Listen to Your Body? What Interoception Looks Like for Autistic and ADHD Brains

Book with me! https://jendehaan.com/coaching"Listen to your body" shows up everywhere in wellness advice, and for about half of autistic adults it asks for something the nervous system might not be delivering in a usable format. Elevated in the ADHD community too. This is a look at interoception, alexithymia, and why body awareness instructions can leave some of us feeling kinda left out.I spent close to twenty years trying to feel what teachers, guides, and books kept describing, through meditation, yoga, mindfulness classes, and somatic workshops, and nothing transferred into a sensation I could locate or name. There's a reason for that, and it has a name.Interoception is how the nervous system detects and interprets internal signals like heartbeat, hunger, thirst, temperature, and the physical sensations we sometimes label as emotions, and it can run quite differently for a lot of neurodivergent people. In this episode I walk through the three dimensions of interoception, where alexithymia fits, what some of the research suggests about autism and emotion, and one small entry point you can try if "notice what's happening in your chest" has never worked for you.CHAPTERS:0:00 Why "listen to your body" assumes something0:33 Twenty years of trying to feel something2:27 What interoception is and its three dimensions4:59 How raw body data becomes emotion, and where alexithymia fits7:47 A somatic class where I still couldn't do the thing9:14 Why standard body awareness advice leaves some of us out10:42 Seeing myself in the research, and what I can sense12:48 An invitation to notice one signal you can detect13:21 What's next, plus practice coachingRESOURCES & LINKS:2015 study identifying three dimensions of interoception (accuracy, sensibility, awareness) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051114002294Study on fewer than one in four healthy adults reliably detecting their own heartbeat under lab conditions https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309019285_Towards_a_psychophysics_of_interoceptive_processes_The_measurement_of_heartbeat_detection2019 meta-analysis on alexithymia rates in autistic and ADHD adults https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S09249338183017792016 data on matched alexithymia samples and interoceptive accuracy https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945216300594Alexithymia associated with interoceptive differences https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5824617/Wired Divergent podcast (guided regulation practices) https://jendehaan.com/wired-divergentPractice coaching and booking link https://jendehaan.comNewsletter signup https://jendehaan.com/newslettersCoaching for neurodivergents! https://jendehaan.com/coachingAbout Audio and VideoThis show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:Neurodivergent coaching (1:1): https://jendehaan.com/coachingGroup Programs: https://jendehaan.com/offscript/ (introductory program coming soon, check site for other options in future)Newsletter signup: https://jendehaan.com/newslettersWired Divergent videos: https://youtube.com/@jendehaanResources and blog posts: https://jendehaan.comSupport the showLike this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/supportWe love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytzWe have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8nddTranscriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqkSchedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZRAboutThis podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.DISCLAIMER:Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resourcesFull Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimerThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy