This work provides an entirely new perspective on emotional influences on mental and physical health. The authors present current thinking on the development and regulation of emotions and argue that several common but difficult to treat psychiatric illnesses, including drug addictions, eating disorders, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorders, are a consequence of an individual's inability to regulate distressing emotions through mental processes. They also advance a model in which dysregulated emotions may alter other bodily systems and thereby contribute to the development of physical illnesses and diseases. The book is generously illustrated throughout with clinical vignettes and provides descriptions of innovative therapeutic approaches. This volume will become a valuable and stimulating reference for clinicians and researchers alike.

Alexithymia is a personality trait characterised by difficulty identifying and describing subjective emotional feelings, a restricted imagination, and an externally oriented style of thinking. Individuals with high levels of this trait are at risk of developing several common psychiatric disorders. The concept of alexithymia has evolved considerably over the past twenty years, and this important new work responds to the need for a definitive book on the subject. The research, theory and clinical issues surrounding alexithymia are discussed in depth, examining the psychological, biological and social aspects of the construct and their related outcomes. Featuring contributions from researchers and clinicians in the field of emotion processing and regulation, chapters include methods for assessing and reducing alexithymia, and research findings from diverse fields of scientific enquiry including genetics, neuroimaging studies, emotion regulation, attachment and trauma research, and comorbidities with a number of psychiatric and medical disorders.