Alexithymia and affect pathology among adult male alcoholics.

The present study attempts to validate earlier findings of a positive relationship between the severity of alexithymia and symptoms of affect pathology among alcoholics. One hundred adult male outpatient alcoholics were given instruments to assess alexithymia and symptoms of affect pathology. Controlling for alcoholism severity, Pearson Product Moment Correlations demonstrated that the severity of alexithymia was significantly correlated with dysphoria and affect intolerance, as well as with certain interpersonal difficulties resulting from these affective disturbances. Such findings support the usefulness of the alexithymia construct in the understanding and treatment of affect pathology and its consequences among alcoholics.