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Why Men Can’t Identify Their Own Emotions (And What It’s Actually Costing You)

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you’re experiencing persistent emotional distress, consult a licensed mental health professional.

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Speak with a qualified clinician about your specific situation. See our Medical Disclaimer. In crisis? Call or text 988 (US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). Or text HOME to 741741.

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Man with a neutral calm expression representing emotional alexithymia and difficulty identifying feelings
Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash

Sources:

1. Sifneos, P.E. (1973). The prevalence of ‘alexithymic’ characteristics in psychosomatic patients. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 22(2-6), 255-262.

2. Levant, R.F. et al. (2009). Gender differences in alexithymia. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 10(3), 190-203.

3. Chu, J.Y. (2014). When Boys Become Boys: Development, Relationships, and Masculinity. NYU Press.

4. Lumley, M.A. et al. (2007). Alexithymia and health: Prospective study. Health Psychology, 26(5), 687-694.

5. Damasio, A.R. (1994). Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. Putnam.

6. Lieberman, M.D. et al. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421-428.

7. Grynberg, D. et al. (2012). Alexithymia in the interpersonal domain: A general deficit of empathy? Personality and Individual Differences, 53(10), 1279-1284.

8. Mattila, A.K. et al. (2008). Alexithymia and somatization in general population. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 64(2), 199-205.

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Marcus Webb
Essayist on men's emotional fitness

Marcus Webb is the column where HappierFit makes the case for emotional fitness in men's lives — the arguments, with the research left in. One of our named editorial voices, produced with AI under BRICK30's editorial standards.

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