Temporary Alex?

[watzel]

Last night, my girlfriend called me, telling me that something was
wrong and she didn't know what. When I got there she was completely
non responsive, and I would ask questions and do things to provoke
some kind of emotion from her, but to no avail. It was strange and
unsettling- I had never seen her like this before, it was literally
like watching an empty shell of a person. I asked her to look me in
the eye, and she couldn't hold eye contact for very long. After a
while she excused herself to go to the bathroom and when she came
back, I could tell she was a little bit better. She told me she had
punched the wall, and that when she gets like this an outer force of
pain sometimes helps bring her back. And it did, but it left her
knuckles swollen and bruised.
Anyway, I'm rambling, but my question is, is it possible for someone
to have the alexithymia trait come in waves? Because under different
circumstances my girlfriend has no trouble verbalizing her emotions.
Also, if there is such thing, is there anything I can do to help her
get through the wave, maybe without her having to hurt herself?
Sorry for the long post...comments are greatly appreciated!

["Didyouknow...."]

Yes I think so, it could well be possible. There seems to be a
relationship between depression and alex, if you suffer one your more
likely to suffer the other. Then again she could simply be suppressing
a terrible memory from the past, which only bubbles to the surface
occasionally, if this was the case I would not recommend you try and
make her talk about it as popular psychology would have you believe
might help, it could make thing's worse, and put a strain on your
relationship, for that she'd need a psych.
The best thing she could do is learn to relax, with meditation, or
some other relaxation technique, and practice until it's a skill, that
way she's less likely to need it, but if she does she can use it, and
if it doesn't help it certainly wont hurt.

Just so you know, I am not a psychologist or medical professional of
any kind and so any advise should be taken with that in consideration.

[kurokawa8]

perhaps a dissociative condition?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissociation
http://www.isst-d.org/education/faq-dissociation.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dissociative-disorders/DS00574/DSECTION=symptoms

This condition can come from a number of places so don't jump the
gun. This is definitely something for a professional to determine.
Probably the best thing to do is make a big list of symptoms with
medical history and bring it to a doctor.



On Nov 2, 10:18 am, "\"Didyouknow....\""

[Ghoul King]

I find that when I go completely emotionally dead, a nice depressing
piece of horror story (Not a big budget 'horror' movie, they're boring
and fail to elicit anything but contempt from me) is generally enough
to get me back to my usual self. Pain is also good at accelerating a
break from the blankness, though I personally have always preferred
head injuries. (This has lessened as I have grown older, however:
nowadays smacking my head against something really, really hurts. When
I was a child, it was less injurious and more soothing)

I personally usually shut out the world for a day or two when I go
emotionally dead while I read depressing, moody things, but then, I've
never found the situation alarming, so I'm perhaps not the best
comparison point. Nobody has ever noticed it when I do it, for one.

Does she know what triggers it? Knowing the source could be useful for
working out the undo option.

Chocolate is also a good way of exiting this state quicker, in my
experience. Sugary candies usually make it into an out-and-out
physical depression for me, which I personally consider worse but I
imagine might be considered better by someone that finds a lack of
emotions alarming in and of itself. (Don't ask me why sugars make me
depressed but depressing stories get me over this faster in a non-
depressing manner, I honestly don't know)

If she absolutely must use pain to get out of it for whatever reason,
putting something cold on her knuckles (Or whatever) keeps the
swelling down and helps the injury heal more quickly.

Alternatively she could use this opportunity to achieve a better
understanding of herself and those around her, but if she finds it
sufficiently concerning to describe it as 'wrong' even when she has no
emotional state to speak of, I imagine that would be an undesirable
suggestion.