In our work at The Refuge Marriage and Family Therapy, we emphasize the importance of understanding oneself holistically, especially for neurodivergent individuals. One area that significantly affects mental health and daily functioning, yet is often overlooked, is interoception. Interoceptive awareness refers to our ability to recognize internal bodily cues like hunger, thirst, temperature, fatigue, and emotional states. These cues play an essential role in maintaining our physical and mental well-being.
For neurodivergent people—whether diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or other neurodevelopmental conditions—interoceptive awareness can be heightened, diminished, or inconsistent. This blog explores the unique relationship between interoception and neurodivergence, offering insights and strategies for building awareness and resilience in everyday life.
What is Interoception?
Interoception is often called the “eighth sense.” While we are familiar with the five main senses and perhaps with proprioception (our sense of spatial awareness), interoception operates more subtly. It’s our ability to perceive internal physical cues that indicate our body’s needs. For example:
Hunger and Fullness: Signals from our stomach that help us know when to eat or stop eating.
Thirst: A dry mouth or sensation that tells us to drink water.
Fatigue: Physical and mental signs that let us know when to rest.
Temperature Regulation: Signals for when we are hot, cold, or just right.
Emotional Awareness: Recognizing how emotions feel within the body, such as a racing heart when anxious or tension when stressed.
When we are tuned into these cues, we can make decisions that help maintain balance and well-being. However, neurodivergent individuals may experience interoceptive signals differently, leading to challenges that can impact daily life and mental health.
How Neurodivergence Affects Interoceptive Awareness
Neurodivergent individuals often experience unique interoceptive responses:
Difficulty Recognizing or Responding to Hunger and Fullness: For some, hunger may not register in the typical way, leading to irregular eating patterns or struggles with diet and nutrition. Others may find themselves eating out of habit rather than hunger, as cues are misinterpreted.
Challenges with Emotional Self-Regulation: Neurodivergent people may have difficulty identifying or expressing emotions. They may sense physical symptoms of distress without fully understanding the associated emotion, like feeling physically tense but not recognizing it as anxiety.
Variability in Sensory Sensitivity: Some neurodivergent people are hypersensitive (overly sensitive) to internal cues, leading to heightened experiences of discomfort, or pain, or a quick emotional response to a physical cue. Others may experience hypo-sensitivity, or reduced sensitivity, resulting in missed cues until they become intense, like extreme thirst or exhaustion.
Inconsistent Temperature Awareness: Difficulty in recognizing temperature cues can affect comfort and focus. Some may feel uncomfortable but struggle to identify the need for a warmer or cooler environment.
Physical and Mental Exhaustion: Neurodivergent individuals may find it challenging to notice fatigue cues until they reach burnout. This is particularly common in those with ADHD, who may hyper-focus on tasks and overlook signs of fatigue.
The Importance of Building Interoceptive Awareness
Developing a greater awareness of interoceptive cues can empower neurodivergent individuals to care for themselves more effectively. When interoceptive awareness is improved, individuals are more likely to recognize when they need rest, nourishment, hydration, or emotional support. This self-awareness can enhance mental health and prevent overwhelming situations that lead to anxiety, irritability, or physical symptoms of distress.
In therapeutic practice, increasing interoceptive awareness can also improve relationships. When people are more in tune with their internal needs, they can communicate those needs to others more effectively, which is essential for developing secure attachment and emotional intimacy.
Practical Strategies to Enhance Interoceptive Awareness
There are numerous ways to develop interoceptive awareness. Here are a few exercises we recommend:
Body Scans and Mindfulness Practices: Guided body scans help you become aware of how each part of your body feels. Regular mindfulness practice can also help you identify physical sensations tied to emotions, like noticing where you feel tension or relaxation.
Tracking Hunger and Thirst: Try setting alarms to pause and assess hunger or thirst at regular intervals. Journaling these feelings can help you develop an awareness of your body's hunger and hydration cues over time.
Emotion-Body Connection: Notice where emotions show up in your body. For example, anger might feel like tightness in the chest, and happiness might feel like warmth. Building this awareness can help you address emotional needs sooner.
Temperature Awareness Exercises: Checking in with your comfort level and clothing choices can help build temperature awareness. If you’re too hot or too cold, try adjusting your environment to feel more comfortable.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: This technique involves tensing and then releasing different muscle groups. It can improve awareness of where tension builds up in your body, particularly during stress.
Work with a Therapist: Therapy offers a safe space to explore interoceptive awareness and how it intersects with mental health. A therapist can provide targeted strategies to support interoceptive growth and overall well-being.
How The Refuge Marriage and Family Therapy Can Help
At The Refuge, we believe in supporting the holistic health of our clients, and interoceptive awareness is an essential part of this journey. Our approach is person-centered, meaning we collaborate with each client to discover their unique needs and challenges. By addressing the interoceptive needs of neurodivergent individuals, we help clients enhance self-awareness, build resilience, and improve their relationships.
If you or a loved one is interested in learning more about interoception or if you’re curious about how therapy can help you or your family manage the unique challenges of neurodivergence, we’re here to support you. Please reach out to us at The Refuge Marriage and Family Therapy to learn more about our services.
Embracing our bodies’ signals with curiosity and patience can transform the way we understand ourselves and connect with others. Let us help you navigate this journey to greater self-awareness and well-being.
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