Which term describes the inability to identify and describe emotions experienced by oneself or others?

• A. Anhedonia
• B. Apathy
• C. Alexithymia
• D. Dysphoria

Answer: (C)

Alexithymia describes the inability to identify and describe emotions experienced by oneself or others. This term captures the core difficulty: recognizing what one feeling and labeling that feeling, as well as inferring and articulating emotions in others. People with alexithymia may describe bodily sensations or movement rather than the emotional state, and they often have a limited emotional vocabulary or struggle with inner experiences. This is distinct from mood or motivation issues and explains why emotions feel hard to name or communicate.

Anhedonia refers to a reduced ability to experience pleasure, not to recognizing or describing emotions. Apathy is a lack of motivation or interest, again not about emotional awareness. Dysphoria is a general sense of unease or dissatisfaction with life, related to mood but not specifically about identifying or labeling emotions.