What Is Alexithymia, and Why Does It Matter?
Why can’t I seem to identify my emotions?
I was on a job interview one day and the interviewer asked me to identify a complicated situation at my previous workplace. I talked about working in a veterinary hospital, doing shifts, and dealing with difficult clients. And then he surprised me with this question:
And how did that make you feel?
I froze.
Obviously, the first thing I did after being called for a second interview was to ask Google: What to expect on a second interview? I read that second interviews are usually harder and more specific, that I could be asked about what I would do in certain situations. However, I did not prepare to be asked how I felt about something.
Although the interview took place over zoom, I really don’t think I could hide the fact that I had no idea how to answer.
Frustrated? (I was guessing). Tired? (Not even a feeling. Nice try though).
Not long before this, on appointments with my psychologist, he would often ask me how I felt about a certain event from my childhood or teenage years. I would freeze. My most common answers were good or bad. Neither are feelings.
