Quote by Sandra Paulsen

Alexithymia is derived from Greek and means to have no words. It is when a person has no words for their emotions.

Affective mentalization refers to our ability to understand and reflect on our emotions.

This is not uncommon when growing up in chaotic, toxic, abusive, or neglectful homes.  This is because in these environments, the focus is on survival, not growing and learning about oneself.

In these environments the caregivers’ focus is not on helping and teaching the child, but on their own needs.

Therefore, kids don’t learn how to identify their emotions or link them to their somatic experiences, nor do they learn how to regulate their emotions.