Episode 10: Understanding Alexithymia — Exploring the Complexities of Emotion

Picture the immense amount of energy invested in analyzing your emotional responses to every social interaction, striving to decipher not only your own feelings but also how the other person perceived the conversation. Or imagine navigating through life with a constant undercurrent of irritability and anxiety, yet lacking a clear understanding of their origin. These experiences only represent a small fraction of what people with alexithymia may experience. Alexithymia, which in simple terms is difficulty identifying and describing emotions, is a trait that is often associated with autism and ADHD, however despite the fact that one-in-ten people in the general population have this trait (not just Autistic people), there are still many misconceptions about what it is, who it really impacts, and how it shapes their experiences and relationships. Dr. Megan Anna  Neff, an AuDHD psychologist with alexithymia, states that a lot of things that have been attributed to autism, for example, difficulty with emotion recognition on faces or voice, are actually due to alexithymia, not autism. In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, talk with guest, Thomas Henley, an Autism consultant, public speaker, workplace trainer, and podcast host of “Thoughty Auti Podcast”, about all things alexithymia. 3 reasons to listen to the episode: Understand what alexithymia is, how is it related to autism and ADHD, and some common attributes associated with autism that are strongly linked to alexithymia. Identify the ways that alexithymia affects emotional regulation and the ability to connect with others on a deep emotional level. Learn what strategies and therapeutic approaches individuals with alexithymia can use to help facilitate emotional regulation and deeper connections with others. Alexithymia affects many individuals in the general population, so taking the time to recognize and understand the traits, challenges, and experiences associated with alexithymia, can help facilitate deeper connections with others, self-acceptance, and healthy ways to manage overwhelming emotions and situations. Resources Alexithymia articles on neurodivergent insights Alexithymia workbook Dr. Neff’s Alexithimia Training About Thomas Henley My name is Thomas Henley, I’m an Autism consultant, public speaker & workplace trainer running the Worlds Top podcast ‘Thoughty Auti Podcast’, all about Autism & Mental Health - independently presented, edited & promoted by my Autistic self. I was diagnosed Autistic at 10 years old & later developed severe mental health conditions at the age of 14 due to trauma at Secondary School - Clinical Depression, GAD, Bulimia & multiple Dissociative disorders. Most of my content focuses on low quality-of-life statistics for autistic people, such as mental health, social isolation, unemployment, education, relationship difficulties & self-harm in all forms. I’ve delivered this information to the government, leaders in SEN education, & the general public through my outreach & social media work. I also studied & researched Autism, Mental Health, Sociology, Psychology, Socialising, Relationships & Philosophy. I also used to be Special Needs TA, I work alongside charities regularly, talk to researchers, Autistic influencers, authors & parents regularly on my podcast, & currently work full-time for a National Inclusion charity. Thomas’ resources: Website: thomashenley.co.uk Thoughty Auti Podcast (Spotify) Twitter: ThomasHenleyUK YouTube: Thomas Henley Instagram: thomashenleyuk TikTok: @thomashenleyuk —————————————————————————————————— 🎙️Listen to more episodes of the Divergent Conversations Podcast here 🎙️Spotify 🎙️Apple 🎙️YouTube Music ▶️ YouTube —————————————————————————————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices