Alexithymia: a Psychoanalytic Viewpoint

Abstract

Alexithymic phenomena may result from a variety of psychological sources. Psychoanalytic observation of psychosomatic patients (and others as well) reveals that the inability to name, recognize, contain or work through one’s affective states is frequently one manifestation of defensive structures of a psychotic kind (more radical than denial which deals with certain neurotic anxieties). Such massive defense has been created as a bulwark against various dangers, such as (1) psychotic anxieties (fear of mental or physical fragmentation; loss of identity-feeling; danger of uncontrollable, explosive action); (2) profound perturbation concerning the narcissistic self-image and its fluctuations, and (3) pathological formation of the ego-ideal structure concerning affective experience. All of these may contribute to the creation of alexithymic defects.

The Concept of Alexithymia

“…McDougall'a göre, erken dönem anne çocuk ilişkisindeki bozukluk, çocuklukta içsel temsiller oluşturma ve imge kurma yeteneğini engeller. [35] Corcos ve Sperenza da anne imgesini oluşturmada yeterince desteklenmeyen çocuğun, daha sonraları, içsel gereksinimleri için gerekli olan hayal kurma ve fantezi yeteneğinden yoksun kalacağını ileri sürmektedir.[akt. 33] Bu anlamda, aleksitimi, psikotik nitelikli çatışma ve kaygılara karşı bir savunma mekanizması olarak karşımıza çıkar.…”

ALEKSİTİMİ: KURAMSAL ÇERÇEVE TEDAVİ YAKLAŞIMLARI ve İLGİLİ ARAŞTIRMALAR

“…Benzer ekilde erken ya taki anne-çocuk ili kilerindeki düzensizlik gerçek benli in olu masını engelledi i buda içgüdülerin sözel ifadesini güçle tirdi i için aleksitimik özelliklerin olu umuna zemin hazırlamaktadır. Yani aleksitimik özelliklerin psikotik nitelikli çatı ma ve kaygılara kar ı bir savunma mekanizması oldu u iddia edilmektedir (Mc Dougall , 1982).…”

Psychodynamic, Time-Limited Group Therapy in Rheumatic Disease – a Controlled Study with Special Reference to Alexithymia

“…This phenomenon was first described in the 1960s by a French research team who designated it 'pensée opératoire' (operational thinking) [24]. The French psychoanalyst Joyce McDougall terms it 'disaffection' [25] or 'foreclosure' [26]. She comprehends the phenomenon as a massive, psychic defence which serves as a 'bulwark against various dangers, such a s ... fear of mental or physical fragmentation; loss of identity feeling; (and) danger of un controllable, explosive action' [25].…”