title: [Alexithymia without end? Attempt at a summary].
abstract: The explanations for psychosomatic illnesses derived from the concept of "alexithymia" are compared and critically analyzed within the framework of their scientific development. In an attempt to define an independent psychosomatic personality structure different from the neurotic or psychotic personality structure, Ruesch formulated the concept of the "infantile personality" in 1984. During the 1960's and independent of American authors, a French group defined as alexithymic certain characteristics of a psychosomatic personality, the central aspect of which is an affective disorder. This direction in research is then analyzed from the point of view of the limits it sets and the further perspectives it opens up.
mesh_terms: D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D004532:Ego; D006801:Humans; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D009769:Object Attachment; D010553:Personality Development; D011574:Psychoanalytic Theory; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*
vernacular_title: Alexithymie und kein Ende? Versuch eines Resümees.