title: Blocked Imagination~ Emptied Speech: A Brief Account of the Alexithymia Concept
author: Jason Thompson
description: Alexithymia is a rather unknown topic in psychology, even though the term was coined over 30 years ago.  Jason Thompson's book, Blocked Imagination~ Emptied Speech: A Brief Account of the Alexithymia Concept is an excellent representation of a complex psychological topic in a readable format.  Jason describes in detail the nuances and difficulties that arise for the victims of alexithymia, whether they have it or they are in a relationship with someone who has it. As a graduate student in physics and a hobbyist in psychology, I've had the opportunity to read a fare number of books and articles relating to the concept of alexithymia.  I was diagnosed with alexithymia at the age of 20. My psychologist suggested I read certain parts of a book called Emotional  Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. Goleman's book offers a very brief and limited account of the subject, but it was enough to spark my curiosity. I have since read dozens of books relating to emotional cognition, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alexithymia.  The two most relevant books in my search for understanding were The Handbook of Emotional Intelligence edited by Reuven Bar-On and James D.A. Parker and Disorders of  Affect Regulation:  Alexithymia in Medical and Psychiatric Illness. Although these two sources offered a great deal more on the topic of Alexithymia, they were very dense with correlation study results and previous research.  Thus if you are a psychology student, I highly recommend both books, but my interest in psychology is purely for fun not work. I was recently offered the opportunity to read Jason's book and I gladly accepted.  Jason's book offers a more personal view of the subject matter  than the objective reviews presented in the previously mentioned books. The book still cites valid research studies and personal accounts, similar to  the other books.  However, it does not dwell on the belaboring task of overwhelming one with citations from previous research.  The book does --Lenny Wilson
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  ## [Notes](9780062961402_Contents.xhtml#rnotes)
  
  
  
  
  
  * Alexithymia, or the inability to identify and express one’s feelings, is a mental disorder first described in medical journals in the 1970s. Its known causes are lack of emotional development during a person’s early childhood, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the smaller inborn amygdalae, in which case, fear is the emotion these parts of the brain are least able to identify and express. Recently, however, new studies have suggested that the ability of the amygdalae to process fear and anxiety can be increased through training. This novel describes alexithymia based on these studies, and with the author’s imagination.
  
  
  * P. J. Nolan is a fictional character.
  
  
  * The dinosaurs’ sizes mentioned in this novel are based on Bernard Most’s _The Lit