Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I'm just wondering if anyone has experience of this - it's basically being overly aware of your bodies needs - even if you don't know how to deal with them - hunger, thirst, hot cold etc. I'm trying to read into it but most sites are aimed at treating children and limit interoception to being aware of your own heartbeat - when it's much more complicated than that.
Basically, not being able to shut my body up, or ignore it's discomforts is the main source of my meltdowns/ shutdowns and I need to learn how to manage it, but there appear to be very few resources that will help.
Does anyone else have similar issues - if so, do you have coping mechanisms? Are there any good sites out there that look at the adult experience?
I'm just very frustrated that I've pinpointed a core issue, and seem to have no access to learn how to deal with it!
I have other sensory processing issues, but they fade into insignificance compared to interoception. The only time I get a break is when I'm immersed in research (which is rare, as I run a household and have a full time job) or asleep.
A 'yes' from me.
I'd been doing this for a fair few years to help my type 1 diabetes. (The body tells one useful things in that regard.)
I also 'listened' to my body when it came to anxiety. Fast/hard heartbeat, sweating and some of the worst bit is related to how the gut feels for me.
One of the things I read about with regard to anxiety and interoception came from reading 'Feel the fear but do it anyway', a book by Susan Jeffers.
In the book it discussed her learning something from another book, Viktor Frankl's 'Man's search for meaning'.
In Frankl's book (towards the latter part), he states how a number of people overcame certain anxieties by encouraging their body to do the symptom they wished to overcome.
I'll relate an example from my own life (before I'd read either of those books). I had a toothache at about 2am. Realising I'd struggle to get to a dentist and would likely have the pain through the night, I essentially told my tooth/gum 'do as much pain as you need to'. I concentrated on that area trying to let the pain swell and, if need be, fill my mouth.
Within a relatively short amount of time (20 mins maybe?), the pain had receded away and I shortly fell asleep untroubled.
Back to the anxiety. When I've had awful anxiety, I have sometimes had the presence of mind to remember the focus/encouraging trick and have given freedom to my body to up the anxiety effects as much as it wishes/needs to. I have had some success with this.
A trouble with anxiety is that often (as you mention about constantly being busy) we need to get things done while the anxiety is happening, and for these times, I've found it harder to give my body the time, space and focus it needs to apply the technique well.
Sometimes, 15-30 mins spent can pay off more than the time the technique takes. Things do indeed become a bit of a difficult affair when we have little time to play with, I've found at least.
Ed
currently reading 'Feel the fear but do it anyway', a book by Susan Jeffers. at the moment half way through its a classical self help book and i would recommend it . got it for 3 quid in abebooks