Low interoception and anxiety question

haciaelvacio said:

​For those with hypo interoception, how do you know if and when you're anxious?

Anxiety is likely to have no obvious trigger and is likely to be present most of the time from what I understand so if you can connect the feelings you believe to be anxiety to specific events or triggers then it could be stress instead - they share many of the same characteristics.

If you feel constant worry, dread, nervousness and irritability then these are indicators of anxiety. They are all emotional so should be easier to identify than physical sensations. You may also feel that danger is imminent even when there is no actual sign of it

If you have difficulties in identifying your emotional state as well then you will have very little to work with I'm afraid.

If you are able to pause and take stock of your bodies responses then the following are indicators of anxiety but also stress so it is important to identify which it is. Stress is likely to have a trigger - something tangible like the doorbell ringing, a deadline coming up, neighbours TV being too loud etc. Anxiety tends to be always there.

Physical symptoms to look for:

abnormal breathing
digestion problems
muscle tension
sweating
dizziness
energy levels
chest tightness
shaky hands
nausea
headaches
rising heart rate

These should be compared to times when you were not feeling anxious.

If I were in your shoes I would make detailed notes on these then speak to my GP about it and try to get a specialist to speak to.

This is not a diagnosis but the sort of things you need to mention to a doctor or medical professional as these are the people you need to speak to. Don't rely on random people on the internet for advice please.

Good luck in finding support.

Hi Iain, thank you. Yes, I have what I believe is significant alexithymia, so identifying emotional states directly is difficult. At best, I can only make rough guesses in retrospect, but I feel it's enough.

My main issue is that I don't get most of the classic internal signals you mention (like a racing heart, muscle tension or chest tightness). Instead, what I get are less specific markers like brain fog, motor clumsiness, reduced sensory gating, headaches, some digestion changes, and sudden exhaustion.

My problem is that I can't easily tell whether these symptoms are the result of physical tiredness, an infection, sensory overload, burnout, or actual anxiety. I know there is always a context, but because these are broad physiological changes rather than sudden responses, pinpointing what triggered them is difficult, even in retrospect. They all look mechanically similar from the outside, which is why I'm trying to figure out how to separate them without reliable internal signals or more typical manifestations.

I hope I don't seem dramatic. I suppose I'm okay. I'm just curious, and a bit bothered by my inability to understand what's happening to me when I feel I should have at least some faint idea.

Thank you again!

Hi Iain, thank you. Yes, I have what I believe is significant alexithymia, so identifying emotional states directly is difficult. At best, I can only make rough guesses in retrospect, but I feel it's enough.

My main issue is that I don't get most of the classic internal signals you mention (like a racing heart, muscle tension or chest tightness). Instead, what I get are less specific markers like brain fog, motor clumsiness, reduced sensory gating, headaches, some digestion changes, and sudden exhaustion.

My problem is that I can't easily tell whether these symptoms are the result of physical tiredness, an infection, sensory overload, burnout, or actual anxiety. I know there is always a context, but because these are broad physiological changes rather than sudden responses, pinpointing what triggered them is difficult, even in retrospect. They all look mechanically similar from the outside, which is why I'm trying to figure out how to separate them without reliable internal signals or more typical manifestations.

I hope I don't seem dramatic. I suppose I'm okay. I'm just curious, and a bit bothered by my inability to understand what's happening to me when I feel I should have at least some faint idea.

Thank you again!