Children’s Services and Adult
Learning Disability Services
Children’s Services and Adult
Interoception is our sensory system that provides information about the internal condition of our body—how our body is feeling on the inside. Interoception gives us the body sensations such as a growling stomach, dry mouth, tense muscles and racing heart.
Awareness of these body sensations helps us to experience much needed emotions such as hunger, fullness, thirst, pain, body temperature, need for the bathroom, sexual arousal, relaxation, anxiety, sadness, frustration and safety.
Research shows that the ability to clearly notice body signals is linked to the ability to identify and manage the following emotions and more:
At the most basic level, interoception allows us to answer the question, “how do I feel?”
Interoception also helps us manage the way we feel, by prompting us to take action based on the body signals we notice.
For example, awareness of a growling stomach is our clue that we are hungry and motivates us to eat.
Noticing shivering muscles or goose bumps on the skin gives us as a clue that we are cold and prompts us to put another layer of clothes on. Being aware of a tight chest, racing heart and tense muscles lets us know that we are anxious and urges us to seek comfort or make changes.
If your interoception system was not functioning as it should, think about what would happen and how this would feel. What if you were unable to feel what was happening in your body? Or what if your internal sensations were so overwhelming that you could not figure out what they meant, resulting in not being able to respond or adapt. When you eat, you never felt full, resulting in you not knowing when to stop or stopping you from getting a satisfied feeling inside that your stomach is full.
Unfortunately, this is a reality for many people with conditions such as autism, anxiety, depression, trauma, eating disorders, obesity, toilet training difficulties, sensory processing disorder and behavioural challenges.
You can view strategies for Interoception below.
This service provides post-diagnostic support and on-going management for children and young people with ADHD and their families.
Our Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service supports children and young people aged up to 18 years, who are experiencing significant emotional or mental health difficulties.
The team completes Autism and ADHD assessments for children and young people who are below the age of 18 and have a GP in Hull or the East Riding of Yorkshire.
The Front Door Team is where referrals for Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD) are sent and reviewed.
“Our Senses are the gateway to our world”
