Alexithymia, Temparement and Character Traits in Patients with Epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy is a frequent chronic disease characterized by loss of consciousness and convulsions. Due to chronic nature and functionality loss, a variety of psychiatric disorders may occur concurrently. In diseases like epilepsy, psychiatric disorders may disrupt both quality of life, social and family function-ality and make the illness more resistant. Common psychiatric disorders in patients with epilepsy include depression, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and attention deficit and hyperactivity disor-der. In addition, personality disorders and alexithymic features characterized by difficulty in recogniz-ing and expressing feelings can also be observed. Similar dysfunctions and lesions are detected in the brains of alexithymic and epileptic patients and it has been reported that epileptic patients have difficulties in expressing thoughts and feelings as patients with alexithymia. There are few studies regarding epilepsy, temperament and character traits, alexithymia and on what level do these aspects effect the disease. Here we aimed to review effects and presence of alexithymia and temperament-character traits in patients with epilepsy. [Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2016; 8(1): 64-75]

Keywords

• Epilepsy
• alexithymia
• temperament and character