You suspect an abnormal expression of emotion in a patient. Before revealing the answer, decide how you would assess for this.

Establish first that the underlying emotion appears genuinely present and appropriately proportioned to its trigger, then ask specifically about how the patient shows, communicates, or copes with that feeling, since the disturbance lies there rather than in the feeling's intensity. Ask directly, once the pattern is pointed out, whether the patient can recognise their own unusual manner of showing or handling the emotion, since this retained recognition is characteristic. Consider which of the specific recognised patterns best fits: emotion held apart from awareness, feelings deliberately masked, distress pushed away from conscious acknowledgement, or profound difficulty processing what is happening.