❓ What is interoception?
Interoception means:
👉 Feeling what is happening inside your body
This includes:
- Hunger 🍽️
- Thirst 💧
- Pain 😖
- Temperature 🌡️
- Emotions ❤️
⚖️ Different types of interoception
Everyone is different. Some people feel too little or too much.
🔵 Hyposensitivity (Under-sensitive)
👉 The body does not notice signals easily
A person might:
- Not realise they are hungry or thirsty
- Not notice pain straight away
- Not know when they feel unwell
- Not feel hot or cold properly
🧠 Emotions
They may also have:
Alexithymia
👉 This means:
- Finding it hard to understand feelings
- Not knowing how to describe emotions
🔴 Hypersensitivity (Over-sensitive)
👉 The body feels signals very strongly
A person might:
- Feel pain more intensely
- Feel emotions very deeply
- Notice hunger or thirst quickly
- Become overwhelmed easily
🔗 Link to Autism and ADHD
In:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
👉 Interoception can be different
This can lead to:
- Sensory overload
- Anxiety
- Meltdowns or shutdowns
⚠️ Why this matters
Sometimes people think:
👉 “Something is wrong with my body”
But actually:
✔ It may be how the nervous system processes signals
✔ Not necessarily nerve damage
💡 Real-life examples
🧒 Child example (like your experience)
- Loud dog bark 🐕
- Sudden noise
👉 Body reacts fast (jump, fear, cover ears)
✔ This = hypersensitive nervous system
🧍 Adult example
- Doesn’t feel hunger all day
- Suddenly feels very unwell
✔ This = hyposensitive interoception
❤️ Key message (Perfect for your book)
- The body sends signals all the time
- Some people feel too little
- Some people feel too much
👉 This is part of how the brain and nervous system work
🧠 Simple Summary (for learners)
- Interoception = body awareness
- Hypo = not enough feeling
- Hyper = too much feeling
- Common in autism and ADHD
- Not the same as nerve damage
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