ALEXYTHYMIA - A DEFENSE MECHANISM OR A PERSONALITY TRAIT? NEW TRENDS IN RESEARCH

The author makes an analysis of the phenomenon of alexithymia from different theoretical perspectives. She gives the definition of alexithymia and presents the characteristics of persons described as alexithymic. She analyses alexithymia in terms of defense mechanisms, comparing it to repression and dissociation. The author describes the results of research, where alexithymia is perceived as a personality trait. In accordance to the literature the new trends in alexithymia research are shown - the neurobiological research, the research on dreams and the attachment studies. The author presents her own way of understanding alexithymia as a form of affect regulation. She shows the results of her and her graduate students' research on persons suffering from asthma. The paper closes with data on clinical implications for a presented way of understanding of the phenomenon of alexithymia in the therapeutic work with persons with psychosomatic disturbances.