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 title: "Identifying And Processing Emotions With Alexithymia"
 date: 2022-07-02T00:00:00
 draft: false
-makerefs: false
 ---
 ## Introduction
-As a person with autism[1], I suffer from alexithymia[2]. Alexithymia is the inability to identify and describe one's own emotions. Alexithymia exists in non-autistic people as well, but it's not very prevalent. It is very prevalent in people with autism. It's something I'm only just beginning to effectively manage at 23 years old. Better late than never though, right?
+As a person with [autism](/2022/05/16/coming-out-as-autistic/), I suffer from [alexithymia](https://embrace-autism.com/alexithymia-and-autism/). Alexithymia is the inability to identify and describe one's own emotions. Alexithymia exists in non-autistic people as well, but it's not very prevalent. It is very prevalent in people with autism. It's something I'm only just beginning to effectively manage at 23 years old. Better late than never though, right?
 
 ## Disclaimer
 I'd like to share how I manage it, but don't take this as "official" advice. I am not a psychiatrist nor do I have any expertise in that area. My only credentials are that I'm a person with alexithymia and I've found techniques for managing it that work for me. I take no responsibility for bad outcomes in anyone who follows my advice.
@@ -57,14 +56,14 @@ What I'm describing is how to use writing as a kind of meditative tool to proces
 
 "Isn't this just stream of consciousness writing?" No. It's related, but not exactly the same. The difference is I don't write down the thoughts that aren't relevant to the emotion I'm dealing with. "But how do you know if it's relevant?" If I'm writing about the death of a family member and I think "I could really use a glass of water right now." that's not relevant. I'm just thirsty. If I can't decide if it's relevant or not, I write about why I can't decide. If I have a strong emotional reaction to the thought, like "I shouldn't write that down!" then it's almost certainly relevant and I should write it down.
 
-"How does acknowledging thoughts help process emotions?" I'm no psychologist. I just know that it does based on personal experience. The best way I can explain it is that the mind works on a similar principle to the Observer Effect[3] in physics. The classic example is when you're checking the tire pressure of an automobile. In order to check the tire pressure, a little bit of air has to seep out of the tire. The act of measuring the tire changes it.
+"How does acknowledging thoughts help process emotions?" I'm no psychologist. I just know that it does based on personal experience. The best way I can explain it is that the mind works on a similar principle to the [Observer Effect](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observer_effect_%28physics%29) in physics. The classic example is when you're checking the tire pressure of an automobile. In order to check the tire pressure, a little bit of air has to seep out of the tire. The act of measuring the tire changes it.
 
 Similarly, when you observe your own thoughts and emotions without judgment, your mind changes a little bit with each observation. If you make it a regular habit to observe your thoughts, your mind changes a lot. You feel more in control. You stop doing things you later regret. And life is just better.
 
 ### Other Methods
-There are other techniques for processing emotions if you have alexithymia, but I've found meditation and writing to be particularly helpful for me personally. Maybe talking to friends or a therapist is more your style. I view those as more social methods, but I believe they accomplish the same basic thing: Getting you to acknowledge your thoughts and emotions without judgment. If you have a severe condition like PTSD[4], definitely look for a professional or trusted friend before you try any meditative exercise.
+There are other techniques for processing emotions if you have alexithymia, but I've found meditation and writing to be particularly helpful for me personally. Maybe talking to friends or a therapist is more your style. I view those as more social methods, but I believe they accomplish the same basic thing: Getting you to acknowledge your thoughts and emotions without judgment. If you have a severe condition like [PTSD](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-traumatic_stress_disorder), definitely look for a professional or trusted friend before you try any meditative exercise.
 
-A good therapist, especially one trained in cognitive behavioral therapy[5], can help you shed light on your deep seated emotional baggage, related thoughts, and core beliefs. Unfortunately, the people who need therapy the most avoid it because they don't want to think they need help. In my experience, the people who are certain they don't need help need it more than anyone. Regardless, there's nothing wrong with reaching out.
+A good therapist, especially one trained in [cognitive behavioral therapy](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy), can help you shed light on your deep seated emotional baggage, related thoughts, and core beliefs. Unfortunately, the people who need therapy the most avoid it because they don't want to think they need help. In my experience, the people who are certain they don't need help need it more than anyone. Regardless, there's nothing wrong with reaching out.
 
 A trusted friend who is emotionally receptive can also help, but probably not as much as a trained therapist. Neither a friend nor a therapist can acknowledge your thoughts and emotions for you though. You have to step through that door. Other people can only show you the door.
 
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ Exercise is also extremely important for self-regulation, especially for autisti
 
 And finally there's diet. The human body is not evolved to eat processed junk food. It's evolved for non-processed food. Eat things that your great grandparents would recognize as food. When you go to the supermarket, stick to the edges. Basically everything in the middle is processed trash that will wreck your body. I try to eat as little processed food as I can.
 
-Ultimately, the root cause of most of the world's sleep, exercise, and dietary problems are environmental, not individual. People used to get more sleep. We used to exercise more. We used to eat non-processed foods almost exclusively. All of humanity didn't suddenly lose willpower. It just became less convenient[6] to live a healthy life thanks mainly to the economic pressure of extreme capitalism[7].
+Ultimately, the root cause of most of the world's sleep, exercise, and dietary problems are environmental, not individual. People used to get more sleep. We used to exercise more. We used to eat non-processed foods almost exclusively. All of humanity didn't suddenly lose willpower. It just became [less convenient](/2022/06/19/the-power-of-convenience/) to live a healthy life thanks mainly to the economic pressure of [extreme capitalism](/2022/06/18/extreme-capitalism-ruins-everything/).
 
 The real solution to these problems is to put an end to the extreme capitalism driving them. But until we collectively do that, the only thing we can do as individuals is try to mitigate the harmful effects in our own lives.
 
@@ -97,17 +96,6 @@ The biggest advantage meditation and writing have over drug use is they're more
 Drugs dysregulate brain chemistry and put you at an increased risk of retraumatization. If you're going to use them outside a clinical context, stick to low doses and remember set and setting.
 
 ## Conclusion
-So that wraps up this entry. I hope to discuss autism-related issues more in the future. Autism is a very broad topic, so breaking it up into these mini entries seems like the best way forward. Feel free to send me any thoughts and feedback you may have. You can find my contact information on the about page[8].
+So that wraps up this entry. I hope to discuss autism-related issues more in the future. Autism is a very broad topic, so breaking it up into these mini entries seems like the best way forward. Feel free to send me any thoughts and feedback you may have. You can find my contact information on the [about page](/about/).
 
 Thanks for reading.
-
-
-Links:
-[1: Coming Out as Autistic](/2022/05/16/coming-out-as-autistic/)
-[2: Autism And Alexithymia](https://embrace-autism.com/alexithymia-and-autism/)
-[3: Observer Effect](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observer_effect_(physics))
-[4: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-traumatic_stress_disorder)
-[5: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy)
-[6: The Power of Convenience](/2022/06/19/the-power-of-convenience/)
-[7: Extreme Capitalism Ruins Everything](/2022/06/18/extreme-capitalism-ruins-everything/)
-[8: About Page](/about/)