What is Interoception?
Interoception is our internal body sense.
It's what allows us to know what's going on inside our bodies: such as hunger, tiredness, nausea, or needing the toilet.
What does under-sensitivity look like?
If you're under sensitive to it you might not notice:
- when you need the toilet and so feel a sense of urgency
- when food has made you ill and so feel bloated or in pain
- when you need to sleep so feel tired and spacey
- when you need to eat so and so feel weak and dazed
- things like periods or when you're ill
- bodily sensations could also get confused with emotions
What helps?
- timers and schedules to remind you when to eat
- food diaries to know what might make you ill
- calendars, trackers, and apps for things like periods
- sanitary products for toileting needs
- learning how to recognise the signs of illness
- ask the person themselves
What does over-sensitivity look like?
If you're oversensitive to it you might:
- feel a need to go to the toilet more often
- be aware of subtle change in the body and mistake this for anxiety
- feel hungry often
- feel ill often and worry
- feel nausea and bloatedness more often
- periods could feel stronger
What helps?
- sanitary products
- food diaries to let you know what's causing problems
- mindfulness for anxiety
- calendars, trackers, and apps for bodily sensations
- timers and schedules to let you know when to eat
- learning to recognise the signs of illness so that you don't have to worry as much
- being prepared so as to avoid meltdowns and shutdowns for those unmet needs