shamelessly_mkp (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shamelessly_mkp) wrote2014-07-29 11:49 pm
shamelessly_mkp) wrote2014-07-29 11:49 pm
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Hey, i was wondering if you could give me some advice. I think i may have alexithymia, or at least i
I’ve been thinking about this a lot and while I don’t think this will be a comprehensive list, I’ll try. Often emotions will manifest as one or more interoceptive (physical) sensations and interoceptive sensations can be confused for emotions (especially anxiety or nervousness). Here are some ways to identify both that I’ve found helpful.
Common interoceptive sensations:
Am I hungry? Signs: stomach pain/nausea, stomach making noises, irritable, tired, lightheaded, headache, trouble focusing, more than a few hours since last food intake
Am I dehydrated? Signs: persistent thirst, dry mouth/tongue, dry eyes, worsening headache, physically sluggish, dizziness, very yellow urine
Do I need to sleep? Signs: trouble focusing, frequent yawning, decreased alertness, memory problems, irritable, muscle soreness/discomfort, eyelids feel heavy, headache, slurred speech, decreased coordination, whole body tremors, dizziness, blurred vision, hallucinations [some of these are extreme effects, i.e. you haven’t slept for more than 24 hours]
Am I cold? Signs: whole body shivering, fingers or toes noticeably cold when touched to thigh or abdomen skin, teeth chattering, bluish tint around lips, numbness or tingling in fingers or toes
Am I hot? Signs: sweaty or clammy skin, red/flushed skin - especially of the face, ears, neck or upper chest, lightheaded, prickly or itchy skin (with or without red bumps), headache, muscle cramps, nausea, confusion [those last few are really serious - seek medical attention/cool off immediately]
Do I need to use the bathroom? Signs: pressure or pain in the lower abdomen, cramping, gas, feeling more comfortable when curled in the fetal position than stretched out flat
Common emotions and how to identify them:
Am I anxious? Anxiety is usually future-related. What’s going to happen in my short or long term future that I might be scared or nervous about? Is there anything new or out of the ordinary? Is something changing? Have new expectations been placed on me? Do I feel like there is something I need to avoid, even if that means doing something out of character or drastic?
Am I sad? Sadness is usually related to loss. Have I lost or am I losing something important to me? Is a part of me that I like going away or changing? Is something coming to an end? Do I feel like crying or withdrawing?
Am I happy? Happiness is usually related to fulfillment. Have I gotten something that I wished for or wanted? Has someone done something for me or given me something? Am I reaching a goal or milestone soon? [Note: happiness can sometimes feel like anxiety or be mixed with anxiety if it’s too intense.]
Am I angry? Anger is usually related to violation. Has someone done something that violates my beliefs, rights, trust or property? Has someone taken something from me or damaged something that I value? Do I feel like lashing out physically or verbally at someone?
Am I afraid? Fear is usually related to preserving safety. Am I in danger emotionally, physically, socially or mentally? Do I feel like fleeing or hiding? Is there a person in my life who I try to avoid being around? Am I engaging in behavior that carries a high risk of injury or self-harm? Is my future uncertain in ways that I’m not sure I can handle?
——-
Like I said, this is really first draft-y and rough but hopefully it’s a start. What works for me might be different than what works for you.
via:Tumblr http://ift.tt/1kluJFp
Common interoceptive sensations:
Am I hungry? Signs: stomach pain/nausea, stomach making noises, irritable, tired, lightheaded, headache, trouble focusing, more than a few hours since last food intake
Am I dehydrated? Signs: persistent thirst, dry mouth/tongue, dry eyes, worsening headache, physically sluggish, dizziness, very yellow urine
Do I need to sleep? Signs: trouble focusing, frequent yawning, decreased alertness, memory problems, irritable, muscle soreness/discomfort, eyelids feel heavy, headache, slurred speech, decreased coordination, whole body tremors, dizziness, blurred vision, hallucinations [some of these are extreme effects, i.e. you haven’t slept for more than 24 hours]
Am I cold? Signs: whole body shivering, fingers or toes noticeably cold when touched to thigh or abdomen skin, teeth chattering, bluish tint around lips, numbness or tingling in fingers or toes
Am I hot? Signs: sweaty or clammy skin, red/flushed skin - especially of the face, ears, neck or upper chest, lightheaded, prickly or itchy skin (with or without red bumps), headache, muscle cramps, nausea, confusion [those last few are really serious - seek medical attention/cool off immediately]
Do I need to use the bathroom? Signs: pressure or pain in the lower abdomen, cramping, gas, feeling more comfortable when curled in the fetal position than stretched out flat
Common emotions and how to identify them:
Am I anxious? Anxiety is usually future-related. What’s going to happen in my short or long term future that I might be scared or nervous about? Is there anything new or out of the ordinary? Is something changing? Have new expectations been placed on me? Do I feel like there is something I need to avoid, even if that means doing something out of character or drastic?
Am I sad? Sadness is usually related to loss. Have I lost or am I losing something important to me? Is a part of me that I like going away or changing? Is something coming to an end? Do I feel like crying or withdrawing?
Am I happy? Happiness is usually related to fulfillment. Have I gotten something that I wished for or wanted? Has someone done something for me or given me something? Am I reaching a goal or milestone soon? [Note: happiness can sometimes feel like anxiety or be mixed with anxiety if it’s too intense.]
Am I angry? Anger is usually related to violation. Has someone done something that violates my beliefs, rights, trust or property? Has someone taken something from me or damaged something that I value? Do I feel like lashing out physically or verbally at someone?
Am I afraid? Fear is usually related to preserving safety. Am I in danger emotionally, physically, socially or mentally? Do I feel like fleeing or hiding? Is there a person in my life who I try to avoid being around? Am I engaging in behavior that carries a high risk of injury or self-harm? Is my future uncertain in ways that I’m not sure I can handle?
——-
Like I said, this is really first draft-y and rough but hopefully it’s a start. What works for me might be different than what works for you.
via:Tumblr http://ift.tt/1kluJFp