Reflections on the alexithymia concept: psychological conflict and verbal behavior. A contribution to phenomenology
Weidenhammer, B.
Zeitschrift für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychoanalyse 32(1): 60-65
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0340-5613 PMID: 3953164 Document Number: 282954
The concept of alexithymy, which is controversial in literature, is used in psychoanalytic discussion to identify a manifestation of character which is distinguished by distress and deficiency in the areas of interpersonal interaction, emotionality, and phantasy life. The definition of alexithymy demonstrates some inconsistencies; the quality of alexithymic thinking should show, for instance, both features; the attributes of the primary process and a pragmatic-instrumentalist orientation, which does not go together. In this article, we try to describe the style of interaction to which the concept of alexithymy refers as the strategy of "Versachlichung". "Strategy of Versachlichung" means a structure of defense and compensation relating to archaic fears that the primary object on whom one depends is in danger to be destroyed.