It's scary, as a middle age woman, to be suddenly discovering all this information that totally explains all the things in my whole life that caused me problems, made me somewhat 'unlikeable' and basically made everything in life 10 times harder than it seemed to be for everyone else around me! Now I know I have a massive problem with 'interoception'. How interesting!
Yes!! Isn't it the worst. I actually take my Xanax more for uncontrollable sweating and being hot because when I really overheat it begins a panic attack I feel like my body is on fire but i have to always wear socks to absorb the sweat
After watching this, so many things suddenly make sense. I've always found it strange when people eat small portions. For example, they say they're hungry but then they just eat half a sandwich or something. I never understood how people could get full off of such a small amount. If I'm hungry, I want a big plateful of food. Or maybe two. Eventually, I realized that I just don't feel hunger until I'm absolutely ravenous. I go from no hunger to "I want to eat all the things" in a matter of minutes. There is no in-between. The reason other people are able to get "full" from a small portion is that they actually start to feel it when they're just a little bit hungry, and then just a little food makes them full. I've never felt just a little hungry. It just doesn't register for me until it's overwhelming.
I’m a girl, and I used to be able to out-eat my husband. Now I never have appetite because I went through some medical stuff that threw me completely off. I now have to set the alarm to remind myself to eat. Lately I’ve been very bad at it. I miss the old-me. Eating is life.
Struggle the same here, though since taking Adderall (which one of the side effects is decreased appetite) with a little practice in slowly eating and eating reasonable portion sizes compared to bigger sizes, I think my body has finally been able to register what 'fullness' actually is and not the overwhelmed feeling of being stuffed like what I thought it was. But I still struggle with being sensitive to hunger, which has always caused me weight issues since I was very young. I have to be very sure I am full, not feel teeny tiny rumbles even if I am more full, otherwise I think I am still hungry.
I can relate to so much of this. I actually put in cameras on our house after a string of neighborhood car break-ins. I was standing in the driveway explaining something important to my fiancée and she said, "Why are you angry? You're angry so often!" I was not angry at all, but i felt like i was being attacked by a made up issue. I reviewed the video, and sure enough, my emphasis and energetic feelings came across as being angry. It looked on the recording like i was argumentative and holding back rage. My internal feelings were no where near that. I stopped arguing with anyone about this and just take them at their word when im told im a certain way, because my internal feelings and external expressions do not align.
That's really an interesting perspective being able to see yourself on video and process that out. I wonder if it would help with your communication with other people to imagine that you're being filmed to "see" how your facial expressions and body language look to others. Maybe you could also state what emotion you are actually feeling to people, especially your fiancé, so they don't get confused by your body language telling them something different. I can only image how greatly this can affect people's lives. I have ADHD and work in the medical field and I learned a lot watching this video... I hope you share it with other people in your life, especially your fiancé, as it creates so much more understanding about how autistic people may be communicating.
@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane oh for sure being able to identify and name my internal feelings has been a long road but it helps so much with communication now.
I also come across angry when I don't feel that way at all. My husband and I have had many misunderstandings over the years because of it. But I explained to him that sometimes how I appear isn't how I feel inside. He's gotten good at asking, "Hey, you seem (insert emotion here)." Then I can clarify, and we move on. I try to be aware of how other people have reacted to me and take my intensity down a notch for them if they don't know me well. When I get to know them better, I might say, "Hey, I'm just really excited about this topic. If I seem mad, I swear I'm not." Still, I can't count the number of acquaintances I've managed to alienate this way. It's frustrating, but it is what it is.
I, too, have a way of speaking that makes me sounds angry, and also I have an rbf. I have considered plastic surgery for it but I’d rather just give money to a charity. It’s the way I’m made. I try really hard when I have interactions with people not in my family. I try to turn the smile on. Actually when masks were mandatory I had what I consider normal interactions with people because they couldn’t see the natural downturn of my mouth. It’s hard.
I am a 66yo, recently diagnosed ASD. I am also a retired M.D. due to a complete undiagnosed ASD breakdown 20 years ago. I have been healing and managing myself my entire life with NO information! To have information now is like a blessed miracle. I feel like someone has turned on the light, given me a map, and eased my suffering. Thank you!
I resemble that remark! Seriously though - I learned about my own autism a few weeks ago, and as of last night finally came to terms with it. What a HUGE weight has finally been lifted off of my life; and only the day before, I was still going through the shock of learning what I am. But now everything finally makes sense, and it's like all the anger and frustration somehow dissolved and dissipated. I sincerely hope things stay this way for me.
I was 61 when I figured out I am auDHD. It has been life-changing as I have dropped the shame and self-loathing that I carried for 50+ years. I still mourn what might have been had I been supported appropriately, but being a woman who grew up in the 1960s and 70s, that was just not going to happen. But today, I am so glad to have this new lens through which to view my life. It all makes so much sense.
Retired physician (says only a little!) accepting label now. I am unclear what benefit my acceptance of the label would have had, some beneficial some not but understand how it can be important for others to be diagnosised.
@@bruceperry1408 For me, the main takeaway is gaining some peace of mind about the whole thing. It doesn't mean I'm thrilled about discovering that I am autistic (I'm not), but at least I understand myself in ways I never could have done before. Al8ng with that new found understanding, I feel much better equipped to move forward on a more stable footing. Two months in, and mu life is already on a more even keel. I don't know that it works that way for everyone who learns about it later in life, but for me, that alone is a significant benefit
I am autistic, have ADHD, and fibromyalgia. Those three have such deeply overlapping symptoms it’s almost like it’s three aspects of the same disorder. People with fibromyalgia are more likely to be autistic, but not the other way around. I wonder how many actually ARE autistic. More than we know, I think.
Agreed. The set of people that have autism should be larger than the set that know they're autistic. The number that know they are autistic will also be lower than the number of us there are. I'm so terrible at maths.😅
I self diagnosed fibromyalgia long before autism. I run HOT all the time and I thought it was menopause mostly but now I am searching for different answers. I stay so over wound inside and I think that it’s like a motor running hot. Still looking for answers.😬😳
Same as me I've had Cfs 26 years fybromyalgia 6 my mum had severe ms the link is eds! And spd as a child undiagnosed until 43 now my son's started at 13 diagnosed add Asperger's to have add meds helped pain
Feeling hungry feels like nausea to me. My mom is the same. I’m hot all the time, except when I’m freezing, which seems like a relief if I’m home and can curl up in a big blanket or afghan. But there’s no middle comfortable ground, and it’s too hot 90% of the time. I would probably really benefit from a weighted blanket if only it didn’t make me hotter. I often lose sleep from getting too hot. I’m extremely physically sensitive to smells, textures, things that should be tiny discomforts like insect bites, etc. A mosquito bite will drive me nuts and stick around for like a week even if not scratched, and I can’t put anything on it to reduce the itch because my skin is so sensitive hydrocortisone cream gives me a chemical burn. Strong or even moderate scents make my nose run, and my eyes itch from the slightest breeze. And then there are actual allergies and foods that my body simply rejects like they’re poison. I can’t do body mindfulness and such because if I pay attention, everything seems uncomfortable to painful. Pain in my head is often impossible to pinpoint, so I can’t tell irritated gums from a toothache, earache, oncoming acne blemish, bruise, etc. And I’m always bruised because I run into objects every day that I 100% know are there. I’m not very noise sensitive for an Autistic, but can’t stand people singing out of tune, the squeak of fingers sliding across guitar strings, or solid ringing from cymbals or a triangle. But I also can’t stand silence because I have two kinds of tinnitus. My period (menstruation) is just a big pile of awfulness, both emotionally and physically. And wearing a bra makes me feel like I’m in a vice. And don’t get me started on clothing tags.
I always cut the tags out. And wear my socks inside out because the rough side of the seam is on the inside. Have you tried lidocaine lotion for itching? Cortisone cream and antibiotic ointment both break me out, but lidocaine and a few different essential oils help some. Rosemary is one. It smells strong, but I don't mind that. You'll have to experiment to find what works for you. Maybe Boswellia (frankincense)?
Re: the issue with being too warm to sleep, I keep my bedroom REALLY chilly, and pile on blankets to be comfortable. I still have bad insomnia, but at least I don't lie awake due to feeling hot and sweaty. FYI, I tried a weighted blanket and hated it. Too restrictive, smothery. My long-suffering cat does not like the cold bedroom, but sleeps with me anyway, bless her heart. ♥ I build a little blanket 'fort' for her at the end of my pillow, so she can have some protection from the frigid climate. 😂
@@sherryseeton6749 Unfortunately, I have limited control over the temperature of my bedroom most of the time. There's no way to control the heat and there's no ac. I can't put ac in because it will let in light then I can't sleep during the day because of sunlight. (I work overnight shift) And I'm allergic to many kinds of pollen, so opening windows is usually a bad idea. Air conditioning would either have to go through the wall, which would cost several thousand dollars, or in a window where I cannot cover it (to block out the sun) and still let it run.
Same here. I need to be cold to function, hot weather feels like actual kryptonite. I've been cutting the sleeves of t-shirts to regulate my internal heat for years. My cat is my termostat: if he's cold, then it's actually cold so I should close the windows or turn on the heat for real but never put on a sweater or a jacket until my feet get numb. My smoking was a way of overriding smells and taste, so my eating got worse after I quit tobacco. But weed overrides sensory overload but letting me focus and chain-task. It also makes me eat more because of the munchies. So, no wonder it's so hard to quit. I don't even get high anymore, and that alone frustraste me even more. Hunger does feel like a weird pain and very occasionally I get those rumbles in my stomach even though I'm know I'm starving. I've never been able to have breakfast because of that nausea sensation. Feeling "full" also feels weird.
Wow, its like your body has histamine in over drive. It actually is a substance that is more complex and not as well studied, we really don't know all the mechanisms that involve histamine. But, it sounds like you have seen an allergist so I hope that is something they could address. I feel for you. I have tinnitus too, if you don't mind sharing, what are the two types you have? I didn't know there were types...just that I have it. TIA
This helps me clarify why in risky situations, instead of flying or fighting or freezing or fawning...I often am deep in thought trying to figure out what I am disturbed by instead of taking action.
Oh yes! That’s me to a tee. Always feeling cold, forgetting to drink and eat, bumping into doors and other people and having always bruises because of this, being drained for no reason at all, having unexplained panic attacks… yes yes yes!
Ps. My husband also always says to me: stop talking so angrily / stop being so agitated - and I am puzzled and say that I am not agitated snd prove that by laughing merrily. And I hate rapid questions. I start to think and analyse what is said and what is meant and I need time for this.
This is the first discussion I've encountered on the topic of messed up body temp control being related to neurodivergence. I've been plagued for many years with feeling too warm and SWEATING. 🥵 It's gross! Earlier this year I was diagnosed with ADHD + anxiety, but lately I suspect that I may have other neurodivergent things going on as well. I have to say that although it was initially a relief to have a specific diagnosis for things that have troubled and frustrated most of my life, at this point I'm feeling overwhelmed, confused and exhausted with the struggle to understand my own brain.😢 And that's in addition to a lifetime of feeling rejected by the rest of my species. Thank goodness for animals, who seem to have no problems with me and are my only reliable source of positive interaction. 😕
I was hot for a good 20 years after menopause. I had no idea why. I just wore shorts and flip flops, and I still do. Keeping my feet cool keeps the rest of me cool. I also carry my water bottle everywhere. I call myself a wateraholic. I use water to cool myself down.
I have cold sweaty hands, feet and armpits and am freezing at the same time. I was also born deaf. And delt with bullying as a child throughout my entire childhood. I loose control of my facial features and other motor skills in just about every social interaction. My anxiety has and depression have been so bad throughout my life. I’ve literally lived my life alone. I’m 37 and have no friends, haven’t for many many years. It’s been a hard life. But I’ve always known it isn’t just because of the bullying or deafness. Those things just made it incredibly difficult in addition to my probably undiagnosed autism. Thanks for this. I will subscribe;)
I'd be your friend :) You sound like a nice and intelligent person, and clearly youre resilient and have overcome alot. i totally understand the being alone part.. but better to be alone than be surrounded by assholes. If you're lonely the internet is a great place to 'find your tribe'. (Tho personally Id rather spend time with my dog over most humans lol)
I have realised i have HUGE pain tolerance. Consequences are bad. I'm not very risk averse and have been known to carry on with sometimes deeply grevious injuries. Like you i forget to eat. I call it "forgetorexic". One thing you didn't mention which is probably the worst of the lot is.. TIME BLINDNESS!! If i get involved in a task, goodbye day... and i have serious adulting to do! That said, i make these quirks work for me. And i try to show up on time!
I don't have good pain tolerance, but I definitely have time blindness. Doing something for what feels like 5 minutes, might actually have been 30 minutes. Doing something for a whole day, sometimes feels like just a hour or two to me, especially when I do something I enjoy focusing on. I manage by setting timers. Timers timers timers. Timers for specific things, timers to remind me of the time of day. If I wouldn't have my 22:00 timer to remind me that I need to go to sleep soon, I would potentially stay awake until deep into the night without really realizing. I have basically externalized my sense of time. If I don't use timers, I need to obsessively watch the clock so I don't miss a certain time, so if I had something to do at 12, i would be unable to really do anything for hours before that, because if Im not careful I miss it. (and I might still miss it, because 10 minutes before I have to go, I get distracted) So the ability to set alarms is what is allowing me to function. I can't tell you how much time I've spend not doing something, because I was afraid that if I started a task I would become so invested that I will miss the appointment I have later.
‘Forgetorexic’ - LOVE THIS! so accurate. * though as a young adult woman in the military where weight mattered- I absolutely utilized the understanding that staying busy& distracted = ‘forgetorexic’ … and def. utilized that ‘superpower’ for weight loss.
You’re not alone, I did until I was 12, and I had no idea until now that it’s. Literally was being disabled, not being lazy like I was always accused of. Kinda a relief to not be alone in it all.
I was 12 when I was finally able to control my bed wetting. I was shamed by my family to the point that I slept on a towel on the floor. It was mortifying.
I get that too. but it's always worse when something weakens me. all my symptoms are worse when I'm weakened by something else. as if my body can compensate quite a lot, but only if the energy isn't needed for anything else.
I have both, depending on... Something.. I don't know what lol, but my body just decides to either be undersensitive or oversensitive to things at different times
Does anyone else have sensations that neurotypical people simply have no good words for? To me overstimulation feels very different from anxiety, yet neurotypical people lump it all together. To me anxiety is fear-based. Its a deep gut feeling. What I deal with is not so much anxiety but kind of sensory stress and its really not the same at all. I also struggled to explain that antidepressants that are supposed to treat anxiety will cause this “stress” feeling to become much worse even though there is nothing “stressful” going on to cause it. I would describe it as closest to a restless leg sensation but not in my legs but rather the entire left (non-dominate) side of my body. It’s not anxiety as it isn’t fear based and its not really a gut sensation. Any description I give is pretty useless for neurotypicals as it seems they don’t have this sensation. Also, when its really bad it can feel as if I’m being tickled from the inside and it can be so uncomfortable I need to clench my fists and curl up. When I did some research later on in my life, I learned of a thing called akathisia. This is supposed to be a medication side effect, but I had it as a child due to stress or overstimulation, even when not taking any medications at all. I don’t know if its the same as akathisia, as there is no “desire to move”. The common subjective description of akathisia as feeling a tickle in your bones is pretty close though.
Omg yes! It's an extremely obnoxious feeling, and moreso since I cannot put it into words. Often for me it feels like restless leg syndrome but all over my body. It is highly unpleasant. It often happens spontaneously or from benadryl, unisom, or certain cold meds for me. The medication-induced episodes are fine bc I know what caused it and that it'll be over in a few hrs, but the episodes that come out of the blue will sometimes make me cry with frustration. Doesn't help that it exacerbates my chronic pain.
Nice explanation. I feel like I want to crawl out of my skin far too often... Feels like I'm imprisoned in flesh with no escape from the feeling at times. I wish I could enjoy/get into the moment at social events like music while completely sober/nothing to help. It's like I don't have the ability to live a fulfilling life.
Not a doctor, but I suspect they would call it akathisia. Redditors suggest that B complex vitamins might help. I, as a fellow ND, suggest that you might want to consider _methylated_ B vitamins, as many NDs are unable to absorb regular B vitamins efficiently. The doctor might be able to give you better informed assistance. I know what this feels like, but I haven't gotten it in a long time (although I do get a spontaneous need to move on occasion, but it goes away if I am able to satisfy the urge.) On the other hand, I take my B vitamins on a regular basis for other reasons. And I did used to get it when I was younger.
I tend to be dehydrated, always forgetting to drink and not realizing I’m thirsty. But what about breathing? I’m always breathing really shallow and stop breathing for a few seconds constantly. I don’t realize I’m doing it until I suddenly need to take a deep breath. Everything has gotten worse since I moved from sea level, where I lived the first 50yrs of my life, to the high desert. It’s so dry and the oxygen is lower. I’ve been here for 3 years and still can’t get used to it.
That is exactly how I breathe. I don’t breathe at all for a bit, and then take a dee breath. I do it whether I’m awake or asleep. It’s weird, because I thought breathing isn’t something you have to think about.
this so much!!!! Every time I sigh around my mom she asks if something is wrong and every time I have to explain that I'm bad at breathing.... my dad is the exact same way, lol I don't think she'll ever figure it out
I learned recently that I confuse being thirsty with being hungry. My stomach will dry out and begin to pinch and feel like hunger but I may have only eaten an hour before. I find if I drink the feeling of pinching goes away and I am fine. This was eye opening and such a help as I have struggled my whole life to keep my weight under control. Dry mouth doesn't work as a signal because I have had to take allergy medicines since childhood so learned just to ignore dry mouth. Carrying a water bottle also helps as I will automatically reach for and drink from it but not be aware enough to go get me a glass of water from the kitchen.
instead of feeling hungry, my body usually starts feeling nauseous or I'm suddenly hit with a huge wave of sadness and self-loathing (even if I was in a good mood and laughing just seconds before). for thirst I just start getting a headache and overheating.
Yes. I started to always have a bottle with me, and it has helped so much. I still don't keep to that recommended 2 litres, but it's better than half of one!
@@callmecharlie4250 sameeee I find really cold water helps with the nausea so I can eat, but apparently a lot of people hate the sensation of cold water on an empty stomach. Personally I find it soothing
This explains SO MUCH! I’m as yet undiagnosed (for now) but I’m certain I’m on the spectrum. I have always had trouble with temperature regulation, and people who know me joke that I always have “corpse hands” or feet, freezing to the touch. I’ve always struggled with dehydration, body cues like using the bathroom, frequent generalized anxiety, etc. Now I have a word for it!
If you ever get the chance to look at your hands and feet with a thermal camera, do it!! I knew my hand were cold but not that cold. :D My whole body is quite normal, yellow, orange, on the screen.. But my hands are dark blue and black, showing my hands highest temp to be 20°C (~68°F) and fingertips 16-17°C (~60-63°F) 😅 and that's in a normal warm house! Yet, I'm not freezing as I'm usually to hot anyways. People are shocked when they touch my hands and feels the need to warm them up, but I stop them because everything else feels too hot.
I used to have no idea of my interoceptive senses until I started taking LSD! Then I started becoming aware of so many feelings inside my body that I'd never felt before...I assumed years ago that it was just the feeling of tripping but after a few years I realised that I was just becoming aware of the feelings inside of my body! It's almost like the psychedelics rewired certain parts of my brain or something.
Interesting, because there is growing research that psychedelics (mushrooms, etc.) are helping people with PTSD, which affects the same area of the brain, and treatment centers are just starting to pop up.
I am affected when the barometric pressure changes, when it's too hot (for me anything over 78 F is too much, the threshold is lower when it's higher humidity), always feel too cold in the winter, bug bites swell and itch and can be the most irritating thing ever (takes 3 times longer to go away than anyone else), I cannot handle pain well at all, hot pans or food are too hot to handle, I can taste impurities in food, I can smell EVERYTHING, hear everything, have some sort of nickel allergy, tight clothes are the worst, and I'm not always aware of thirst or hunger. I'm a complete joy to be around! So I'm in my 40s, never diagnosed with ASD, but am slowly making the connections. It's so common for people to be misdiagnosed. My therapist has acknowledged anxiety and Complex PTSD but I know it's not the entire thing. An online assessment of ADHD prompted my doctor to prescribe ADHD meds, and that's a trip and a half as far as potentially having ADHD and ASD, since the meds tend to take away some of the emotional dysregulation, stop the overthinking, I've been able to clean and organize, get through my day without overwhelm, BUT, now I'm noticing an increase in autistic traits (most noticeably swaying and rocking), which really makes me wonder.
Same. I don't check the temperature enough to get exact readings, but now I wanna because it'd be helpful to have an external scale to help me. What I know is that at least 80+ degrees absolutely exhausts me. But also, once I had meds to help manage my adhd and cptsd, the autism straits starred being much more visible to me. It was over shadowed by the adhd and cptsd
I have been a fan of yours for about a year now. Normally I don't comment on many of videos, even ones I like or dislike. But this one chilled me to the core. I am diagnosed ASD (and ADHD) and I have all of the things you talked about. Including my brain NOT correctly doing shivering! I actually do into seizures. This did NOT happen as a child, but as a child, pain and thirst were near NON-EXISTENT to me, unless a parent gave me fluids or forced me to "rest and go easy" (I was chasing snakes and lizards EVERYWHERE!)... And yes, even as a child I was told I have the "If looks could KILL" face or the "Thousand Yard Stare" (That is because I was NOT looking at them, but INTERNALLY in my memory palace or somewhere ELSE in the universe.)...Anyway, this talk is to VERY TRUE. our internal controller is so "messed up" or out of whack. I would LOVE to chat with you more on a professional level some time, if you are ever studying OLDER people with autism. (I am 60). Thanks for the great videos and content, Doctor! When I die, I am donating my body and brain to science in the hope we can UNDERSTAND neurodiversity more. Much love and kindness to all my neurodiverse friends.
"Memory palace" 😊 I call it the "Inner Citadelle" like I live in my own bubble, like I function well, but a parallel level of existence is always running inside, there I cannot be touched and can go recover. Beautiful
Wow, that is fascinating. I ever had trouble with hydrating or eating, but I was a kid who was always chasing insects and trying to learn about their plants (there was that year I decided I was going to try to grow a giant spider the size of a basketball; every day I three different insects several times a day into an orb weaver’s web. I learned how many “packages” she could make (about 7-12 wrapped insects depending on the size). She never did reach basketball size much to my disappointment, but for several years the spiders lived in that same spot as her descendants. My trouble was, after listening to music or even television, my head would be so involved with what I had heard that I had trouble understanding when people talked to me. I still have this problem around strangers - there is so much input when I first meet a new person that I can’t concentrate on what they are saying. Sometimes their words sound like garbage, and now I know that is called Audio Processing Disorder. I haven’t ever been diagnosed. I don’t socialize much, but I always had books as friends.
It's fascinating to know there is a link to bedwetting. Both of my Autistic sons wet the bed until they were in their teens and no-one ever mentioned that to us
This hits home. I wish my son had been diagnosed with autism. He wet the bed until 15 or 16 and still sometimes does apparently. He was a brilliant kid but always difficult and ‘peculiar.’ Teacher’s pet, but in the community and at home he was completely out of control. He said he felt like he never fit in or had friends and didn’t know how to act around his peers. He ended up in constant trouble with the law and security guards everywhere he went. In and out of jail and mental hospital, yet the only thing he was diagnosed with was schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder. I believe it was all undiagnosed autism. He was really smart and talented, artistic, handsome, and in his preteen to mid teen years, was in Tv series and movies. Then at 16 he crashed mentally and emotionally. Sad that all his talents could’ve been supported, but were never to come to fruition.
@@clairecarscallen I absolutely relate and I so sorry that your son (and you) went through so many traumatic experiences and didn't get the support he needed. As a parent watching your children struggling is so awful. I have 4 ND children who also have physical disabilities too and it hurts my heart that as adults they are not happy, are exhausted all the time and in chronic pain. They are beautiful, kind, funny and highly creative and intelligent people but I can see that society doesn't see them for what they are. It does seem to be that transition period around 16- 18 that seems to be the issue. Becoming an adult seems to be such a difficult transition and there is not support for it at all. I've found, as a 53 yo female, another period of debilitating transition seems to be menopause and, again, there is no support for it. The medical systems need to be starting to address this stuff. I really hope that our children and the upcoming generations will see some changes that make the ND life better, we need to fight for it though I think. Sending love to you and to your son
This would explain a lot 😅 Always freezing or swetting, never been able to sense thirst, sometimes things that aren't supposed to hurt hurt, things that should hurt don't hurt, digestive issues, emotional regulation problems, problems with sleep, alertness levels etc. I'm diagnosed with adhd but am quite certain I'm on the spectrum as well, probably primarily actually.
The comment about being told you look angry when you don’t emotionally feel that way is overwhelming true. It’s been a lifelong frustration, impacting my work, friendships and closest relationships. This is validating, but makes me so sad.
I noticed that issue when we were discussing DBT skills in group therapy. The therapist was talking about early warning signs of stress and how tension build up over time. While the other patients could tell their symptoms very precisely, I was like: "you guys know how it feels like?" Because I had no idea how it feels like when I'm getting upset, unstable or even su1c1dal. For me, it happens instantly from 0% to 100%. This makes me building up useful skills very hard. Also, sometimes when it happens, I would also dissociate and have a memory switch, so there would be memory gaps, including my interoception. I would forget how it came so and everything else involving the trigger. I would find myself in a situation where I have no clue how I got there. Mostly, it takes many days after I finally figured out how it came to that situation and what was the cause of it. Sometimes, I would never figure it out.
Every time I see a video like this I end up with an overwhelming sense of vindication. I just got my Autism diagnosis a couple months ago and suddenly it's like a piece of the puzzle is finally there to make it all make sense.
THANK YOU so much for this video! I had no idea whatsoever about what interoception even is, let alone how it was affecting my life. This explains so much. I always struggle with adjusting my speaking volume - I'm always too loud for most people, but to myself I sound perfectly normal or even quiet (despite being hypersensitive to external noise - go figure). I always feel way colder than most people, and my fight or flight response is completely out of whack. And when I'm hyperfocused on something, I just don't feel hunger, thirst, fatigue, or any other biological need (I'm not ignoring them - they just don't feel *there* at all). Thank you for the tips and ressources, I'll look into it!
I have ASD and ADHD. Ever since I was young, my constant body temp has been 100.1°f and had a heart rate around 100-120bpm. Pain tolerance is odd. I either can deal with inhuman levels or something I didn't even notice happened puts me in the fetal position. I'm also a type 1 diabetic and chalked up the late bed wetting to the transition into being diabetic. This is very enlightening
Whaaat!?!? As I am realized late in life to be autistic, I was happy to learn just recently that I'm not wird remembering things from even long before I was able to talk. But TODAY I found out, that having a regular body temperature of 35.8°C/96.44°F could also be related to autism 😮 Can't stand heat outsides above 24°C/75.2°F and always felt to have a fever already when temperature was "normal". It went further up feeling worse & worse. When it was officially accepted as fever, I already started hallucinating colours & shapes & all my skin felt weird like out of foam. Tried to proof my mom several years that my regular temperature was low, but she didn't believe me. Thought I'd only plan want to stay home more. Mind boggling to have stuff like this unpacked! Thanks a lot, doc! 😊
This is an excellent video! A lot of this comes from stress responses, a dysregulated nervous system. Many of us have grown up in environments that chronically put us into fight, flight, freeze, shut down/collapse which are "survival stress" responses. If we happen to be very, very sensitive types, it doesn't take much for this to happen and it can become chronic which leads to all kinds of syndromes and chronic illnesses. I'm working with nervous system regulation right now, it's a very slow process and an ongoing challenge but I'm noticing real change, FINALLY! There is no pills or external fix for these issues. When our nervous system settles down, many of these issues settle as well.
I WISH THIS VIDEO WAS MORE POPULAR. im a high functioning autistic girl with ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, and Binge eating disorder. im masking all the time. judged when i mirror others, shamed when i "let myself be autstic" .always expected to be the better person yet unallowed to be a human. media shoved in my face about how our bodies, emotions, are wrong in some way. "you're not hungry, dont eat that. you're not tired just lazy. you're not hurt, brush it off. you're not sad, you're just dramatic" I COULD GO ON. im constantly experiencing Ego-death, shame, guilt, embarrassment, and confusion from all the standards and unspoken rules from neurotypical people and society in general. always either sweating my ass off or so cold it hurts, im either so hungry im shaking or so full i cant move. something is always wrong. im not allowed to just EXIST and be myself, everything has to be logical and over complicated. IM EXAUSTED. i finally snap and have a meltdown/shutdown and the world sees me as just an entitled teenager. im rewarded for masking so i have no reason to stop. neurotypical people o will never understand what its like and likely wont care unless they need to. BOOSTING THIS VID BY COMMENTING.
As someone w neurodivergency (adhd and a pending autism diagnosis) this made me realize so much on why my brain functions the way it does, I have very very intense emotions and outward cues to things but my internal cues of “drink” “eat” “bathroom” suck so bad. I literally will chill in a constant temp room and randomly start sweating or shivering. I have anxiety and depression aswell l
I am an Autist with Meniere's disease (very severe) and had to go to fall training and a neuro shrink (make sure I wasn't faking it as an Indigenous woman) and got so lucky to get the BEST people that legit wanted to help, even if my prescribing Dr was being a myso jerk. The combination of fall training and the Neuro Psych explaining the different elements to me and giving me bio feedback tools helped me soo much. I still don't eat all day and feel cold as pain often, but I don't fall as often or hurt myself when I do, I no longer hit my head often.... Your explanation helped me understand how that worked for me SOOO MUCH, thank you sooo much.... thank you for being a ND DR, we need more of you. thank you so much, like, I can't even tell you how much this meant to me to hear
I really struggle with inflexibility. From my perspective, the right thing is always the right thing, and there always IS a right thing, even if you haven't thought of it yet. So when injustices occur, major or minor, I find it really hard to process because people are knowingly, and obviously, doing the wrong thing!
The perceived body temperature issue - reminds me of a maintenance man of my aquaintance. He was always wearing shorts, even when operating a snow blower! Got lots of teasing for his "eccentricity".
Great video! I was wondering, if you know anything about it, if you would consider making a video on Dysautonomia specifically POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) as it is a disfunction of the autonomic nervous system. I’ve seen that it can be connected to autism and I’d like to hear your thoughts.
This hairstyle suits you so much more! ❤ I don't know if Ive seen your videos before but you are now my favorite content creator about this subject. I'm a registered nurse,working in psychiatry. I have adhd diagnosed and I strongly believe that I have autism. I have just been very good-ish at masking. My daughter has both. I did not start thinking I might be neurodivergent before her diagnosis, around 3 years ago. I'm 44 yrs old. All I knew was that I was always tired all the time and very warm compared to others This is my 3rd time with burnout and I've had more time to identify how my body functions. It's been a puzzle to me how people tell me, you just have to pay attention to your needs. I don't know my own needs half of the time. 😭😭😭 This was very informative and eye-opening. Thank you! 😊
I appreciate this video from the bottom of my heart. Judging by this video I have extreme hyposensitivity to interception. I have everything you listed and i had no idea these were connected. It makes things incredibly difficult as someone who has been a victim of gaslighting by family, doctors and friends or romantic partners regarding my symptoms and their "likely psychological origins" despite having a very high cognitive understanding of my emotions but just not feeling them. People are always telling me to trust my gut and get out of my head but this makes me feel even more frustrated because what the heck does that feel like? I didn't realize it's literally something I may have a sensoy problem with experiencing. I don't know whether my gut is queazy, hungry, or has indigestion let alone trying to let it speak for my mind and guide my decisions intuitively. I always wished I had "instincts for what to do" or that I could just "follow my heart" instead of thinking everything through and choosing what I percieve to be logical because I don't know what I want, I only know what I think and what people or research have taught me is the most logical or ethical thing to do in particular situations. All of the others came as no surprise to me but this one felt like finding "my soulmate" of wtf is wrong with me and why other people's advice for trusting myself is terrible almost without exception. It's clearly something people take for granted and can't even comprehend. This is the first time I've ever heard someone mention this emotional component and it feels like a huge relief of something I've been doing. I've been going absolutely out of my mind with the whole [ask questions, hate questions, need answers] cycle you explained - just trying to understand what mental illness i could have that explains this. I've been going along with it being a trauma response when in my own mind that makes no sense given the context and how i know i feel logically
I wasn't diagnosed with Autism and ADHD until I was 53 (5 years ago) and as such I have a bunch of trauma and stuff I am dealing with through my support team who are great. I can see many aspects of problems with interoception particularly as I have gotten older and as I am now trying to live my life as unmasked as possible. However I have 2 daughters, both on the spectrum and both unfortunately also have type 1 diabetes (I don't). Trying to help them get their sugars under control has been a long battle and has taken 10 years in my younger daughters' case to finally get it together in such a way that she can manage it herself. She has massive problems with identifying and noticing her body's messages, to the point that I will see she is looking pale and ask her how she is feeling and she will jolt and go OOOOH.... I think my sugars are low.... check and yep she is dropping like a stone. When she goes to the doctor with pain she cannot give them a score out of 1 to 10 as she has nothing to compare it with or cannot remember what a previous pain felt like. When asked about abdominal pain she will just sit there, so I will prompt with... is it a stabby pain, bubbly?, does it move? feel tight and she can then explain how she feels. Our primary doctor has this on file and she knows how to prompt her (same with head aches... do your eyes hurt, tight bands, pull, push, ) but with her now being 20 I am having to step back more so she can learn how to do this all herself. Both of my parents were also on the spectrum and undiagnosed and encouraged us to walk to our own drum. We are all high functioning (on the old scale) but anxiety and depression runs rampant through the family.
You're totally right about the 1/10 pain thing. A lot of doctors have basically no understanding of what decades- long problems, esp. chronic pain, are like. Apparently the 1-10 question is code for "are you able to ignore this pain? is it so bad that you can't think of anything else?", etc. There's a "correct" way to answer that question... and I feel if that's what they wanna hear, then then they should ask these more specific questions. Good on your primary for recognizing this.
What I find helps the most when I'm in a state of emotional distress is instead of people rapid-firing their questions or trying to fix my problem simply just taking me out of the house to distract myself with something else for a little bit helps the most. If I'm already in a state of emotional distress people asking questions related to that distress typically just contributes to it
Could interoception issues explain why I HATE being cold so much? Like I'm hypersensitive to cold? I don't love being hot, but I don't hate being hot nearly as much as I hate being cold. My whole life, everybody thought I was crazy. Most people, when asked, say they would rather be cold than hot "because you can keep adding layers." But I would rather be hot. If I'm even a little chilly, I get extremely upset. I grew up in Denver and then spent a few years in Central Illinois and got moderately to severely depressed pretty much every winter. A couple of years ago, I finally moved someplace warm (temperatures rarely dip below the mid-40s in the winter, and even that is plenty cold enough to make me angry) and, surprise surprise, my seasonal depression (well, in conjunction with my bipolar disorder, I guess) has been much less of a problem the last couple of winters. Anyway, this is one of the many reasons I recently decided I'm almost definitely autistic and likely have inattentive ADHD, as well. I've been wondering off and on for years and scored highly on the RAADS-R and every other online autism test, but when I discovered neurodivergent TikTok, that's when my whole life suddenly made WAY more sense. I can't afford to get an official diagnosis, but simply immersing myself in ND TikTok is already helping me SO MUCH. I'm starting to learn to let go of the voices in my head saying that I'm lazy, awkward, weird, and I'll never be good enough and starting to embrace the fact that my brain simply works differently than most other people. I could go on, but I'm clearly already oversharing, another of my ND traits, I suppose, lol. Oversharing is basically a hobby of mine, between the blogs I wrote off and on over the years to my RUclips channel and social media. My family has always been bothered by how much I'm willing to share online, but it's actually something I enjoy. Anyway. Love your info!
I've always said that I'd rather be too warm than too cold because being cold is painful and being hot is just uncomfortable. I thought this was the same feeling for everyone but, apparently, it isn't.
I’m noticing overlaps between autism and multiple sclerosis. Been explaining everything with MS for 20 years; diagnosed autistic a few weeks ago. Two sneaky, hidden tricksters.
For sure just list my mum to severe ms I have fybromyalgia CFS the link is eds.and Asperger's they don't tell us they don't want us to no u believe anyone with Parkinson's or ms either have ADHD add Asperger's or both
Have u tried ACA the cptsd meetings, childhood trauma invalidation or betrayal truama.its free large numbers have neurodivergence and fibromyalgia due to growing up in traumatising environments or homes
I wasn’t diagnosed until three years ago, I am now 70. I also have ADHD which was diagnosed in my early 20s, because girls were NOT hyperactive. Until the name was changed, few would allow themselves to diagnose girls this way. As a surgical technician for almost forty years that became a pharmacist, I find what you’re saying very helpful. Both of my daughters are ADHD people as are all three grandchildren.
You DEFINITLY know what you are talking about!!!!!! I have a 3rd generation maybe forth and married into a neurodivergent family. I can't find any counselors that laterally know the first thing about autism. Literally like the VERY basic criteria (my weed out question.) You touched on how to address a PDA autistic.
OMG… This was such a great video! So funny with all the movie references (which is how I have often related to people/situations my whole life). And very useful information and explained well. My 9yo son was just diagnosed with ASD. I’m 99.9% sure that I also have ASD. I also wet the bed until I was around 12 years old. This whole experience has been so trippy bc I’m not only learning how to parent and understand my son but also my inner child. It’s been mind blowing but also cathartic in many ways. I’m watching all of your videos they have been so helpful. Make more! & Thanks!
I remember in my youth that when it was 95 degrees out, I would never take off my zipped up jacket. It didnt matter how hot it got, I only felt comfortable in it. It didn't even phase me, though I eventually grew out of it. Despite this, I am extremely sensitive to pain to the extent that lightly poking me will illicit a response that I know I shouldnt have. Most days I only use the restroom when I wake up and before bed. And worst of all, when I feel cold for some reason my skin feels like its on fire and that im boiling alive- it has given me multiple panic attacks in the past. Since I have no control over the thermostat where I live, I had to duct tape the airvent to my bedroom just to alleviate that issue. And yet, I am not at all sensitive to hunger. I decided to do a one meal a day plan to lose weight one year ago, my family thought it was impossible to make that transition and yet cold turkey, I just did that without issue. If my mind is focused on anything else, my stomach is irrelevant. Sleep, near impossible unless I go out of my way to work to exhaustion. Its...a life and not one Id wish on others
EmperorZaph1512, please set a clock to go to the bathroom more. I’ve worked with old people who have bladder and incontinence problems, and when you talk to them, a lot of them did what you’re doing. You can look it up - the bladder loses elasticity eventually and will not hold the liquid as well any more. So figure out a plan so you don’t have to deal with the consequences of it later.
This was such an excellent explanation of interception! I love your videos. I’m pretty sure one of kids is autistic and this child will have meltdowns over a bug bite or any kind of itch. Getting a cold with a cough used to upset this child so much. Now that our child is getting older, the accumulation of life experiences is helping to relieve the anxiety they once felt about these bodily sensations. But I never knew WHY, like the scientific reason why, this child would get so distressed over an itch. Thank you so much for this, it’s so helpful.
OMG, thank you for this information! Since I developed severe/disabling fibromyalgia about 25 years ago, I have most of the symptoms you mentioned. I believe it was due to spinal/neck injuries. I started saying that it was like I was autistic, (which I knew I wasn't.) I worked with autistic children in a classroom, and studied autism, so I had a reference point.
Wow, I am 50 years old now and never heard about this before! I worked in healthcare professions (anesthesia-assistent, male nurse, guiding mentally impaired people and have a very broad interest in psychology and human behavior!) I have Aspergers syndrome and my kids too. My daughter is not able to connect here emotional and cognitive processes and thus feels things which are cognitive not in line or have thoughts which do not trigger emotional responses which would normally occur in people. Also she is never thirsty and have to be told to drink during the day, otherwise she don't! Like I sometimes have to tell myself sometimes to eat because I haven't eat all day and it is already 6 pm or something! No psychologist or psychiatrists had ever mentioned this or even recognized these traits! I also have seen multiple of those "professionals" but not anymore, because they are truly ignorant, unaware and I have immense more knowledge about the topics then they have! Of course, they are mostly narcissistic and believe they are highly superior to other people, especially their patients! They literally mock me and laugh when I mention my experiences and tell them facts they apparently do not know! The last two I walked out on within a half an hour and made them furious doubting their knowledge! I live in The Netherlands and the mental healthcare is extremely flawed in my opinion! So I will follow your channel from now on, because this is the second video I have seen from you and your view correlate very much with my experiences and own studies! Thank you and until the next time! 🙏
@@Truerealism747 Ah. OK. I am sorry for you! In what way does it manifest itself in your case? I do have symptoms but those can easily been caused by my other problems. Just one sticks out. Muscle aches and cramps in upper region of the back, the neck and shoulders since puberty or so. But I tend to somehow unknowingly put tension on those muscles all the time, also in rest. I then have to consciously relax them. But so far not anything I can bring back to that specifically.
@@MultiTipsie my constant symptoms upper body shoulders armpits heal pain from rest.i dislocate my knee 2 years ago.thats from that though slow healing upper body though it has moved.iver years the muscle skeleton.paun started in my throat 6 years ago then chest now here
I am a 67 year old wife, mother, grandmother. I am just beginning my journey of acknowledging/accepting my own neurodiversty. Sooooo many things about me I finally understand. I appreciated this video very much, once again, explaining things about me that I either didn't know about or were puzzled by. Thank you so, so much!
I'm self diagnosed as of now...53 You are the only person I've heard professionally say something about not feeling hungry...or thirsty...I'm learning so much
I am hyperaware of humidity...which seems odd to me. I live on the SE coast of the US and summer here is hot AND humid. Summer makes me ANGRY here. I grew up in the mountains of NY and I loved the summer there - had many positive experiences that time of year there. Down here I spend most summer days feeling like I am drowning, and I can't control my anger. I would love to find a way to mitigate that.
Acupuncture helps me the most with that issue. I can go to an appointment feeling absolutely horrible, then walk out an hour later and it's like "oh, what a nice day!" If you google acupressure for heat intolerance, experiment with pressing the suggested points. If any of them are sore, that's an indication that they'll be helpful to release - you don't need to press hard or be in pain to get benefit, just touch enough to feel the touch and breath into it for a minute or so, then test it again to see if it's still sore. Gently squeezing the flesh between your eyebrows with thumb and forefinger can also be very helpful (it's called the third eye point). I hope this helps!
This explains a lot about me...have been at odds with my family for many years now but especially with my mother who always seems to be freezing when much of the time I feel I'm sweltering. Had lived up in New England most of my life, now we've been living in New Mexico a few years, was told I'd acclimate...I still really haven't felt that happen much at all, never mind how much more depressing it is to almost constantly have bright, sunny days and very little rain or snow. Sadly didn't have much a choice but to go with. I'd spent $200+ on a large industrial fan, just for my room, and people had to deal with having to text to communicate. Wasn't until we finally got better AC that I've felt more comfortable, but I'm still going out in the dead of winter here without any layered clothing.
I've realized in the last few years that the volume of my voice drops significantly as anxiety levels increase. There's apparently nothing unusual about me speaking inaudibly during stressful situations.
That’s really neat. The opposite of how others do! But I think actually it’s really useful because it gives the semblance of calm rather than adding to the mayhem around you.
My body has always run overly hot and my heartrate is high. I also easily panic or freak out. Many more, actually. This has been enlightening beyond words, thank you so much.
I've watched a few of your videos now and you're explaining things I haven't had words to describe to others. thank you for making them What I'm getting out of your videos is that ASD and ADHD might be more about sensory processing. I have heard someone describe ADHD not as lack of attention, but the inability to effectively turn it off so when something new comes in to challenge your brain for your attention (like say a co worker tapping on your shoulder) an NT brain will be able to filter this, but an ADHD people can't do that so the new stimuli distracts them. Which fits with a sensory issue. We consider Autism as a spectrum ... but perhaps in the more mild end ... austism isn't a development issue but a sensory one ... now I wish I was a researcher to investigate this lol
I have this so extremely I have almost died twice! The most dangerous, and frustrating thing is that I don't run a fever - EVER! I can't get medical doctors to take me seriously, and when I tell them I don't run a fever they ignore me like I'm crazy. I was septic from a perforated diverticulitis (which I didn't know I had) and had no fever. I just dropped to the floor one night. The EMTs didn't believe that I was sick because I had no fever and I had to argue with them to take me to the ER. They made me walk myself to the gurney outside. When the ambulance started they finally took my blood pressure. It was 70/40! I had emergency surgery that night and it cost me 6 inches of my large intestine. I didn't know I was autistic at the time. Now I have a name for it! Thank you sooooo sooooo much for this video!
It's scary to think that the unwillingness of others to consider the existence of problems can be such a simple source of threat to one's life. A death due to others in this way sadly seems appropriate and expected for someone who doesn't fit in. I'm glad you were able to fight hard enough to force them to give you that medical care you needed, and I hope you learned the medical jargon to do this easier next time you need help.
Ok I didn’t know this was a thing…..! I had a very low fever after back surgery, combined with a pooling of blood. The hospital ignored it repeatedly even tho It persisted for two weeks, because it wasn’t “enough “ of a fever…. Even tho I had chills and shakes odd and on. It had to be over 102° for them to admit me. The pain got so bad I couldn’t walk past the bedroom door. There are other times I have colored snot, sinus headache etc.. but there’s no fever so I figure well it’s nothing big. But I do have trouble w my internal temperature. Not knowing that was a condition I never questioned it that much
For me as a dissociator, it's double hard for me identifying my own feelings, as mostly, I won't be able to remember my negative feelings. However, the feeling I feel the most is dysphoria and it's really unsettling for me, when I'm experiencing dysphoria. It feels like everything in my body clenching together and I lose track of time and space and also, my brain is in an alert mode. Sometimes to me, dysphoria comes along with dissociation (which happens very quietly in my case) and my memories would change and rearrange. For years, I didn't have a word for that unsettling sensation I am experiencing. I thought that there was something wrong with me, because I never heard any NTs talk about that, thus due to masking, I tried to supress my dysphorias which made things even worse. Sometimes, my dysphoria symptoms matches up with my shutdown symptoms and it's hard for me to identify that sensation as a dysphoric reaction, a shutdown or a dissociation.
I stopped the video to thank you for sharing so personally. it's nice to see a doctor break down their power differential and be real and raw with us. I went through school in the early 80's and the damage has been extreme. Dx is CPTSD, but I'm wondering about these other things. Introspection has always been off for me and I come from medical abuse from a caregiver, so knowing what was originally with me and what came from toxic stress is important, wherever a differential can be clear. Thanks again, this is how I receive information best, from a real place. I def struggle to be in a doctor's small office with them, struggling to convey my experience in a way they can take it in without cues I read or misread activating a trauma response in me. I really appreciate this. I wish you were my doc.
Preparation H, is like away of getting your (w)hole self ready. I love puns so much! Your videos have been unbelievably helpful, thank-you for making them. Edit: I get ridiculously hot, & can be very sensitive to pain; also when ever I have in-digestion, it tricks my brain into thinking I'm anxious, which is very strange.
As a soon to be occupational therapy practitioner in the public school system, communicating through 'additive empathy' is going to be so helpful for my neurodivergent little ones. I've researched different approaches for communicating with kids with persistent drive for autonomy/pathological demand avoidance (PDA). This is a bit different, but thank you for giving me another tool in the tool box to better support my future students.
Oh man, this is spot on. My 5-yr old daughter has to press against her bladder to figure out whether she has to pee. She also will say she’s sweating even when we have the fan/AC on in her room and it feels cool.
I struggle with feeling anxiety in particular. I'm fairly certain this is partly due to my cPTSD and religious trauma. It has to get pretty extreme for me to even realize I'm feeling anxious most of the time. And I officially have an anxiety disorder, which I thought might be depression until I talked to a therapist about it. I know I don't emote anxiety, sadness, or frustration very well. I've had ppl tell me I look so happy on days where I was feeling frustrated and upset and wasn't trying to smile or look happy. I had assumed I looked angry actually. It's a little frustrating because there's definitely times where I just want someone to _notice_ that I'm upset without having to tell them.
I like these videos cause they help me put words to what im feeling. Its like my doctors dont believe im autistic unless i can name EVERY symptom i feel when i didnt even know alot of the stuff associated with autism was happening to me. Its just been apart of my life
Oh man. I'm terrible at sensing my body's physical needs. And I often have no idea what my emotions are. It can be very confusing. But at the same time, physical touch can be painful. And so can light and sound. I have to schedule in my body's physical needs in order to do them at a reasonable rate.
I literally just learned the words exteroception, interoception, and proprioception a few days ago. (I think) my exteroception was pretty good, and my interoception, at least now. I know my proprioception is really bad. But you mentioned off a list, not knowing when you're thirsty, not knowing when you have to use the bathroom, not knowing where a bruise came from... All these apply to me, especially as a child and my siblings and my mom have the same issues. This is very enlightening! I just came across your channel, I hope you made the video about Proprioception, because I really want to watch that next!
Is it possible to have lowered interoception sensitivity in some areas but heightened sensitivity in other areas? It seems to cover a huge range of body functions.
probably! cause in other senses they can fluctuate like with being sensitive to touch and more sensory seeking in other areas maybe with proprioception, so maybe using weighted objects. and since interoception is one of the senses it'd make sense that it'd fluctuate between hunger, having to use the restroom, etc. :) i really hope this made sense because it's really late at night lol
Great video. This is a big issue with my hypermobile, EDS patients. It's a challenge to know how to help them remember to eat, drink, take breaks. I'll try some of this out!
A very noticeable trait of my ND self is that I very much have been always scorching hot, and never had the ability to cool down because my body doesn’t produce nearly enough sweat to be able to regulate my temp. Nowadays, I’m at the stage of life (27) where I can get cold abnormally fast and hot abnormally fast (still with no sweating). I’m also almost never hungry until I’m queasy in hunger, having gone a few days without eating. The bedwetting situation, I DETEST HOW ACCURATELY EMBARRASSING THAT I’VE EXPERIENCED THAT. I have lots of quite noticeable traits of interoception, where I get called incredibly strange for having.
Can I add something from experience? I'm a bit allergic to bites and pollen, nothing major. I'm used to be bumping into things. I had many other stereotypical problems. Then I decided enough was enough and started walking into nature alone. Never felt so invigorating and aware of everything. So much so, I started noticing things much much better. Many things got better, but being aware of both nature and people made me love nature even more. I think being close to nature can really help autistics, because given time to adapt, it heals us, and love and greatfulness fills our hearts. I begun to understand that many people are so neurotic because they are so far from nature, both the environment and their own. That's why neurotipicals play their game, they put shame on knowing their own nature, accepting truth and improving themselves. I'm not just an animal full of emotions, or a cold rational machine, I'm a freaking beast and a human with both emotions and reason. I can fight to the death for the right cause and I claim my rightful place, to be in peace with myself, no shame, no fear, no hate. Just being aware put you in control of yourself, and if you train enough, there is not much that can take you off balance. Now, I know different people have different natures, so your problems and strenghts are different from mine, but I can guarantee you! Be aware of your true nature, stop fighting with yourself, make peace with your desires, have empaty but take nothing to the face value, point to the abuse at the first sign showing awareness, be independent and do not stay close to abusers, be firm but not aggressive, be calm but not careless or cold. You will strenght you resolve over time, you just have train the muscles of your Will and you will find a Way. You will become a a better version of yourself, by overcoming your inner conflicts. Believe me, the so called loosers can become the greatest winners, they just have to know their strenght, and to stop playing the game by other people's rules, they are designed so to keep you down, no wonder you lose!
I have found this to be true also. Something I relate to since being more in tune with nature is how ALL living things (birds, reptiles, mammals, insects, plants, etc.) have extensions of the senses and special adaptations about them that are not only different but helpful... helpful to their survival BECAUSE they are different. We humans have them too... and we also will have them stronger in some areas and weaker in others compared to other humans, and that is where our differences are our strengths. Our strengths can help us survive through life as well, just like they do with all living things. And growing a better understanding, at least, of our weaknesses is also helpful in improving ourselves, understanding others (and also their weaknesses) and our interaction with others. I do a lot of bird watching, and sometimes there are birds at the feeders that are bigger or have stronger bills that will keep the smaller, weaker billed birds from eating. The smaller birds that realize they can't win a fight with the bigger birds adapt, and learn there are other places to eat other than that spot on that feeder, and they are the ones that survive. The ones that keep trying at the feeder, only to get knocked off by the bigger bird will only get more frustrated and more hungry. Sometimes a strength can be in learning to hide and camouflage ourselves. I'm thinking of the undersea world and how certain animals will hide and camouflage themselves to protect themselves against predators, or to grab unsuspecting prey for food. There is for sure value in that as well... in knowing our needs and how to use our strengths (or what others may perseve as weaknesses?) in getting those needs met. Hopefully I'm making some sort of sense! Nature can truly teach us so much if we get out and experience her to the best of our individual abilities. We all just need to figure out what works best within our tolerances, to make it through this beautiful life we are given to experience. I've always found it interesting how Nature rewards aggressiveness... with food, with survival... but she also rewards the ability to adapt, to be clever... with food, with survival. 😊
@@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane You got the spirit of it! I'm learn both from taoist and stoic philosophy, learn from nature, know youself and do your best to adapt. Be like water. Change your tactics as many times as needed. And if even after your best continuous efforts you fail, do not worry, there is things you can't control or change, and there is wisdom in recognizing that. Even if you fail, you grow wiser.
@@AdlerMow Funny you should say "be like water." I've always been a "water baby" as they say. I grew up around it, I love it and am very drawn to it! It's true what you said. I had a teacher tell me once when I was a kid "the hard times you face make you stronger" and that always stuck with me. I've been through so many hard times in my life... and she was right, it does. I am much stronger than most people think I am. I can take a lot, and I treat people very well until they show me differently and I quite like to see the look on their faces when they finally realize there's more to me than they had assumed! I have to share an amazing thing I saw this past July that I keep thinking about today. I went outside just after dark with my dog... it's so peaceful then; no lawnmowers running, no people talking or sunlight to distract the senses... and our path was SPARKLING with lightening bugs! They were everywhere, and it was positively magical! My dog even stopped in her tracks, looked up across them all, turned around and looked back at me like, "WOW! What is this?!" then, tentatively, stepped slowly forward. It was so cool! So much better than fireworks! I'm so glad I got to experience and live in that moment. I go back to it in my mind on days like today when I need it and it makes me smile.
@@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane Life is so much more than what people make out of it. If it was not for mean people, life would be almost perfect. So it's easier to achieve happiness walking your own way, if there some good company by your side, it's a nice plus, but non essential. Have had both, and I'm grateful for it.
I had the same issue with wetting the bed (and my pants, in school no less) until about age 13. I can absolutely relate to this, even after having learned how to overcome this.
Hey! You’re not alone. I’ve had my fair share of this, but not as bad as my little brother. He was still shitting himself until he turned 14. My dad got a call from the school once letting him know, they had found my little brothers attempt to hide his shitty underwear and pants in his locker. Most of my family are autistic. I’ve seen many of them struggle with going too the bathroom when they need too. I have too. You’re not alone.
This guy is so amazingly helpful. To be 28 and just now learning so much about myself is wild, but this is helping me sooo much at improving my daily experiences.
Keep watching different videos from different content creators and educating yourself. I'm 28 years old, self dX, then got formally tested and lo and behold, I'm autistic.
I have comorbid POTS/dysautonomia and combine this with poor interoception and i really struggle staying hydrated. POTS is a common comorbidity i bet a lot of us dont realize we have.
I was recently diagnosed by two drs and a geneticist with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Type 3, (hypermobile), I'm 64. I have been doing a lot of investigating about this. There is a big correlation between Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Autism! Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and its symptoms are EXACTLY what you are taking about! Are you very flexible and have had stomach issues and MANY of the symptoms being discussed right now? Check out if you too might have hEDS!!! Much love to you all! ❤️
I'm 66 years old and in the last 5 years I have begun to realize that I have undiagnosed autism. This has given me insights into my past that have been eye opening to say the least. This is the first mention I've seen about temperature sensitivity. All my life my feet have been uncomfortably cold, even in summer.
ND Dr, Am 72 and still experiencing hot flushes and “panic attacks” (Dr’s terminology, not mine). Could this be linked to my autism? To me they aren’t panic attacks, but some sort of autonomic dysfunction. I am also hypervigilant, and unexpected noises scramble my brain, which takes ages to recover from. You are a multi-talented person; we could do with more Drs like you. Thank you for your videos, they are very helpful. 💐🇬🇧
Thankful I found you today. Hi! This particular program has hit the spot. The spot I didn’t know I had. Thank you. I’m feeling particularly stressed out for the last 3 years. I have permanent brain damage going on that is creating chaos in my life. So learning about how I may eventually learn to control myself is of great benefit to me.
Please look into hEDS and Hypermobilty Spectrum Disorder, we tend to be very neurodiverse and our bodies do not like to play ball with our brains, causing Dysautonomia and Introception probs.
Hi! Thank your for the video. Is it possible to have very sensitive interoception where you feel everything so much that it always feels like something is wrong?
I am a recent subscriber and am loving your videos. I was so excited for this video as this is something I have realized in the last few years that I have had extreme difficulty with my whole life. Combine this with my alexithymia and I’ve come to realize how disconnected from my mind and body “I” am. I’m so happy you put this video out there for people to learn more about interoception. ALSO, I was so excited for you to mentioned Kelly Mahler’s channel for more interoception information. Her videos on the subject were the starting point for my coming to understand what I didn’t understand about my body 😂 I have a long way to go but at least I’m on the journey.
I had no idea that the tickle/pain swap was a documented neurodivergent thing. But it would explain two weird things about me growing up. First, how my body reacts to ear infections. My inner ears will just itch. It's maddening having an un-scratchable itch inside my skull. When I was little, I complained to my parents my ears were itching, and after a few days they'd finally take me to the doctor. The doctor would say, "This is a really bad ear infection! How is she not screaming in pain?" Well, because it didn't hurt at all, it just itched! Secondly, drinking carbonated drinks feels like swallowing a pile of tiny needles. Deeply unpleasant. My friends laugh at the faces I pull when I try to drink pop. I assumed it was an acquired taste (like coffee is) and that the pain would disappear if I kept trying, but I didn't want to and my parents never forced me. But most kids pizza parties didn't include non-carbonated drinks, so I would always have to either push through the pain, or get a cup of water from a water fountain or bathroom sink.
I literally had to have an operation on my genitals and within a week was walking around, didn't even use painkillers. But an ingrown toenail sent me into a panic spiral.
Okay, I have a question. You mentioned the autonomic system. Does that also have anything to do with Dysautonomia? Dysautonomia also affects the autonomic system.
So, I have BPD along with OCD and multiple anxiety disorders...and it always fascinates me how many of these autistic traits are also traits that I have from BPD. It's always interesting to learn that it's not just me who suffers from a lot of these things. I always thought that I couldn't regulate body temperature because of my 2 autoimmune diseases. I didn't know it could be caused by my neurodivergence. Thanks for the info! It's been very helpful.
I felt kinda silly how much I appreciated having an indoor/outdoor temperature sensor (+ humidity sensor) sitting on my desk. Needing an external device to tell me how hot it is and therefore how I should react? Surely I should just be able to trust my own senses? But actually it's been super helpful, especially recognising that I _will_ struggle to sleep if the humidity is >50% (and so I will begrudgingly leave the aircon in dehumidify mode overnight and actually get decent sleep)
dude! you made me splutter! "...good. on the whole!!" 😂😂👍😁 brother, i am SO relieved to meet you, with your series of intensely focussed & accurate decriptions leavened by sideways sllips into characters, jokes, inner awareness & laughter, thank you! off to watch the burnout one.⛩️ & thanks for the recs!🖖
I’m autistic and sometimes get so hungry it feels like nausea so I can’t eat. At times the nausea gets so bad I vomit stomach acid. I keep V8 on hand to prevent this since it’s quick and easy to get some nutrition.
OMG!!! I'VE ALWAYS WRITTEN THINGS DOWN! I've always felt that writing things down helps me in exactly the same ways you just described! It's been my lifelong go-to for self-help, healing, and introspection. No wonder I'm doing so well~ I'm not perfect but any means! But I'm thriving~
It's scary, as a middle age woman, to be suddenly discovering all this information that totally explains all the things in my whole life that caused me problems, made me somewhat 'unlikeable' and basically made everything in life 10 times harder than it seemed to be for everyone else around me! Now I know I have a massive problem with 'interoception'. How interesting!
Me too!
Try it at 75. Always knew I was peculiar, but the very diagnosis didn't even exist in my youth.
I'm 42 and got my diagnosis at 39 and I feel you lol
You are not alone,I relate
Same.
I’m very sensitive to temperature. I’m either freezing, or sweating. I’m never comfortable.
Me too!
Me too I finally moved into an apt with AC so I can regulate the temperature in my apt.
That could also be thyroid dysfunction fyi maybe get more iodine
Yes!! Isn't it the worst. I actually take my Xanax more for uncontrollable sweating and being hot because when I really overheat it begins a panic attack I feel like my body is on fire but i have to always wear socks to absorb the sweat
@@hairbeauty8083 I have sleep apnea and can't breathe at night when it gets hot.
After watching this, so many things suddenly make sense.
I've always found it strange when people eat small portions. For example, they say they're hungry but then they just eat half a sandwich or something. I never understood how people could get full off of such a small amount. If I'm hungry, I want a big plateful of food. Or maybe two.
Eventually, I realized that I just don't feel hunger until I'm absolutely ravenous. I go from no hunger to "I want to eat all the things" in a matter of minutes. There is no in-between.
The reason other people are able to get "full" from a small portion is that they actually start to feel it when they're just a little bit hungry, and then just a little food makes them full. I've never felt just a little hungry. It just doesn't register for me until it's overwhelming.
Same!
Go from full to eating a elephant ,then I don't want food for days.
I’m a girl, and I used to be able to out-eat my husband. Now I never have appetite because I went through some medical stuff that threw me completely off.
I now have to set the alarm to remind myself to eat. Lately I’ve been very bad at it. I miss the old-me. Eating is life.
Struggle the same here, though since taking Adderall (which one of the side effects is decreased appetite) with a little practice in slowly eating and eating reasonable portion sizes compared to bigger sizes, I think my body has finally been able to register what 'fullness' actually is and not the overwhelmed feeling of being stuffed like what I thought it was.
But I still struggle with being sensitive to hunger, which has always caused me weight issues since I was very young. I have to be very sure I am full, not feel teeny tiny rumbles even if I am more full, otherwise I think I am still hungry.
The worst is after you eat, the stomach rumbles as it processes the food feels exactly the same as hunger
I can relate to so much of this. I actually put in cameras on our house after a string of neighborhood car break-ins. I was standing in the driveway explaining something important to my fiancée and she said, "Why are you angry? You're angry so often!"
I was not angry at all, but i felt like i was being attacked by a made up issue.
I reviewed the video, and sure enough, my emphasis and energetic feelings came across as being angry. It looked on the recording like i was argumentative and holding back rage. My internal feelings were no where near that.
I stopped arguing with anyone about this and just take them at their word when im told im a certain way, because my internal feelings and external expressions do not align.
That's really an interesting perspective being able to see yourself on video and process that out. I wonder if it would help with your communication with other people to imagine that you're being filmed to "see" how your facial expressions and body language look to others. Maybe you could also state what emotion you are actually feeling to people, especially your fiancé, so they don't get confused by your body language telling them something different. I can only image how greatly this can affect people's lives. I have ADHD and work in the medical field and I learned a lot watching this video... I hope you share it with other people in your life, especially your fiancé, as it creates so much more understanding about how autistic people may be communicating.
@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane oh for sure being able to identify and name my internal feelings has been a long road but it helps so much with communication now.
I also come across angry when I don't feel that way at all. My husband and I have had many misunderstandings over the years because of it. But I explained to him that sometimes how I appear isn't how I feel inside. He's gotten good at asking, "Hey, you seem (insert emotion here)." Then I can clarify, and we move on. I try to be aware of how other people have reacted to me and take my intensity down a notch for them if they don't know me well. When I get to know them better, I might say, "Hey, I'm just really excited about this topic. If I seem mad, I swear I'm not."
Still, I can't count the number of acquaintances I've managed to alienate this way. It's frustrating, but it is what it is.
I, too, have a way of speaking that makes me sounds angry, and also I have an rbf. I have considered plastic surgery for it but I’d rather just give money to a charity. It’s the way I’m made.
I try really hard when I have interactions with people not in my family. I try to turn the smile on.
Actually when masks were mandatory I had what I consider normal interactions with people because they couldn’t see the natural downturn of my mouth.
It’s hard.
It's downright exhausting. Do you by chance tend to isolate from others most of the time?
I am a 66yo, recently diagnosed ASD. I am also a retired M.D. due to a complete undiagnosed ASD breakdown 20 years ago. I have been healing and managing myself my entire life with NO information! To have information now is like a blessed miracle. I feel like someone has turned on the light, given me a map, and eased my suffering. Thank you!
My son's pediatrician said many of his colleagues are probably on the spectrum but have no idea. I thought that was interesting!
I resemble that remark!
Seriously though - I learned about my own autism a few weeks ago, and as of last night finally came to terms with it. What a HUGE weight has finally been lifted off of my life; and only the day before, I was still going through the shock of learning what I am.
But now everything finally makes sense, and it's like all the anger and frustration somehow dissolved and dissipated. I sincerely hope things stay this way for me.
I was 61 when I figured out I am auDHD. It has been life-changing as I have dropped the shame and self-loathing that I carried for 50+ years. I still mourn what might have been had I been supported appropriately, but being a woman who grew up in the 1960s and 70s, that was just not going to happen. But today, I am so glad to have this new lens through which to view my life. It all makes so much sense.
Retired physician (says only a little!) accepting label now. I am unclear what benefit my acceptance of the label would have had, some beneficial some not but understand how it can be important for others to be diagnosised.
@@bruceperry1408
For me, the main takeaway is gaining some peace of mind about the whole thing. It doesn't mean I'm thrilled about discovering that I am autistic (I'm not), but at least I understand myself in ways I never could have done before. Al8ng with that new found understanding, I feel much better equipped to move forward on a more stable footing. Two months in, and mu life is already on a more even keel. I don't know that it works that way for everyone who learns about it later in life, but for me, that alone is a significant benefit
I am autistic, have ADHD, and fibromyalgia. Those three have such deeply overlapping symptoms it’s almost like it’s three aspects of the same disorder. People with fibromyalgia are more likely to be autistic, but not the other way around. I wonder how many actually ARE autistic. More than we know, I think.
Agreed. The set of people that have autism should be larger than the set that know they're autistic. The number that know they are autistic will also be lower than the number of us there are. I'm so terrible at maths.😅
I self diagnosed fibromyalgia long before autism. I run HOT all the time and I thought it was menopause mostly but now I am searching for different answers. I stay so over wound inside and I think that it’s like a motor running hot. Still looking for answers.😬😳
This is me too
Same as me I've had Cfs 26 years fybromyalgia 6 my mum had severe ms the link is eds! And spd as a child undiagnosed until 43 now my son's started at 13 diagnosed add Asperger's to have add meds helped pain
@@thechickincharge1073 you most likely be hypomobile check out eds eds Asperger's add ADHD come together albeit u found out rather late at 43
Feeling hungry feels like nausea to me. My mom is the same.
I’m hot all the time, except when I’m freezing, which seems like a relief if I’m home and can curl up in a big blanket or afghan. But there’s no middle comfortable ground, and it’s too hot 90% of the time. I would probably really benefit from a weighted blanket if only it didn’t make me hotter. I often lose sleep from getting too hot.
I’m extremely physically sensitive to smells, textures, things that should be tiny discomforts like insect bites, etc. A mosquito bite will drive me nuts and stick around for like a week even if not scratched, and I can’t put anything on it to reduce the itch because my skin is so sensitive hydrocortisone cream gives me a chemical burn.
Strong or even moderate scents make my nose run, and my eyes itch from the slightest breeze. And then there are actual allergies and foods that my body simply rejects like they’re poison. I can’t do body mindfulness and such because if I pay attention, everything seems uncomfortable to painful. Pain in my head is often impossible to pinpoint, so I can’t tell irritated gums from a toothache, earache, oncoming acne blemish, bruise, etc.
And I’m always bruised because I run into objects every day that I 100% know are there.
I’m not very noise sensitive for an Autistic, but can’t stand people singing out of tune, the squeak of fingers sliding across guitar strings, or solid ringing from cymbals or a triangle. But I also can’t stand silence because I have two kinds of tinnitus.
My period (menstruation) is just a big pile of awfulness, both emotionally and physically. And wearing a bra makes me feel like I’m in a vice. And don’t get me started on clothing tags.
I always cut the tags out. And wear my socks inside out because the rough side of the seam is on the inside.
Have you tried lidocaine lotion for itching? Cortisone cream and antibiotic ointment both break me out, but lidocaine and a few different essential oils help some. Rosemary is one. It smells strong, but I don't mind that. You'll have to experiment to find what works for you. Maybe Boswellia (frankincense)?
Re: the issue with being too warm to sleep, I keep my bedroom REALLY chilly, and pile on blankets to be comfortable. I still have bad insomnia, but at least I don't lie awake due to feeling hot and sweaty. FYI, I tried a weighted blanket and hated it. Too restrictive, smothery. My long-suffering cat does not like the cold bedroom, but sleeps with me anyway, bless her heart. ♥ I build a little blanket 'fort' for her at the end of my pillow, so she can have some protection from the frigid climate. 😂
@@sherryseeton6749 Unfortunately, I have limited control over the temperature of my bedroom most of the time. There's no way to control the heat and there's no ac.
I can't put ac in because it will let in light then I can't sleep during the day because of sunlight. (I work overnight shift) And I'm allergic to many kinds of pollen, so opening windows is usually a bad idea.
Air conditioning would either have to go through the wall, which would cost several thousand dollars, or in a window where I cannot cover it (to block out the sun) and still let it run.
Same here. I need to be cold to function, hot weather feels like actual kryptonite. I've been cutting the sleeves of t-shirts to regulate my internal heat for years. My cat is my termostat: if he's cold, then it's actually cold so I should close the windows or turn on the heat for real but never put on a sweater or a jacket until my feet get numb.
My smoking was a way of overriding smells and taste, so my eating got worse after I quit tobacco. But weed overrides sensory overload but letting me focus and chain-task. It also makes me eat more because of the munchies. So, no wonder it's so hard to quit. I don't even get high anymore, and that alone frustraste me even more.
Hunger does feel like a weird pain and very occasionally I get those rumbles in my stomach even though I'm know I'm starving. I've never been able to have breakfast because of that nausea sensation. Feeling "full" also feels weird.
Wow, its like your body has histamine in over drive. It actually is a substance that is more complex and not as well studied, we really don't know all the mechanisms that involve histamine. But, it sounds like you have seen an allergist so I hope that is something they could address. I feel for you. I have tinnitus too, if you don't mind sharing, what are the two types you have? I didn't know there were types...just that I have it. TIA
This helps me clarify why in risky situations, instead of flying or fighting or freezing or fawning...I often am deep in thought trying to figure out what I am disturbed by instead of taking action.
Oh yes! That’s me to a tee. Always feeling cold, forgetting to drink and eat, bumping into doors and other people and having always bruises because of this, being drained for no reason at all, having unexplained panic attacks… yes yes yes!
Ps. My husband also always says to me: stop talking so angrily / stop being so agitated - and I am puzzled and say that I am not agitated snd prove that by laughing merrily. And I hate rapid questions. I start to think and analyse what is said and what is meant and I need time for this.
That is me to a T! 😮
This is the first discussion I've encountered on the topic of messed up body temp control being related to neurodivergence. I've been plagued for many years with feeling too warm and SWEATING. 🥵 It's gross! Earlier this year I was diagnosed with ADHD + anxiety, but lately I suspect that I may have other neurodivergent things going on as well. I have to say that although it was initially a relief to have a specific diagnosis for things that have troubled and frustrated most of my life, at this point I'm feeling overwhelmed, confused and exhausted with the struggle to understand my own brain.😢 And that's in addition to a lifetime of feeling rejected by the rest of my species. Thank goodness for animals, who seem to have no problems with me and are my only reliable source of positive interaction. 😕
I was hot for a good 20 years after menopause. I had no idea why. I just wore shorts and flip flops, and I still do. Keeping my feet cool keeps the rest of me cool.
I also carry my water bottle everywhere. I call myself a wateraholic. I use water to cool myself down.
You and me, both, sister.
I have cold sweaty hands, feet and armpits and am freezing at the same time. I was also born deaf. And delt with bullying as a child throughout my entire childhood. I loose control of my facial features and other motor skills in just about every social interaction. My anxiety has and depression have been so bad throughout my life. I’ve literally lived my life alone. I’m 37 and have no friends, haven’t for many many years. It’s been a hard life. But I’ve always known it isn’t just because of the bullying or deafness. Those things just made it incredibly difficult in addition to my probably undiagnosed autism.
Thanks for this. I will subscribe;)
I can relate to all that. I still struggle 😢
Yip same here, I'm in my fifties and been almost deaf for twenty years. It's a lonely life 🇬🇧
I feel this, I'm not deaf but blind although I imagine it must be similar being picked on for limitations 😢
You are not alone friend!❤
imagine not being able to listen to music ur missing out i listen all the time xd
I'd be your friend :)
You sound like a nice and intelligent person, and clearly youre resilient and have overcome alot.
i totally understand the being alone part.. but better to be alone than be surrounded by assholes.
If you're lonely the internet is a great place to 'find your tribe'.
(Tho personally Id rather spend time with my dog over most humans lol)
I have realised i have HUGE pain tolerance. Consequences are bad. I'm not very risk averse and have been known to carry on with sometimes deeply grevious injuries.
Like you i forget to eat. I call it "forgetorexic".
One thing you didn't mention which is probably the worst of the lot is.. TIME BLINDNESS!! If i get involved in a task, goodbye day... and i have serious adulting to do!
That said, i make these quirks work for me. And i try to show up on time!
I don't have good pain tolerance, but I definitely have time blindness.
Doing something for what feels like 5 minutes, might actually have been 30 minutes.
Doing something for a whole day, sometimes feels like just a hour or two to me, especially when I do something I enjoy focusing on.
I manage by setting timers.
Timers timers timers.
Timers for specific things, timers to remind me of the time of day.
If I wouldn't have my 22:00 timer to remind me that I need to go to sleep soon, I would potentially stay awake until deep into the night without really realizing.
I have basically externalized my sense of time. If I don't use timers, I need to obsessively watch the clock so I don't miss a certain time, so if I had something to do at 12, i would be unable to really do anything for hours before that, because if Im not careful I miss it. (and I might still miss it, because 10 minutes before I have to go, I get distracted)
So the ability to set alarms is what is allowing me to function.
I can't tell you how much time I've spend not doing something, because I was afraid that if I started a task I would become so invested that I will miss the appointment I have later.
‘Forgetorexic’ - LOVE THIS! so accurate.
* though as a young adult woman in the military where weight mattered- I absolutely utilized the understanding that staying busy& distracted = ‘forgetorexic’ … and def. utilized that ‘superpower’ for weight loss.
More and more I find that the "weird" things in my childhood were ADHD symptoms. I wet the bed until 11 and that was absolutely humiliating.
You’re not alone, I did until I was 12, and I had no idea until now that it’s. Literally was being disabled, not being lazy like I was always accused of. Kinda a relief to not be alone in it all.
I did until i was fifteen. I just never woke up. The only time i was ever punished for “being bad” was for wetting the bed. It never helped
I was 12 when I was finally able to control my bed wetting. I was shamed by my family to the point that I slept on a towel on the floor. It was mortifying.
Yeah, I think it’s pretty common with ADHD. I did well into my teens (less often after ~12 but enough to still worry about it).
Ha, I wet till 20, sucked thumbs till 13.
I have the opposite bladder issue. I get cues to go way too early and close together. It happens when my body is at rest. It’s so frustrating.
I have this as well.
I get both, too often sometimes, and then too late or nearly too late others
I get that too. but it's always worse when something weakens me. all my symptoms are worse when I'm weakened by something else. as if my body can compensate quite a lot, but only if the energy isn't needed for anything else.
The minute I lay down the urgency starts.
I have both, depending on... Something.. I don't know what lol, but my body just decides to either be undersensitive or oversensitive to things at different times
Does anyone else have sensations that neurotypical people simply have no good words for? To me overstimulation feels very different from anxiety, yet neurotypical people lump it all together. To me anxiety is fear-based. Its a deep gut feeling. What I deal with is not so much anxiety but kind of sensory stress and its really not the same at all. I also struggled to explain that antidepressants that are supposed to treat anxiety will cause this “stress” feeling to become much worse even though there is nothing “stressful” going on to cause it.
I would describe it as closest to a restless leg sensation but not in my legs but rather the entire left (non-dominate) side of my body. It’s not anxiety as it isn’t fear based and its not really a gut sensation. Any description I give is pretty useless for neurotypicals as it seems they don’t have this sensation. Also, when its really bad it can feel as if I’m being tickled from the inside and it can be so uncomfortable I need to clench my fists and curl up.
When I did some research later on in my life, I learned of a thing called akathisia. This is supposed to be a medication side effect, but I had it as a child due to stress or overstimulation, even when not taking any medications at all. I don’t know if its the same as akathisia, as there is no “desire to move”. The common subjective description of akathisia as feeling a tickle in your bones is pretty close though.
Omg yes! It's an extremely obnoxious feeling, and moreso since I cannot put it into words. Often for me it feels like restless leg syndrome but all over my body. It is highly unpleasant. It often happens spontaneously or from benadryl, unisom, or certain cold meds for me. The medication-induced episodes are fine bc I know what caused it and that it'll be over in a few hrs, but the episodes that come out of the blue will sometimes make me cry with frustration. Doesn't help that it exacerbates my chronic pain.
Nice explanation. I feel like I want to crawl out of my skin far too often... Feels like I'm imprisoned in flesh with no escape from the feeling at times. I wish I could enjoy/get into the moment at social events like music while completely sober/nothing to help. It's like I don't have the ability to live a fulfilling life.
@@ashleykinder8877this sounds like a suppressed need to stim
Yes! I have specifically described this sensation to others as “like restless legs but throughout my whole brain and nervous system”
Not a doctor, but I suspect they would call it akathisia. Redditors suggest that B complex vitamins might help. I, as a fellow ND, suggest that you might want to consider _methylated_ B vitamins, as many NDs are unable to absorb regular B vitamins efficiently. The doctor might be able to give you better informed assistance.
I know what this feels like, but I haven't gotten it in a long time (although I do get a spontaneous need to move on occasion, but it goes away if I am able to satisfy the urge.) On the other hand, I take my B vitamins on a regular basis for other reasons. And I did used to get it when I was younger.
I tend to be dehydrated, always forgetting to drink and not realizing I’m thirsty. But what about breathing? I’m always breathing really shallow and stop breathing for a few seconds constantly. I don’t realize I’m doing it until I suddenly need to take a deep breath. Everything has gotten worse since I moved from sea level, where I lived the first 50yrs of my life, to the high desert. It’s so dry and the oxygen is lower. I’ve been here for 3 years and still can’t get used to it.
Yes, I need to remind myself to breath. Stop, stretch, and breath in and out. WHEN I remember! And I tend to hunch over.
That is exactly how I breathe. I don’t breathe at all for a bit, and then take a dee breath. I do it whether I’m awake or asleep. It’s weird, because I thought breathing isn’t something you have to think about.
I'm always thirsty in winter because of central heating. 😛
People always think I'm sighing at them 😭. It's just that I'm remembering to breathe
this so much!!!! Every time I sigh around my mom she asks if something is wrong and every time I have to explain that I'm bad at breathing.... my dad is the exact same way, lol I don't think she'll ever figure it out
I learned recently that I confuse being thirsty with being hungry. My stomach will dry out and begin to pinch and feel like hunger but I may have only eaten an hour before. I find if I drink the feeling of pinching goes away and I am fine. This was eye opening and such a help as I have struggled my whole life to keep my weight under control. Dry mouth doesn't work as a signal because I have had to take allergy medicines since childhood so learned just to ignore dry mouth. Carrying a water bottle also helps as I will automatically reach for and drink from it but not be aware enough to go get me a glass of water from the kitchen.
instead of feeling hungry, my body usually starts feeling nauseous or I'm suddenly hit with a huge wave of sadness and self-loathing (even if I was in a good mood and laughing just seconds before). for thirst I just start getting a headache and overheating.
@@callmecharlie4250 omg same! 😮
Yes. I started to always have a bottle with me, and it has helped so much. I still don't keep to that recommended 2 litres, but it's better than half of one!
@@callmecharlie4250 sameeee I find really cold water helps with the nausea so I can eat, but apparently a lot of people hate the sensation of cold water on an empty stomach. Personally I find it soothing
@@Merip12142 liters is if you energise/sweat a lot, tbh, as long as you drink you're fine tbh
This explains SO MUCH! I’m as yet undiagnosed (for now) but I’m certain I’m on the spectrum. I have always had trouble with temperature regulation, and people who know me joke that I always have “corpse hands” or feet, freezing to the touch. I’ve always struggled with dehydration, body cues like using the bathroom, frequent generalized anxiety, etc. Now I have a word for it!
If you ever get the chance to look at your hands and feet with a thermal camera, do it!! I knew my hand were cold but not that cold. :D My whole body is quite normal, yellow, orange, on the screen.. But my hands are dark blue and black, showing my hands highest temp to be 20°C (~68°F) and fingertips 16-17°C (~60-63°F) 😅 and that's in a normal warm house!
Yet, I'm not freezing as I'm usually to hot anyways. People are shocked when they touch my hands and feels the need to warm them up, but I stop them because everything else feels too hot.
I used to have no idea of my interoceptive senses until I started taking LSD! Then I started becoming aware of so many feelings inside my body that I'd never felt before...I assumed years ago that it was just the feeling of tripping but after a few years I realised that I was just becoming aware of the feelings inside of my body! It's almost like the psychedelics rewired certain parts of my brain or something.
I'm happy for you. 😊
Same! LSD is magic. It also helped me with my empathy and energy adjustments.
Interesting. Psychedelics /can/ induce synesthesia. Maybe there's something to that.
Interesting, because there is growing research that psychedelics (mushrooms, etc.) are helping people with PTSD, which affects the same area of the brain, and treatment centers are just starting to pop up.
I can vividly remember the same experience. I can remember experiencing eg what the inside of my mouth felt like, for the first time, when tripping.
I am affected when the barometric pressure changes, when it's too hot (for me anything over 78 F is too much, the threshold is lower when it's higher humidity), always feel too cold in the winter, bug bites swell and itch and can be the most irritating thing ever (takes 3 times longer to go away than anyone else), I cannot handle pain well at all, hot pans or food are too hot to handle, I can taste impurities in food, I can smell EVERYTHING, hear everything, have some sort of nickel allergy, tight clothes are the worst, and I'm not always aware of thirst or hunger. I'm a complete joy to be around! So I'm in my 40s, never diagnosed with ASD, but am slowly making the connections. It's so common for people to be misdiagnosed. My therapist has acknowledged anxiety and Complex PTSD but I know it's not the entire thing. An online assessment of ADHD prompted my doctor to prescribe ADHD meds, and that's a trip and a half as far as potentially having ADHD and ASD, since the meds tend to take away some of the emotional dysregulation, stop the overthinking, I've been able to clean and organize, get through my day without overwhelm, BUT, now I'm noticing an increase in autistic traits (most noticeably swaying and rocking), which really makes me wonder.
Same. I used to get really very tired and groggy before the rain dropped. The pressure change really got to me when I was younger.
Same. I don't check the temperature enough to get exact readings, but now I wanna because it'd be helpful to have an external scale to help me.
What I know is that at least 80+ degrees absolutely exhausts me.
But also, once I had meds to help manage my adhd and cptsd, the autism straits starred being much more visible to me. It was over shadowed by the adhd and cptsd
I have been a fan of yours for about a year now. Normally I don't comment on many of videos, even ones I like or dislike. But this one chilled me to the core. I am diagnosed ASD (and ADHD) and I have all of the things you talked about. Including my brain NOT correctly doing shivering! I actually do into seizures. This did NOT happen as a child, but as a child, pain and thirst were near NON-EXISTENT to me, unless a parent gave me fluids or forced me to "rest and go easy" (I was chasing snakes and lizards EVERYWHERE!)... And yes, even as a child I was told I have the "If looks could KILL" face or the "Thousand Yard Stare" (That is because I was NOT looking at them, but INTERNALLY in my memory palace or somewhere ELSE in the universe.)...Anyway, this talk is to VERY TRUE. our internal controller is so "messed up" or out of whack. I would LOVE to chat with you more on a professional level some time, if you are ever studying OLDER people with autism. (I am 60). Thanks for the great videos and content, Doctor! When I die, I am donating my body and brain to science in the hope we can UNDERSTAND neurodiversity more. Much love and kindness to all my neurodiverse friends.
"Memory palace" 😊 I call it the "Inner Citadelle" like I live in my own bubble, like I function well, but a parallel level of existence is always running inside, there I cannot be touched and can go recover. Beautiful
You grew up around snakes and lizards?! I feel envious!
So cool about donating. For sure you are quite unique and someone a lot can be learned from. Cheers!
Wow, that is fascinating. I ever had trouble with hydrating or eating, but I was a kid who was always chasing insects and trying to learn about their plants (there was that year I decided I was going to try to grow a giant spider the size of a basketball; every day I three different insects several times a day into an orb weaver’s web. I learned how many “packages” she could make (about 7-12 wrapped insects depending on the size). She never did reach basketball size much to my disappointment, but for several years the spiders lived in that same spot as her descendants.
My trouble was, after listening to music or even television, my head would be so involved with what I had heard that I had trouble understanding when people talked to me.
I still have this problem around strangers - there is so much input when I first meet a new person that I can’t concentrate on what they are saying. Sometimes their words sound like garbage, and now I know that is called Audio Processing Disorder.
I haven’t ever been diagnosed. I don’t socialize much, but I always had books as friends.
Amazing I don't have asd and have most of these.
It's fascinating to know there is a link to bedwetting. Both of my Autistic sons wet the bed until they were in their teens and no-one ever mentioned that to us
Most people who work with autistic children don’t have any clue about the condition unfortunately.
This hits home.
I wish my son had been diagnosed with autism. He wet the bed until 15 or 16 and still sometimes does apparently.
He was a brilliant kid but always difficult and ‘peculiar.’ Teacher’s pet, but in the community and at home he was completely out of control.
He said he felt like he never fit in or had friends and didn’t know how to act around his peers.
He ended up in constant trouble with the law and security guards everywhere he went.
In and out of jail and mental hospital, yet the only thing he was diagnosed with was schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder. I believe it was all undiagnosed autism.
He was really smart and talented, artistic, handsome, and in his preteen to mid teen years, was in Tv series and movies. Then at 16 he crashed mentally and emotionally. Sad that all his talents could’ve been supported, but were never to come to fruition.
@@clairecarscallen I absolutely relate and I so sorry that your son (and you) went through so many traumatic experiences and didn't get the support he needed.
As a parent watching your children struggling is so awful. I have 4 ND children who also have physical disabilities too and it hurts my heart that as adults they are not happy, are exhausted all the time and in chronic pain. They are beautiful, kind, funny and highly creative and intelligent people but I can see that society doesn't see them for what they are. It does seem to be that transition period around 16- 18 that seems to be the issue. Becoming an adult seems to be such a difficult transition and there is not support for it at all. I've found, as a 53 yo female, another period of debilitating transition seems to be menopause and, again, there is no support for it. The medical systems need to be starting to address this stuff.
I really hope that our children and the upcoming generations will see some changes that make the ND life better, we need to fight for it though I think.
Sending love to you and to your son
Relatable for my own self, I don’t have official diagnosis; but lots of these are things I had to deal with too for an embarrassing amount of time
This would explain a lot 😅
Always freezing or swetting, never been able to sense thirst, sometimes things that aren't supposed to hurt hurt, things that should hurt don't hurt, digestive issues, emotional regulation problems, problems with sleep, alertness levels etc.
I'm diagnosed with adhd but am quite certain I'm on the spectrum as well, probably primarily actually.
The comment about being told you look angry when you don’t emotionally feel that way is overwhelming true. It’s been a lifelong frustration, impacting my work, friendships and closest relationships. This is validating, but makes me so sad.
I noticed that issue when we were discussing DBT skills in group therapy. The therapist was talking about early warning signs of stress and how tension build up over time. While the other patients could tell their symptoms very precisely, I was like: "you guys know how it feels like?" Because I had no idea how it feels like when I'm getting upset, unstable or even su1c1dal. For me, it happens instantly from 0% to 100%. This makes me building up useful skills very hard.
Also, sometimes when it happens, I would also dissociate and have a memory switch, so there would be memory gaps, including my interoception. I would forget how it came so and everything else involving the trigger. I would find myself in a situation where I have no clue how I got there. Mostly, it takes many days after I finally figured out how it came to that situation and what was the cause of it. Sometimes, I would never figure it out.
Every time I see a video like this I end up with an overwhelming sense of vindication. I just got my Autism diagnosis a couple months ago and suddenly it's like a piece of the puzzle is finally there to make it all make sense.
THANK YOU so much for this video!
I had no idea whatsoever about what interoception even is, let alone how it was affecting my life.
This explains so much. I always struggle with adjusting my speaking volume - I'm always too loud for most people, but to myself I sound perfectly normal or even quiet (despite being hypersensitive to external noise - go figure). I always feel way colder than most people, and my fight or flight response is completely out of whack.
And when I'm hyperfocused on something, I just don't feel hunger, thirst, fatigue, or any other biological need (I'm not ignoring them - they just don't feel *there* at all).
Thank you for the tips and ressources, I'll look into it!
I have ASD and ADHD. Ever since I was young, my constant body temp has been 100.1°f and had a heart rate around 100-120bpm. Pain tolerance is odd. I either can deal with inhuman levels or something I didn't even notice happened puts me in the fetal position. I'm also a type 1 diabetic and chalked up the late bed wetting to the transition into being diabetic. This is very enlightening
Whaaat!?!?
As I am realized late in life to be autistic, I was happy to learn just recently that I'm not wird remembering things from even long before I was able to talk.
But TODAY I found out, that having a regular body temperature of 35.8°C/96.44°F could also be related to autism 😮
Can't stand heat outsides above 24°C/75.2°F and always felt to have a fever already when temperature was "normal". It went further up feeling worse & worse. When it was officially accepted as fever, I already started hallucinating colours & shapes & all my skin felt weird like out of foam.
Tried to proof my mom several years that my regular temperature was low, but she didn't believe me. Thought I'd only plan want to stay home more.
Mind boggling to have stuff like this unpacked!
Thanks a lot, doc! 😊
This is an excellent video! A lot of this comes from stress responses, a dysregulated nervous system. Many of us have grown up in environments that chronically put us into fight, flight, freeze, shut down/collapse which are "survival stress" responses. If we happen to be very, very sensitive types, it doesn't take much for this to happen and it can become chronic which leads to all kinds of syndromes and chronic illnesses. I'm working with nervous system regulation right now, it's a very slow process and an ongoing challenge but I'm noticing real change, FINALLY! There is no pills or external fix for these issues. When our nervous system settles down, many of these issues settle as well.
I WISH THIS VIDEO WAS MORE POPULAR. im a high functioning autistic girl with ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, and Binge eating disorder. im masking all the time. judged when i mirror others, shamed when i "let myself be autstic" .always expected to be the better person yet unallowed to be a human. media shoved in my face about how our bodies, emotions, are wrong in some way. "you're not hungry, dont eat that. you're not tired just lazy. you're not hurt, brush it off. you're not sad, you're just dramatic" I COULD GO ON. im constantly experiencing Ego-death, shame, guilt, embarrassment, and confusion from all the standards and unspoken rules from neurotypical people and society in general. always either sweating my ass off or so cold it hurts, im either so hungry im shaking or so full i cant move. something is always wrong. im not allowed to just EXIST and be myself, everything has to be logical and over complicated. IM EXAUSTED. i finally snap and have a meltdown/shutdown and the world sees me as just an entitled teenager. im rewarded for masking so i have no reason to stop. neurotypical people o will never understand what its like and likely wont care unless they need to. BOOSTING THIS VID BY COMMENTING.
As someone w neurodivergency (adhd and a pending autism diagnosis) this made me realize so much on why my brain functions the way it does, I have very very intense emotions and outward cues to things but my internal cues of “drink” “eat” “bathroom” suck so bad. I literally will chill in a constant temp room and randomly start sweating or shivering. I have anxiety and depression aswell l
I am an Autist with Meniere's disease (very severe) and had to go to fall training and a neuro shrink (make sure I wasn't faking it as an Indigenous woman) and got so lucky to get the BEST people that legit wanted to help, even if my prescribing Dr was being a myso jerk. The combination of fall training and the Neuro Psych explaining the different elements to me and giving me bio feedback tools helped me soo much. I still don't eat all day and feel cold as pain often, but I don't fall as often or hurt myself when I do, I no longer hit my head often.... Your explanation helped me understand how that worked for me SOOO MUCH, thank you sooo much.... thank you for being a ND DR, we need more of you. thank you so much, like, I can't even tell you how much this meant to me to hear
I really struggle with inflexibility. From my perspective, the right thing is always the right thing, and there always IS a right thing, even if you haven't thought of it yet. So when injustices occur, major or minor, I find it really hard to process because people are knowingly, and obviously, doing the wrong thing!
The perceived body temperature issue - reminds me of a maintenance man of my aquaintance. He was always wearing shorts, even when operating a snow blower! Got lots of teasing for his "eccentricity".
Do you know my husband 🧐🤔
Great video! I was wondering, if you know anything about it, if you would consider making a video on Dysautonomia specifically POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) as it is a disfunction of the autonomic nervous system. I’ve seen that it can be connected to autism and I’d like to hear your thoughts.
Yes! I literally just commented about this as an autistic & ADHD person with dysautonomia and EDS.
This hairstyle suits you so much more! ❤
I don't know if Ive seen your videos before but you are now my favorite content creator about this subject.
I'm a registered nurse,working in psychiatry. I have adhd diagnosed and I strongly believe that I have autism. I have just been very good-ish at masking.
My daughter has both. I did not start thinking I might be neurodivergent before her diagnosis, around 3 years ago. I'm 44 yrs old. All I knew was that I was always tired all the time and very warm compared to others
This is my 3rd time with burnout and I've had more time to identify how my body functions.
It's been a puzzle to me how people tell me, you just have to pay attention to your needs.
I don't know my own needs half of the time. 😭😭😭
This was very informative and eye-opening. Thank you! 😊
I appreciate this video from the bottom of my heart.
Judging by this video I have extreme hyposensitivity to interception. I have everything you listed and i had no idea these were connected.
It makes things incredibly difficult as someone who has been a victim of gaslighting by family, doctors and friends or romantic partners regarding my symptoms and their "likely psychological origins" despite having a very high cognitive understanding of my emotions but just not feeling them. People are always telling me to trust my gut and get out of my head but this makes me feel even more frustrated because what the heck does that feel like? I didn't realize it's literally something I may have a sensoy problem with experiencing. I don't know whether my gut is queazy, hungry, or has indigestion let alone trying to let it speak for my mind and guide my decisions intuitively. I always wished I had "instincts for what to do" or that I could just "follow my heart" instead of thinking everything through and choosing what I percieve to be logical because I don't know what I want, I only know what I think and what people or research have taught me is the most logical or ethical thing to do in particular situations.
All of the others came as no surprise to me but this one felt like finding "my soulmate" of wtf is wrong with me and why other people's advice for trusting myself is terrible almost without exception. It's clearly something people take for granted and can't even comprehend.
This is the first time I've ever heard someone mention this emotional component and it feels like a huge relief of something I've been doing. I've been going absolutely out of my mind with the whole [ask questions, hate questions, need answers] cycle you explained - just trying to understand what mental illness i could have that explains this. I've been going along with it being a trauma response when in my own mind that makes no sense given the context and how i know i feel logically
I wasn't diagnosed with Autism and ADHD until I was 53 (5 years ago) and as such I have a bunch of trauma and stuff I am dealing with through my support team who are great. I can see many aspects of problems with interoception particularly as I have gotten older and as I am now trying to live my life as unmasked as possible. However I have 2 daughters, both on the spectrum and both unfortunately also have type 1 diabetes (I don't). Trying to help them get their sugars under control has been a long battle and has taken 10 years in my younger daughters' case to finally get it together in such a way that she can manage it herself. She has massive problems with identifying and noticing her body's messages, to the point that I will see she is looking pale and ask her how she is feeling and she will jolt and go OOOOH.... I think my sugars are low.... check and yep she is dropping like a stone.
When she goes to the doctor with pain she cannot give them a score out of 1 to 10 as she has nothing to compare it with or cannot remember what a previous pain felt like. When asked about abdominal pain she will just sit there, so I will prompt with... is it a stabby pain, bubbly?, does it move? feel tight and she can then explain how she feels. Our primary doctor has this on file and she knows how to prompt her (same with head aches... do your eyes hurt, tight bands, pull, push, ) but with her now being 20 I am having to step back more so she can learn how to do this all herself.
Both of my parents were also on the spectrum and undiagnosed and encouraged us to walk to our own drum. We are all high functioning (on the old scale) but anxiety and depression runs rampant through the family.
You're totally right about the 1/10 pain thing. A lot of doctors have basically no understanding of what decades- long problems, esp. chronic pain, are like.
Apparently the 1-10 question is code for "are you able to ignore this pain? is it so bad that you can't think of anything else?", etc. There's a "correct" way to answer that question... and I feel if that's what they wanna hear, then then they should ask these more specific questions. Good on your primary for recognizing this.
What I find helps the most when I'm in a state of emotional distress is instead of people rapid-firing their questions or trying to fix my problem simply just taking me out of the house to distract myself with something else for a little bit helps the most. If I'm already in a state of emotional distress people asking questions related to that distress typically just contributes to it
Could interoception issues explain why I HATE being cold so much? Like I'm hypersensitive to cold? I don't love being hot, but I don't hate being hot nearly as much as I hate being cold. My whole life, everybody thought I was crazy. Most people, when asked, say they would rather be cold than hot "because you can keep adding layers." But I would rather be hot. If I'm even a little chilly, I get extremely upset. I grew up in Denver and then spent a few years in Central Illinois and got moderately to severely depressed pretty much every winter. A couple of years ago, I finally moved someplace warm (temperatures rarely dip below the mid-40s in the winter, and even that is plenty cold enough to make me angry) and, surprise surprise, my seasonal depression (well, in conjunction with my bipolar disorder, I guess) has been much less of a problem the last couple of winters.
Anyway, this is one of the many reasons I recently decided I'm almost definitely autistic and likely have inattentive ADHD, as well. I've been wondering off and on for years and scored highly on the RAADS-R and every other online autism test, but when I discovered neurodivergent TikTok, that's when my whole life suddenly made WAY more sense. I can't afford to get an official diagnosis, but simply immersing myself in ND TikTok is already helping me SO MUCH. I'm starting to learn to let go of the voices in my head saying that I'm lazy, awkward, weird, and I'll never be good enough and starting to embrace the fact that my brain simply works differently than most other people.
I could go on, but I'm clearly already oversharing, another of my ND traits, I suppose, lol. Oversharing is basically a hobby of mine, between the blogs I wrote off and on over the years to my RUclips channel and social media. My family has always been bothered by how much I'm willing to share online, but it's actually something I enjoy.
Anyway. Love your info!
Same
I've always said that I'd rather be too warm than too cold because being cold is painful and being hot is just uncomfortable. I thought this was the same feeling for everyone but, apparently, it isn't.
The combo of bipolar and autism basically means you have no secrets lol
I could be under multiple layers and STILL be cold. It can take HOURS with a space heater at a high setting before I warm up even with several layers.
@@DanielSanchez-yi9crThat would be MEEEE...
except somehow I also do?
My brain doesn't even know what it is, haha...
I have actively searched for this kind of stuff for a couple years now, and this video is more than a year old now. So much for the "algorithm."
I’m noticing overlaps between autism and multiple sclerosis. Been explaining everything with MS for 20 years; diagnosed autistic a few weeks ago. Two sneaky, hidden tricksters.
For sure just list my mum to severe ms I have fybromyalgia CFS the link is eds.and Asperger's they don't tell us they don't want us to no u believe anyone with Parkinson's or ms either have ADHD add Asperger's or both
Have u tried ACA the cptsd meetings, childhood trauma invalidation or betrayal truama.its free large numbers have neurodivergence and fibromyalgia due to growing up in traumatising environments or homes
I wasn’t diagnosed until three years ago, I am now 70. I also have ADHD which was diagnosed in my early 20s, because girls were NOT hyperactive. Until the name was changed, few would allow themselves to diagnose girls this way. As a surgical technician for almost forty years that became a pharmacist, I find what you’re saying very helpful. Both of my daughters are ADHD people as are all three grandchildren.
You DEFINITLY know what you are talking about!!!!!! I have a 3rd generation maybe forth and married into a neurodivergent family. I can't find any counselors that laterally know the first thing about autism. Literally like the VERY basic criteria (my weed out question.) You touched on how to address a PDA autistic.
OMG…
This was such a great video! So funny with all the movie references (which is how I have often related to people/situations my whole life). And very useful information and explained well. My 9yo son was just diagnosed with ASD. I’m 99.9% sure that I also have ASD. I also wet the bed until I was around 12 years old. This whole experience has been so trippy bc I’m not only learning how to parent and understand my son but also my inner child. It’s been mind blowing but also cathartic in many ways. I’m watching all of your videos they have been so helpful. Make more! & Thanks!
I remember in my youth that when it was 95 degrees out, I would never take off my zipped up jacket. It didnt matter how hot it got, I only felt comfortable in it. It didn't even phase me, though I eventually grew out of it. Despite this, I am extremely sensitive to pain to the extent that lightly poking me will illicit a response that I know I shouldnt have. Most days I only use the restroom when I wake up and before bed. And worst of all, when I feel cold for some reason my skin feels like its on fire and that im boiling alive- it has given me multiple panic attacks in the past. Since I have no control over the thermostat where I live, I had to duct tape the airvent to my bedroom just to alleviate that issue.
And yet, I am not at all sensitive to hunger. I decided to do a one meal a day plan to lose weight one year ago, my family thought it was impossible to make that transition and yet cold turkey, I just did that without issue. If my mind is focused on anything else, my stomach is irrelevant. Sleep, near impossible unless I go out of my way to work to exhaustion.
Its...a life and not one Id wish on others
EmperorZaph1512, please set a clock to go to the bathroom more. I’ve worked with old people who have bladder and incontinence problems, and when you talk to them, a lot of them did what you’re doing. You can look it up - the bladder loses elasticity eventually and will not hold the liquid as well any more. So figure out a plan so you don’t have to deal with the consequences of it later.
Can relate.
This was such an excellent explanation of interception! I love your videos. I’m pretty sure one of kids is autistic and this child will have meltdowns over a bug bite or any kind of itch. Getting a cold with a cough used to upset this child so much. Now that our child is getting older, the accumulation of life experiences is helping to relieve the anxiety they once felt about these bodily sensations. But I never knew WHY, like the scientific reason why, this child would get so distressed over an itch. Thank you so much for this, it’s so helpful.
It's not "anxiety".
OMG, thank you for this information! Since I developed severe/disabling fibromyalgia about 25 years ago, I have most of the symptoms you mentioned. I believe it was due to spinal/neck injuries. I started saying that it was like I was autistic, (which I knew I wasn't.) I worked with autistic children in a classroom, and studied autism, so I had a reference point.
Holy S*it! Ive been trying to figure myself out for 70 years and you just explained me to myself in less than 2 minutes! Thank you!!
Wow, I am 50 years old now and never heard about this before! I worked in healthcare professions (anesthesia-assistent, male nurse, guiding mentally impaired people and have a very broad interest in psychology and human behavior!) I have Aspergers syndrome and my kids too. My daughter is not able to connect here emotional and cognitive processes and thus feels things which are cognitive not in line or have thoughts which do not trigger emotional responses which would normally occur in people. Also she is never thirsty and have to be told to drink during the day, otherwise she don't! Like I sometimes have to tell myself sometimes to eat because I haven't eat all day and it is already 6 pm or something! No psychologist or psychiatrists had ever mentioned this or even recognized these traits! I also have seen multiple of those "professionals" but not anymore, because they are truly ignorant, unaware and I have immense more knowledge about the topics then they have! Of course, they are mostly narcissistic and believe they are highly superior to other people, especially their patients! They literally mock me and laugh when I mention my experiences and tell them facts they apparently do not know! The last two I walked out on within a half an hour and made them furious doubting their knowledge! I live in The Netherlands and the mental healthcare is extremely flawed in my opinion! So I will follow your channel from now on, because this is the second video I have seen from you and your view correlate very much with my experiences and own studies! Thank you and until the next time! 🙏
Do you get muscle pain in the body from the Asperger's or your daughter
@@Truerealism747 Are you serious?
@@MultiTipsie yes fybromyalgia linked to Asperger's hypomobility I've found out the hard way
@@Truerealism747 Ah. OK. I am sorry for you! In what way does it manifest itself in your case? I do have symptoms but those can easily been caused by my other problems. Just one sticks out. Muscle aches and cramps in upper region of the back, the neck and shoulders since puberty or so. But I tend to somehow unknowingly put tension on those muscles all the time, also in rest. I then have to consciously relax them. But so far not anything I can bring back to that specifically.
@@MultiTipsie my constant symptoms upper body shoulders armpits heal pain from rest.i dislocate my knee 2 years ago.thats from that though slow healing upper body though it has moved.iver years the muscle skeleton.paun started in my throat 6 years ago then chest now here
I am a 67 year old wife, mother, grandmother. I am just beginning my journey of acknowledging/accepting my own neurodiversty. Sooooo many things about me I finally understand. I appreciated this video very much, once again, explaining things about me that I either didn't know about or were puzzled by. Thank you so, so much!
"You're right, Preparation H does feel good... on the hole".
😂😂😂😂. 50 points for Gryffindor!
@@mbm8404definitely not ravenclaw
In-You-End-O!
Where has this channel been!?! ❤ it!!!
I'm self diagnosed as of now...53
You are the only person I've heard professionally say something about not feeling hungry...or thirsty...I'm learning so much
I appreciate you being straight forward. My child has been diagnosed Autism. Doing my homework to learn. Have a awesome day fellow Humans 🙏
I am hyperaware of humidity...which seems odd to me. I live on the SE coast of the US and summer here is hot AND humid. Summer makes me ANGRY here. I grew up in the mountains of NY and I loved the summer there - had many positive experiences that time of year there. Down here I spend most summer days feeling like I am drowning, and I can't control my anger. I would love to find a way to mitigate that.
Acupuncture helps me the most with that issue. I can go to an appointment feeling absolutely horrible, then walk out an hour later and it's like "oh, what a nice day!" If you google acupressure for heat intolerance, experiment with pressing the suggested points. If any of them are sore, that's an indication that they'll be helpful to release - you don't need to press hard or be in pain to get benefit, just touch enough to feel the touch and breath into it for a minute or so, then test it again to see if it's still sore. Gently squeezing the flesh between your eyebrows with thumb and forefinger can also be very helpful (it's called the third eye point). I hope this helps!
My body interprets it that as overheating, nausea, indigestion
This explains a lot about me...have been at odds with my family for many years now but especially with my mother who always seems to be freezing when much of the time I feel I'm sweltering. Had lived up in New England most of my life, now we've been living in New Mexico a few years, was told I'd acclimate...I still really haven't felt that happen much at all, never mind how much more depressing it is to almost constantly have bright, sunny days and very little rain or snow. Sadly didn't have much a choice but to go with. I'd spent $200+ on a large industrial fan, just for my room, and people had to deal with having to text to communicate. Wasn't until we finally got better AC that I've felt more comfortable, but I'm still going out in the dead of winter here without any layered clothing.
I've realized in the last few years that the volume of my voice drops significantly as anxiety levels increase. There's apparently nothing unusual about me speaking inaudibly during stressful situations.
😂 That's kind of quirky and cute.
That’s really neat. The opposite of how others do! But I think actually it’s really useful because it gives the semblance of calm rather than adding to the mayhem around you.
My body has always run overly hot and my heartrate is high. I also easily panic or freak out. Many more, actually. This has been enlightening beyond words, thank you so much.
I've watched a few of your videos now and you're explaining things I haven't had words to describe to others. thank you for making them
What I'm getting out of your videos is that ASD and ADHD might be more about sensory processing. I have heard someone describe ADHD not as lack of attention, but the inability to effectively turn it off so when something new comes in to challenge your brain for your attention (like say a co worker tapping on your shoulder) an NT brain will be able to filter this, but an ADHD people can't do that so the new stimuli distracts them. Which fits with a sensory issue.
We consider Autism as a spectrum ... but perhaps in the more mild end ... austism isn't a development issue but a sensory one ...
now I wish I was a researcher to investigate this lol
I have this so extremely I have almost died twice! The most dangerous, and frustrating thing is that I don't run a fever - EVER! I can't get medical doctors to take me seriously, and when I tell them I don't run a fever they ignore me like I'm crazy. I was septic from a perforated diverticulitis (which I didn't know I had) and had no fever. I just dropped to the floor one night. The EMTs didn't believe that I was sick because I had no fever and I had to argue with them to take me to the ER. They made me walk myself to the gurney outside. When the ambulance started they finally took my blood pressure. It was 70/40! I had emergency surgery that night and it cost me 6 inches of my large intestine. I didn't know I was autistic at the time. Now I have a name for it! Thank you sooooo sooooo much for this video!
It's scary to think that the unwillingness of others to consider the existence of problems can be such a simple source of threat to one's life. A death due to others in this way sadly seems appropriate and expected for someone who doesn't fit in.
I'm glad you were able to fight hard enough to force them to give you that medical care you needed, and I hope you learned the medical jargon to do this easier next time you need help.
I dont run fevers either. Havent since I was a child
Ok I didn’t know this was a thing…..!
I had a very low fever after back surgery, combined with a pooling of blood. The hospital ignored it repeatedly even tho It persisted for two weeks, because it wasn’t “enough “ of a fever…. Even tho I had chills and shakes odd and on. It had to be over 102° for them to admit me. The pain got so bad I couldn’t walk past the bedroom door.
There are other times I have colored snot, sinus headache etc.. but there’s no fever so I figure well it’s nothing big.
But I do have trouble w my internal temperature. Not knowing that was a condition I never questioned it that much
For me as a dissociator, it's double hard for me identifying my own feelings, as mostly, I won't be able to remember my negative feelings. However, the feeling I feel the most is dysphoria and it's really unsettling for me, when I'm experiencing dysphoria. It feels like everything in my body clenching together and I lose track of time and space and also, my brain is in an alert mode. Sometimes to me, dysphoria comes along with dissociation (which happens very quietly in my case) and my memories would change and rearrange. For years, I didn't have a word for that unsettling sensation I am experiencing. I thought that there was something wrong with me, because I never heard any NTs talk about that, thus due to masking, I tried to supress my dysphorias which made things even worse.
Sometimes, my dysphoria symptoms matches up with my shutdown symptoms and it's hard for me to identify that sensation as a dysphoric reaction, a shutdown or a dissociation.
I stopped the video to thank you for sharing so personally. it's nice to see a doctor break down their power differential and be real and raw with us. I went through school in the early 80's and the damage has been extreme. Dx is CPTSD, but I'm wondering about these other things. Introspection has always been off for me and I come from medical abuse from a caregiver, so knowing what was originally with me and what came from toxic stress is important, wherever a differential can be clear. Thanks again, this is how I receive information best, from a real place. I def struggle to be in a doctor's small office with them, struggling to convey my experience in a way they can take it in without cues I read or misread activating a trauma response in me. I really appreciate this. I wish you were my doc.
Preparation H, is like away of getting your (w)hole self ready. I love puns so much! Your videos have been unbelievably helpful, thank-you for making them. Edit: I get ridiculously hot, & can be very sensitive to pain; also when ever I have in-digestion, it tricks my brain into thinking I'm anxious, which is very strange.
As a soon to be occupational therapy practitioner in the public school system, communicating through 'additive empathy' is going to be so helpful for my neurodivergent little ones. I've researched different approaches for communicating with kids with persistent drive for autonomy/pathological demand avoidance (PDA). This is a bit different, but thank you for giving me another tool in the tool box to better support my future students.
Oh man, this is spot on. My 5-yr old daughter has to press against her bladder to figure out whether she has to pee. She also will say she’s sweating even when we have the fan/AC on in her room and it feels cool.
Finally diagnosed with autism at 30, chronic generalized anxiety and MDD since the start of puberty. So many points here are so validating, thank you!
I struggle with feeling anxiety in particular. I'm fairly certain this is partly due to my cPTSD and religious trauma. It has to get pretty extreme for me to even realize I'm feeling anxious most of the time. And I officially have an anxiety disorder, which I thought might be depression until I talked to a therapist about it.
I know I don't emote anxiety, sadness, or frustration very well. I've had ppl tell me I look so happy on days where I was feeling frustrated and upset and wasn't trying to smile or look happy. I had assumed I looked angry actually. It's a little frustrating because there's definitely times where I just want someone to _notice_ that I'm upset without having to tell them.
I really feel the "I want someone to notice without me having to tell them"
I like these videos cause they help me put words to what im feeling. Its like my doctors dont believe im autistic unless i can name EVERY symptom i feel when i didnt even know alot of the stuff associated with autism was happening to me. Its just been apart of my life
Oh man. I'm terrible at sensing my body's physical needs. And I often have no idea what my emotions are. It can be very confusing. But at the same time, physical touch can be painful. And so can light and sound. I have to schedule in my body's physical needs in order to do them at a reasonable rate.
I literally just learned the words exteroception, interoception, and proprioception a few days ago. (I think) my exteroception was pretty good, and my interoception, at least now. I know my proprioception is really bad. But you mentioned off a list, not knowing when you're thirsty, not knowing when you have to use the bathroom, not knowing where a bruise came from... All these apply to me, especially as a child and my siblings and my mom have the same issues. This is very enlightening! I just came across your channel, I hope you made the video about Proprioception, because I really want to watch that next!
Is it possible to have lowered interoception sensitivity in some areas but heightened sensitivity in other areas? It seems to cover a huge range of body functions.
probably! cause in other senses they can fluctuate like with being sensitive to touch and more sensory seeking in other areas maybe with proprioception, so maybe using weighted objects. and since interoception is one of the senses it'd make sense that it'd fluctuate between hunger, having to use the restroom, etc. :) i really hope this made sense because it's really late at night lol
That's pretty much me
For sure
Absolutely, yes
Yee
Great video. This is a big issue with my hypermobile, EDS patients. It's a challenge to know how to help them remember to eat, drink, take breaks. I'll try some of this out!
A very noticeable trait of my ND self is that I very much have been always scorching hot, and never had the ability to cool down because my body doesn’t produce nearly enough sweat to be able to regulate my temp. Nowadays, I’m at the stage of life (27) where I can get cold abnormally fast and hot abnormally fast (still with no sweating).
I’m also almost never hungry until I’m queasy in hunger, having gone a few days without eating. The bedwetting situation, I DETEST HOW ACCURATELY EMBARRASSING THAT I’VE EXPERIENCED THAT.
I have lots of quite noticeable traits of interoception, where I get called incredibly strange for having.
Damn, where have you been in my life this long. so much makes so much sense now....
Can I add something from experience? I'm a bit allergic to bites and pollen, nothing major. I'm used to be bumping into things. I had many other stereotypical problems. Then I decided enough was enough and started walking into nature alone. Never felt so invigorating and aware of everything. So much so, I started noticing things much much better. Many things got better, but being aware of both nature and people made me love nature even more. I think being close to nature can really help autistics, because given time to adapt, it heals us, and love and greatfulness fills our hearts.
I begun to understand that many people are so neurotic because they are so far from nature, both the environment and their own. That's why neurotipicals play their game, they put shame on knowing their own nature, accepting truth and improving themselves. I'm not just an animal full of emotions, or a cold rational machine, I'm a freaking beast and a human with both emotions and reason.
I can fight to the death for the right cause and I claim my rightful place, to be in peace with myself, no shame, no fear, no hate. Just being aware put you in control of yourself, and if you train enough, there is not much that can take you off balance.
Now, I know different people have different natures, so your problems and strenghts are different from mine, but I can guarantee you! Be aware of your true nature, stop fighting with yourself, make peace with your desires, have empaty but take nothing to the face value, point to the abuse at the first sign showing awareness, be independent and do not stay close to abusers, be firm but not aggressive, be calm but not careless or cold. You will strenght you resolve over time, you just have train the muscles of your Will and you will find a Way. You will become a a better version of yourself, by overcoming your inner conflicts. Believe me, the so called loosers can become the greatest winners, they just have to know their strenght, and to stop playing the game by other people's rules, they are designed so to keep you down, no wonder you lose!
I have found this to be true also. Something I relate to since being more in tune with nature is how ALL living things (birds, reptiles, mammals, insects, plants, etc.) have extensions of the senses and special adaptations about them that are not only different but helpful... helpful to their survival BECAUSE they are different. We humans have them too... and we also will have them stronger in some areas and weaker in others compared to other humans, and that is where our differences are our strengths. Our strengths can help us survive through life as well, just like they do with all living things. And growing a better understanding, at least, of our weaknesses is also helpful in improving ourselves, understanding others (and also their weaknesses) and our interaction with others. I do a lot of bird watching, and sometimes there are birds at the feeders that are bigger or have stronger bills that will keep the smaller, weaker billed birds from eating. The smaller birds that realize they can't win a fight with the bigger birds adapt, and learn there are other places to eat other than that spot on that feeder, and they are the ones that survive. The ones that keep trying at the feeder, only to get knocked off by the bigger bird will only get more frustrated and more hungry.
Sometimes a strength can be in learning to hide and camouflage ourselves. I'm thinking of the undersea world and how certain animals will hide and camouflage themselves to protect themselves against predators, or to grab unsuspecting prey for food. There is for sure value in that as well... in knowing our needs and how to use our strengths (or what others may perseve as weaknesses?) in getting those needs met. Hopefully I'm making some sort of sense!
Nature can truly teach us so much if we get out and experience her to the best of our individual abilities. We all just need to figure out what works best within our tolerances, to make it through this beautiful life we are given to experience. I've always found it interesting how Nature rewards aggressiveness... with food, with survival... but she also rewards the ability to adapt, to be clever... with food, with survival. 😊
@@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane You got the spirit of it! I'm learn both from taoist and stoic philosophy, learn from nature, know youself and do your best to adapt. Be like water. Change your tactics as many times as needed. And if even after your best continuous efforts you fail, do not worry, there is things you can't control or change, and there is wisdom in recognizing that. Even if you fail, you grow wiser.
@@AdlerMow Funny you should say "be like water." I've always been a "water baby" as they say. I grew up around it, I love it and am very drawn to it!
It's true what you said. I had a teacher tell me once when I was a kid "the hard times you face make you stronger" and that always stuck with me. I've been through so many hard times in my life... and she was right, it does. I am much stronger than most people think I am. I can take a lot, and I treat people very well until they show me differently and I quite like to see the look on their faces when they finally realize there's more to me than they had assumed!
I have to share an amazing thing I saw this past July that I keep thinking about today. I went outside just after dark with my dog... it's so peaceful then; no lawnmowers running, no people talking or sunlight to distract the senses... and our path was SPARKLING with lightening bugs! They were everywhere, and it was positively magical! My dog even stopped in her tracks, looked up across them all, turned around and looked back at me like, "WOW! What is this?!" then, tentatively, stepped slowly forward. It was so cool! So much better than fireworks! I'm so glad I got to experience and live in that moment. I go back to it in my mind on days like today when I need it and it makes me smile.
@@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane Life is so much more than what people make out of it. If it was not for mean people, life would be almost perfect. So it's easier to achieve happiness walking your own way, if there some good company by your side, it's a nice plus, but non essential. Have had both, and I'm grateful for it.
@@AdlerMow Yes, true. 💛
You are the first person who has ever even come close to explaining why I am always so cold, ty
I had the same issue with wetting the bed (and my pants, in school no less) until about age 13. I can absolutely relate to this, even after having learned how to overcome this.
Hey! You’re not alone.
I’ve had my fair share of this, but not as bad as my little brother.
He was still shitting himself until he turned 14. My dad got a call from the school once letting him know, they had found my little brothers attempt to hide his shitty underwear and pants in his locker.
Most of my family are autistic. I’ve seen many of them struggle with going too the bathroom when they need too.
I have too. You’re not alone.
It was a problem for me too but only when i laughed a little too hard
This guy is so amazingly helpful. To be 28 and just now learning so much about myself is wild, but this is helping me sooo much at improving my daily experiences.
Never warm! WTF AM I autistic??? I feel within the 2 videos I've watched of you so far I've been diagnosed THOROUGHLY full fledged autistic
Keep watching different videos from different content creators and educating yourself. I'm 28 years old, self dX, then got formally tested and lo and behold, I'm autistic.
You are Special and Unique. Always do the best that you can. Much much love 🙏 💝
I have comorbid POTS/dysautonomia and combine this with poor interoception and i really struggle staying hydrated. POTS is a common comorbidity i bet a lot of us dont realize we have.
I have this all and EDS and lupus. Do you also have EdS?
Thank you for mentioning incontinence/ bed wetting. It's the hard truth, that many other RUclipsr's never speak of.
I was recently diagnosed by two drs and a geneticist with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Type 3, (hypermobile), I'm 64. I have been doing a lot of investigating about this. There is a big correlation between Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Autism! Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and its symptoms are EXACTLY what you are taking about! Are you very flexible and have had stomach issues and MANY of the symptoms being discussed right now? Check out if you too might have hEDS!!! Much love to you all! ❤️
I'm 66 years old and in the last 5 years I have begun to realize that I have undiagnosed autism. This has given me insights into my past that have been eye opening to say the least. This is the first mention I've seen about temperature sensitivity. All my life my feet have been uncomfortably cold, even in summer.
ND Dr,
Am 72 and still experiencing hot flushes and “panic attacks” (Dr’s terminology, not mine). Could this be linked to my autism?
To me they aren’t panic attacks, but some sort of autonomic dysfunction. I am also hypervigilant, and unexpected noises scramble my brain, which takes ages to recover from.
You are a multi-talented person; we could do with more Drs like you. Thank you for your videos, they are very helpful.
💐🇬🇧
Thankful I found you today. Hi! This particular program has hit the spot. The spot I didn’t know I had. Thank you. I’m feeling particularly stressed out for the last 3 years. I have permanent brain damage going on that is creating chaos in my life. So learning about how I may eventually learn to control myself is of great benefit to me.
Please look into hEDS and Hypermobilty Spectrum Disorder, we tend to be very neurodiverse and our bodies do not like to play ball with our brains, causing Dysautonomia and Introception probs.
Thanks to make all those things so clear! 🙏 team always hot here and that's a huge problem in my life.
Hi! Thank your for the video. Is it possible to have very sensitive interoception where you feel everything so much that it always feels like something is wrong?
I am a recent subscriber and am loving your videos. I was so excited for this video as this is something I have realized in the last few years that I have had extreme difficulty with my whole life. Combine this with my alexithymia and I’ve come to realize how disconnected from my mind and body “I” am. I’m so happy you put this video out there for people to learn more about interoception.
ALSO, I was so excited for you to mentioned Kelly Mahler’s channel for more interoception information. Her videos on the subject were the starting point for my coming to understand what I didn’t understand about my body 😂 I have a long way to go but at least I’m on the journey.
I had no idea that the tickle/pain swap was a documented neurodivergent thing. But it would explain two weird things about me growing up. First, how my body reacts to ear infections. My inner ears will just itch. It's maddening having an un-scratchable itch inside my skull. When I was little, I complained to my parents my ears were itching, and after a few days they'd finally take me to the doctor. The doctor would say, "This is a really bad ear infection! How is she not screaming in pain?" Well, because it didn't hurt at all, it just itched! Secondly, drinking carbonated drinks feels like swallowing a pile of tiny needles. Deeply unpleasant. My friends laugh at the faces I pull when I try to drink pop. I assumed it was an acquired taste (like coffee is) and that the pain would disappear if I kept trying, but I didn't want to and my parents never forced me. But most kids pizza parties didn't include non-carbonated drinks, so I would always have to either push through the pain, or get a cup of water from a water fountain or bathroom sink.
I literally had to have an operation on my genitals and within a week was walking around, didn't even use painkillers. But an ingrown toenail sent me into a panic spiral.
Oh my god, you mean I really DO get so cold it hurts?! You have no idea (or maybe you do) what it means to me to hear that! Thank you!
Okay, I have a question. You mentioned the autonomic system. Does that also have anything to do with Dysautonomia? Dysautonomia also affects the autonomic system.
And its a common comorbidity 🤔
So, I have BPD along with OCD and multiple anxiety disorders...and it always fascinates me how many of these autistic traits are also traits that I have from BPD. It's always interesting to learn that it's not just me who suffers from a lot of these things. I always thought that I couldn't regulate body temperature because of my 2 autoimmune diseases. I didn't know it could be caused by my neurodivergence. Thanks for the info! It's been very helpful.
I felt kinda silly how much I appreciated having an indoor/outdoor temperature sensor (+ humidity sensor) sitting on my desk. Needing an external device to tell me how hot it is and therefore how I should react? Surely I should just be able to trust my own senses? But actually it's been super helpful, especially recognising that I _will_ struggle to sleep if the humidity is >50% (and so I will begrudgingly leave the aircon in dehumidify mode overnight and actually get decent sleep)
dude! you made me splutter! "...good. on the whole!!" 😂😂👍😁 brother, i am SO relieved to meet you, with your series of intensely focussed & accurate decriptions leavened by sideways sllips into characters, jokes, inner awareness & laughter, thank you!
off to watch the burnout one.⛩️
& thanks for the recs!🖖
I’m autistic and sometimes get so hungry it feels like nausea so I can’t eat. At times the nausea gets so bad I vomit stomach acid. I keep V8 on hand to prevent this since it’s quick and easy to get some nutrition.
OMG!!! I'VE ALWAYS WRITTEN THINGS DOWN! I've always felt that writing things down helps me in exactly the same ways you just described! It's been my lifelong go-to for self-help, healing, and introspection. No wonder I'm doing so well~ I'm not perfect but any means! But I'm thriving~
I use additive empathy all the time! 🥰💕