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Autism and Interoception

Dindles-p

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could shed any light on interception for me and if they can relate to my experiences.

I can often tell when I'm hungry (and it's usually sudden) but I can't tell when I'm full until I stand up from eating and then feel absolutely awfully full. I will often get the urge to pee desperately but then just forget and then my body will remind me a couple of hours later that I still need to pee, by which time l'll need to run to the bathroom before I wet myself. I usually hold my pee for hours. I'm not really sure what the feeling of thirst is for most, but for me it feels like a headache, dry lips and sore throat. I often forget to drink for hours. For example yesterday I woke up and knew that I felt dehydrated, but didn't have a drink for 2 hours.

Generally, I will feel my bodies signals but then l ignore them and they go away then when they come back they're urgent and I feel unwell. This particularly happens when I'm hyper focused.

Does anyone share my experiences?

Parents

  • I think it is fairly common in autistic people. I can recognise thirst, but I think that it is less intense than in other people. As I dislike using public lavatories, when I travel I do so 'semi-desiccated'. It means I do not have much need for the lavatory, it causes me no distress. I can also switch off feelings of hunger if I want too. I either eat normally, or eat nothing, I cannot eat less food than normal. I sometimes have diverticulitis flare ups and starvation is the best way to quiet things down - called 'resting the gut'. I have gone up to 7 days without solid food and felt little in the way of hunger (I take vitamins and have a very small bowl of clear soup - for salt and protein - each day to keep me reasonably healthy) .

  • in reply to Martin

    I can be out and about and hold on to needing to go to the toilet for hours and hours until I'm home. A lot of it for me is forgetting and then not being bothered to actually go and use the toilet. I have a routine with food so on week days im okay but struggle on weekends to know when I should eat and drink 

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  • in reply to Martin

    I can be out and about and hold on to needing to go to the toilet for hours and hours until I'm home. A lot of it for me is forgetting and then not being bothered to actually go and use the toilet. I have a routine with food so on week days im okay but struggle on weekends to know when I should eat and drink 

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