Related Conditions

Alexithymia is a personality construct, not a diagnosis. It can be studied alongside many medical, psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and stress-related conditions, but a co-occurrence finding does not tell an individual person what they have, why they have it, or what treatment they need.

What “co-occurrence” means here

In research and clinical writing, “co-occurrence” usually means that two conditions or traits are observed together more often than expected, or are being discussed together in the same person or group. For AAN, that needs several cautions:

• alexithymia itself is usually measured as a dimensional trait, commonly with self-report instruments, not diagnosed as a standalone disorder;
• a co-occurrence rate depends on who was studied, which alexithymia measure was used, and what cutoff was chosen;
• overlap does not prove cause in either direction;
• emotional-awareness difficulties can also be shaped by stress, trauma, depression, anxiety, autism, physical illness, culture, language, medication, and many other factors.

For general definitions and assessment caveats, see the FAQ.

Autism and alexithymia

A systematic review and meta-analysis by Kinnaird, Stewart, and Tchanturia (2019) reviewed studies of autistic and non-autistic groups using Toronto Alexithymia Scale measures. The review found that autistic participants in the included studies scored higher on alexithymia measures and were more likely to score above TAS cutoffs than non-autistic comparison groups.

Important caveats from that review matter for public use:

• alexithymia appeared common in the included autistic samples, but it was not universal;
• the prevalence analysis used TAS-20 cutoff scoring, so the numbers should not be treated as a diagnosis rate;
• the included studies often focused on autistic people without language or communication difficulties and with average-to-high IQ, so the findings may not generalize across the whole autism spectrum;
• anxiety, depression, gender, and other factors could not be fully explored in the meta-analysis.

AAN therefore treats autism and alexithymia as distinct constructs that can overlap. Some emotion-recognition or emotion-description difficulties discussed in autism research may relate to co-occurring alexithymia, but that does not mean every autistic person has alexithymia or that alexithymia is “part of autism.”

Other areas

Alexithymia is also discussed in literature about mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, trauma-related conditions, substance-use disorders, ADHD, chronic pain, gastrointestinal conditions, cardiovascular disease, and other medical or psychiatric contexts. Do not use those areas as a checklist.

For each condition area, readers should distinguish:

• review findings from single-study or clinical-impression claims;
• prevalence estimates from unsourced or overgeneralized ranges;
• association findings from causal explanations;
• clinician-facing treatment considerations from public self-help advice.

Use this as orientation, not as a directory of confirmed alexithymia related conditions.

If this feels personally relevant

If you recognize yourself in more than one description, that can be a useful reason to take notes and ask for support, but it is not a diagnosis. Consider writing down concrete examples — situations, body sensations, communication difficulties, mood patterns, or questions — and bringing them to a qualified clinician if you are seeking assessment or care.

If safety is uncertain or immediate help is needed, AAN is not the right support channel. Use qualified local support or services equipped for immediate safety needs.