Have you ever felt like your emotions were wrong — or like your partner simply couldn't understand why you were upset? You might be experiencing the impact of alexithymia in your neurodiverse relationship. In this episode of Navigating Neurodiverse Love and Life, Mona Kay and Jodi Carlton open up about their own long marriages to neurodivergent partners — and the years of unintentional hurt that came from not understanding why they felt so misunderstood. In this episode: -What alexithymia is and why it's so common in neurodiverse relationships - interoception challenges affect emotional communication. -Why your autistic partner may logicalize your emotions — and what they actually mean by it. -The difference between not caring and not knowing -A beautiful listener story about loving an autistic partner with awareness -Whether you're in a neurodiverse relationship, recently discovered your partner is autistic or ADHD, or are neurodivergent yourself — this conversation will help you feel less alone. ⏱ Chapters 0:00 Intro — Meet Mona & Jodi / About the Show 1:28 Episode 2 Begins — Our Neurodiverse Marriages 2:36 Mona's Story: 30 Years of Unintentional Hurt 3:03 Communication Breakdown: Logicalizing Emotions 4:21 What Is Alexithymia? 5:11 Interoception & the Body-Brain Disconnect 6:18 The Bewildering Reality of Feeling Wrong 7:34 Jodi's Story: Alexithymia Wasn't Our Issue — But... 15:20 Emotional Flooding & Communication Differences 16:45 Writing Novels He Wouldn't Read 18:13 Listener Comment: "He Was the Best Partner I've Ever Had" 19:46 Unintentional Hurt & Looking Through Different Lenses 21:30 Outro — Find Us & Closing 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week 💬 Submit your questions and topics in the comments or via our show notes links Find Mona: neurodiverselove.com Find Jodi: jodicarlton.com

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