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Alexithymia Test: What It Measures and What to Do With Your Results
You’re at a social gathering, but you only know maybe one or two people there. Suddenly, your stomach starts to feel fluttery. Is it because you’re nervous? You ate something funny? Or forgot to eat entirely?
It’s okay if you don’t know.
While some people can pinpoint the cause of something like stomach butterflies immediately, it’s not so easy for others. This distinct challenge of identifying emotions and differentiating them from bodily sensations has a name — alexithymia — and it commonly co-occurs with autism.
If you’ve arrived at this article because a lifetime of confusion about your emotions led you to take an online test — and the results suggest you may experience alexithymia — you’ve come to the right place. You deserve to understand what your online score actually means, and the recommended next steps.
The most important thing to know about an online alexithymia test is that it cannot offer a clinical diagnosis. Alexithymia is not considered an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
However, after reading this article, you will have a much better understanding of what alexithymia tests actually measure, the limitations of these questionnaires, and what you can do with the information they give you.
Autistic Inertia: Why Starting, Stopping, and Switching Tasks Feels So Hard
Consider the experiences below. Do any of them sound familiar to you?
- You know it’s time to get up for the day, but you’re unable to move
- You keep going on that work task even though you really need to use the bathroom
- You’re having a lot of trouble transitioning from a preferred activity to a necessary one (in my autistic daughter’s case, this usually means putting down the tablet to start her bedtime routine)
These examples only scratch the surface of a very real concept called autistic inertia. We know the definition of regular inertia is that an object will remain at rest or in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Similarly, Autistic inertia describes how an autistic person will commonly keep going in the same state they’re in, and it takes a greater energetic effort to change states, activity, or mindset.
Chances are, the people around you, including yourself, have misunderstood autistic inertia, possibly dismissing this behavior as laziness or procrastination. But nothing could be further from the truth. Starting tasks, stopping tasks, and switching tasks are all classified under the umbrella of autistic inertia and deserve deeper examination.
After reading this article, you’ll have a better understanding of what autistic inertia is, why it occurs, and how to recognize your own patterns. You’ll also learn recommended support strategies for yourself or a neurodivergent loved one who has this experience.
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Types of Neurodiversity: A Clear, Inclusive Overview
Exploring neurodiversity as an adult can be equally exciting and intimidating.
Perhaps you’re noticing that, through the neurodiversity lens, certain once-confusing moments in your life are suddenly making sense. Or you’re still healing from lifelong frustrations, feeling misunderstood, and lack the language to articulate your unique experiences.
If this sounds like you at all, then you’re in the right place. This article will not only guide you through some of the most common types of neurodiversity but also help you understand how each neurotype actually shows up in adult life — and what your options are if you want to investigate further.
