Alexithymia in chronic bronchitis/emphysema patients. Communication of subjective symptomatology.

Affective, somatic, and collateral experiences of alexithymic and nonalexithymic patients to their chronic bronchitis/emphysema was analyzed in reference to 11 symptom categories of the Bronchitis/Emphysema Symptom Checklist. Unlike alexithymic asthmatics who tend to minimize their self-reports of physical and emotional difficulties during acute illness episodes, chronic bronchitis/emphysema alexithymics do not differ from nonalexithymics in their self-reports of physical and emotional difficulties.