Imagine sitting at a conference table for a work meeting in the late afternoon. You notice that your stomach is full from lunch, eye lids are heavy, and posture is starting to slouch. Suddenly you sit up straight and take a sip of cold water. You might even put a peppermint in your mouth or start tapping a pen. While you may not consciously think about what is going on, your brain and the inside of your body are talking up a storm.
Did you know that there are actually 8 senses? Vestibular, proprioceptive and interoceptive senses are probably less familiar to you. While the focus of this blog is on the interoceptive sense, the vestibular sense gives information about the movement and position of your head and the proprioceptive sense provides feedback on the movement and position of our body.
Interoception is often called our hidden sense. Signals are gathered from the interior of the body. The signals then travel to the brain and are processed in an area known as the insular cortex or insula for short. Processing these signals forms the interoceptive sense, an important basis for our emotions. It allows us to answer the question “How do you feel?” The interoceptive sense allows us to identify pain, thirst, hunger, and even the need to use the restroom. It also forms the basis for emotions such as fear, joy, or anger (Craig, 2014;Mahler, 2016).
Interoceptive awareness is our body’s way of processing these signals and taking action. If you suddenly feel pain on the bottom of your bare foot while walking, you look to see what you stepped on. If you notice your heart racing and have stomach flutters before public speaking, you take deep breaths to calm down, recognizing that you are nervous (Craig, 2014;Mahler, 2016).
Decreased interoceptive awareness has been correlated with a variety of diagnoses, including: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, eating disorders, depression, substance abuse, post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, among other conditions. People with decreased interoceptive awareness may not notice the signals to identify pain, thirst, hunger or the need to use the restroom. It might be difficult for the individual to identify the internal signs to recognize fear, joy, or anger in order to take action to prevent a physical reaction (Mahler, 2016).
As an occupational therapist, I am skilled in understanding sensory processing and how the individual senses work together. Research has shown that interoceptive awareness can be improved with training (Craig, 2014). At Take Root Occupational Therapy, we believe that providing a combined program of interoceptive awareness and sensory strategies can help give your child the foundational skills grow their roots.
If you would like to know how this new program can help your child, please contact us today at (910) 233-6296 or info@takerootot.com.
1.Craig, A.D. (2014). How do you feel? An interoceptive moment with your neurobiological self. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
2.Mahler, K. (2016). Interoception: The Eighth Sensory System: Practical Solutions for Improving Self-Regulation, Self-Awareness, and Social Understanding. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.
Photo by Fausto García on Unsplash
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