Mind and body in the multiple code of the theory. Reflections over the concept of alexithymia

Alexithymia is defined as a difficulty in identifying and describe one"s emotions, characteristic accompanied by a practical aspects oriented mind and scarce imaginative abilities. Recently it has been suggested to adopt Wilma Bucci"s Multiple Code Theory to conceptualize alexithymia. The alexithymic situation corresponds to a dissociation between the subsymbolic system and the two symbolic systems, which causes not having words for emotions. Such definition implies an overcoming of the mind/body dualism in the dynamics of creation health/sickness that include the regulation of affection, and a theoretic confirmation that alexithymia collocates in the area of deficit rather than in that of defences, representing a strong risk factor for the development of the condition, both physically and mentally.