Aniesa is joined by Archie again but this time to discuss alexithymia: the inability to identify and describe emotions in oneself. They explore the spectrum of alexithymia, how it impacts interoception, and share strategies like tapping into bodily cues, surrounding yourself with understanding people, and using tools like journals and voice memos to help identify emotions. Aniesa and Archie have an insightful conversation about how this lesser-known trait manifests in neurodiverse people and provide compassionate perspectives on embracing all feelings.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Alexithymia is difficulty understanding emotions in yourself, ranging from struggling to express emotions to not identifying them at all.
• It impacts interoception - knowing what's going on inside your body. Confusion can occur between positive and negative emotions.
• Strategies include using bodily cues, journals, voice memos to identify patterns and name emotions.
• Surround yourself with accepting people, say "I don't know what I'm feeling," and give yourself time to grow your emotion vocabulary.
• All emotions are okay, be compassionate with yourself.
• Emotions are not always controllable, and that's okay too.

BEST MOMENTS

"Alexithymia could be I struggle to know how I feel but I recognize that I feel quite anxious sometimes and I can't quite unearth the emotions underneath that."

"When you grow up, you get the words to describe how you're feeling. It just takes some time."

"I think also not being afraid to say, I don't know what I'm feeling is, is really useful for yourself, but also the people who, who, who care about you."

"It took me a while to learn that sometimes my emotions are just out of my control. And I think that's, um, that is, is, is a hard, a hard thing to learn and to accept."

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/    
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.