display of emotions - the height of indecency" can lead to the development of the ability to suppress their own experiences.
Do not forget about the cases when for the expression of emotions punished or mocked.
For example, a child is scolded for tears or loud laughter; friends scoff at his heart-felt experiences.
Such an experience forces us not to demonstrate our own feelings and even completely ignore them. in order to avoid ridicule and blame.
Emotional dullness: symptoms
How to recognize emotional dullness?
- The individual cannot express in words his feelings. On the face mask without emotion. Because of this emotional “illiteracy”, his intellect does not develop. Since the person does not understand the experience, he has absolutely no inclination for empathy.
Sometimes he looks heartless and selfish in the eyes of others. Although in reality the individual would be happy to show participation, but simply does not know how to do it.
Because of this, in such situations, he often solves the question with a template phrase.
- The number increases conflicts with others. Since a person does not understand his own emotions, he does not know how to change his behavioral reactions and the approach to them. The result is loneliness.
- One of the most prominent signs is pragmatic thinking and total lack of interest in creativity. Creative abilities are developed only by those who are capable of brightly experiencing and understanding their own emotions. Alexitimik is not aware of his feelings, so he thinks, relying solely on logic. At the same time, sudden emotional flashes are frequent, when an individual spills his condition on other people, not realizing why this happens.
- There are problems with adequate reflection on what is happening.. Since the individual does not recognize emotions, he is unable to respond in a timely manner to the behavior of others and adapt to it. In this case, self-regulation is not particularly affected.
If necessary, alexithymics can quickly change both at the external and internal levels, adapting to new conditions.
- Aleksithymists may not see dreams at all. If they dream about something in night dreams, then they are usually ordinary everyday life.
- They deny emotional problems. There is no such thing as intuition for them.
- Talking about their own experiences, these people often use words that describe physical sensations. They are not able to distinguish between bodily pain and mental anguish, joy and warmth.
- The existence of such individuals becomes unbearably boring and dull due to the lack of emotions, their personal and social life is not arranged.
Not having the ability to understand the feelings of another person, alexitimik suspects that the partner comes up with problems from scratch. The inability to feel guilt and remorse leads to the fact that such a person shifts the responsibility on the shoulders of others, and this, of course, does not contribute to the establishment of strong relationships. - These people are afraid of change, avoid manifesting their own feelings. The very thought of allowing oneself to be more emotional causes them to endure resistance.
- Most alexithymics they feel inanimate, they feel as if something is missing inside. As a result, they seek to fill this void with anything. For this reason, such people often fall into alcohol or drug addiction, because these substances color the world with different colors, filling it with vivid emotions and unusual sensations. As soon as the effect ends, I want to take a new dose again and again.
There are many behavioral dependencies that allow you to experience a lot of feelings and experiences immediately.
Not having the ability to understand the feelings of another person, alexitimik suspects that the partner comes up with problems from scratch. The inability to feel guilt and remorse leads to the fact that such a person shifts the responsibility on the shoulders of others, and this, of course, does not contribute to the establishment of strong relationships.On the one hand, alexithimic draws a sober look at life. But, on the other hand, he is completely unfamiliar with the intimacy that is forming between people on a sensual-emotional level.
Parents' emotional dullness - consequences:
Diagnosis
Lack of emotion in itself is not a disease, however can often be a sign of certain diseases or mental disorders:
- organic brain damage;
- psychopathy;
- schizophrenia;
- depression;
- heboid syndrome;
- dementia.
Anyway, the diagnosis can only be established psychiatrist or psychotherapist.
Forecast
Emotionlessness no effect on longevitybut the quality of existence reduces.
The forecast is as follows: a poor life in solitude, devoid of bright colors and joyful moments.
First of all, it is difficult for an individual to understand himself. He seems to be experiencing feelings, but they do not fill him with the energies that normal people receive.
Positive emotions are motivating, negative ones allow you to feel threatened and to draw lessons from certain situations. A person with alexithymia is devoid of it..
Communication is noticeably worse. A person cannot show his own emotions and give an adequate response to the remarks of other people. Person incapable of compassion, as a result, it becomes dry and soulless.
The logical approach is not always effective - the individual is considered selfish and ruthless.
Ambient not understand how to communicate with those who do not show emotions and do not discuss them.
Social activity is depleted, because in the life of a person there are simply no people willing to accept it without emotional intimacy. The result of alexithymia is a monotonous routine existence.
Life is so predictablethat is literally verified in steps, as the individual is not able to be in situations in which they act under the influence of emotions.
On the one hand, this, of course, frees us from unforeseen difficulties, but, on the other hand, it is not possible to be in unfamiliar situations.
What to do?
No emotions - what to do? Incomprehensible causes of alexithymia lead to inadequate treatment.
In the case of primary alexithymia, it is quite difficult to prescribe therapy: at some point a deviation has occurred, and it is almost impossible to recognize.
The treatment will have an effect when it comes to secondary alexithymia.. Taking into account the causes of emotional coldness, the doctor takes measures to eliminate it. The following techniques are most commonly used:
- gestalt therapy;
- suggestion;
- psychodynamic therapy;
- hypnosis;
- art therapy.
In the process of treatment you need to be patient, because results will be noticeable only after time.
Techniques are very effective when a person manifests his creative component, since has a close relationship with the manifestation of feelings.
It is desirable that the individual create as colorful and interesting works as possible.
First, work is carried out with the expression of emotions, then with their understanding and recognition. The individual must describe his feelings, using his own vocabulary and all sorts of materials. It is equally important to observe the emotions of others..
Medications are used only in the case of depression and psychosomatic diseases. They suppress feelings and eliminate physiological signs.
But the work of a therapist is still necessary, because the emphasis is on thoughts and conscious experiences. Play a significant role healthy sleep and balanced diet.
Do not forget that the result of treatment depends primarily on the desire of the person himself to open his world of feelings for himself and others.
