Who can have high or low interoception processing?

Interoception is the ability to identify, understand and respond to the state of the inside of our body. This is something that many autistic people and those with ADHD struggle with.

Interoceptive awareness allows us to feel things like hunger, thirst, whether we are hot or cold, if we need the bathroom and if we are in pain, if we are feeling anxious or worried, amongst other things.

For example, how do you know if you are hungry? Many people might notice crtain feelings in tehir digestive system or bodies like:

• a growling stomach
• sluggish muscles
• 'foggy brain'

Anotehr example is reognising emotions like anxiety or frustration. If you're feeling anxious, you might notice:

• a tight feeling in your chest 
• tension in your muscles
• a racing heart

Many of us don't stop and think about these body-emotions connections as many of us recognise these bodily sensations which are linked to meotions naturally but that is why recognisning these connections are sooooo important. 

All of us experience different degrees or levels of how our interoception signals work and that is very unique to each and everyone of us. 

Lower Awareness

For those with lower awareness of their bodily cues can miss out on valuable clues that give them information about what they're feeling. For example, If you miss out on the feelings of tight hands, tense muscles and maybe overall sweaty skin, you're missing out on valuable clues letting you know that you are starting to feel frustrated.

This disconnection between the bodys signals and the brain's interpretation of those signals have been suggested to underlie certain conditions such as:

• Anxiety 
• Depression
• Panic disorders
• Anorexia nervosa
• Bulimiaa nervosa
• Post traumatic stress disorder/trauma
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Autism Spectrum disorder

However, just because a person have one or more of these conditions does not mean they have lower interoception difficulties and vice versa. And research clearly shows if a individual does experience these that certain strategies can be used to improve interoception awareness and their bodily cues. 

Higher Awareness

Alternatively, some people are overaly aware of their internal bodily sensations or have really heightened interoceptiona wareness. These can include:

• A small sensation such as a slight cut can be very intense and extremely painful. This can cause them to be emotionally overwhelemed because their body is responding in a intense way. 
• Others may say that they feel so mnay bodily sensations all at once because everything is happening, which can be highly distracting or very overwhelming and confusing. 

If you would like to learn more about Interoception processing and it;s impact on behaviour please check out our Next LIVE Masterclass  An Interoception Based approach to Behaviour and Regulation