Sensory Integration Education

What is Interoception?

Over the last few years, there has been increasing awareness of interoception, the sense that helps you make sense of your body signals. It is our internal sensory system and includes the physical and emotional states that we consciously or unconsciously notice, recognise and respond to. This can be anything from body sensations like knowing when we need to eat, when we have to go to the bathroom or realising that we are experiencing pain or emotions. 

What is Interoceptive Awareness? 

Interoceptive awareness relates to two aspects: it helps us make sense of how we are feeling and decodes the situation we are currently in and how to address it. For example, we might recognise a sensation or rumble in our abdomen, identify this as feeling hungry and then respond by eating to meet this need. 

Interoceptive Awareness Difficulties

In the case of interoceptive awareness difficulties, we might confuse these bodily signals or simply have difficulty differentiating between bodily sensations and emotion signals, e.g. struggling to differentiate between feeling hungry or anxious. This then impacts how we respond to these signals, which, in turn, can have a significant impact on participation. For example, a young person who does not realise that they need the bathroom in time is more likely to have a toileting accident in school or other places. Misinterpreting pain or hunger signals can directly impact physical health. 

Physical Health

When we have difficulty with interoceptive awareness, the true source of our needs or discomfort cannot be pinpointed, which means we are not sure how to act to address our unmet needs, resulting in further discomfort. Therefore, it is clear that interoceptive awareness plays an important role in our overall health and well-being. 

Self Regulation 

Poor interoceptive awareness and having difficulties making sense of our internal body signals can also influence our ability to self-regulate. When we have reduced interoceptive awareness, it affects our ability to know what our body needs from moment to moment, and therefore, it becomes challenging to care for and comfort our bodies in ways that help us self-regulate and self-soothe. 

Emotions

Finally, reduced interoceptive awareness can also impact on our ability to manage our feelings and emotions and interactions with others. This is because we are not able to respond to emotions appropriately if we are unable to recognise what they are. To others, an individual with poor interoceptive processing can come across as aloof or immature. 

Understanding Interoception's Impact

So, in summary, difficulties with interoception can have a wide range of impacts on the individual and those close to them.

To learn more about interoception, sign up for our Sensory Spotlight Talk, in which Professor Shelly Lane will discuss the latest neuroscience and clinical considerations related to this important topic.