Interoception: Reading Your Body's Signals

Your body sends signals constantly—hunger, thirst, temperature, pain, emotions. For many autistic people, these signals are confusing, delayed, or misinterpreted.

"I once worked a 12-hour shift before realizing I'd never eaten breakfast OR lunch. My body just... doesn't send memos." — Autistic adult

What It Is

Interoception is your sense of internal body states. If you can't sense these signals well, identifying emotions becomes harder too. This connects to alexithymia (difficulty naming emotions).

Common Challenges

Temperature: Not sensing hot/cold until extreme. Wearing inappropriate clothing for weather.

Hunger: Eating when not hungry (misreading anxiety as hunger). Forgetting to eat entirely. Not knowing when you're full.

"TIFU by thinking I was hungry for 33 years. Turns out the sensation was anxiety, not hunger." — Autistic adult

Bathroom: Not noticing the need until urgent. Getting absorbed in tasks and ignoring signals.

Pain: Either under-registering (not noticing injuries) or over-registering (intense response to minor stimuli). Sometimes both in the same person.

What Helps

For temperature: Check weather before dressing. Keep layers available.

For hunger/thirst: Eat on a schedule, not by signals alone. Set reminders. Keep water visible.

For emotional awareness: Learn what physical sensations go with which emotions. Journal to track patterns.

External systems help compensate for unclear internal signals. Schedules, reminders, tracking apps, and check-ins with trusted people provide the information your interoception struggles to deliver.

Next chapter: Language & Communication — how autistic communication works.