Are people with ADHD slow at realising they are unwell?

I pondered this question as I lay on my sofa completely floored again. It brought back terrible memories of my cancer treatment and how it left me weak, disabled and isolated. I don’t want to stop and rest. My brain is whirring.

This time though it’s just a virus. I’m probably more susceptible to catching things because my body has been hammered with chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy and targeted therapy.

I’ve felt weak and horrible all week so why has it taken so long for me to realise I’m unwell? My brain is busy, and I want to get on and do things…but I can’t. I even went to my Vinyasa yoga class and felt annoyed that I couldn’t heave my heavy body off the mat with grace like I normally do.

So, what’s going on?

Why has it taken me a full 5 days to realise that I’m unwell? I’ve had sleepless nights, tummy ache, a headache, zero appetite, a feeling of weakness throughout my body like I’ve got the flu and lymphy glands. But it’s only today that I start cancelling things and taking some paracetamol.

My brain is slow to pick up on the signals that my body is giving it.

The fancy word for this is interoception and is common amongst many ADHDer’s and the wider neurodivergent community.

Interoception is the perception of one’s physiological state.

Kelly Mahler, an occupational therapist gives a great explanation below.

Interoception: Feeling the Feels

So how exactly does interoception do its important job? This sense is hard at work all of the time, monitoring your entire body—body parts like your heart, lungs, stomach, bladder, muscles, skin, and even your eyeballs—and collecting information about how these body parts feel. For example, interoception collects information which helps your brain identify how your stomach feels: does it feel empty, full, gassy, nauseous, tingly or something else?

Your brain uses the information about the way your body feels as clues to your current emotion(s): are you hungry, nervous, tired, sick, excited and so forth?

Thus, at the most basic level, interoception can be defined as the sense that allows us to answer the question, “How do I Feel?” in any given moment.

So, in ADHD terms – what’s going on?

It is true that some people with ADHD may struggle to slow down, relax, or even recognise when they need rest and this, as in my case, results in my not noticing that my body is not firing on all cylinders. It’s easy to then see how many of us become burnt out and/or end up unwell, stressed out and anxious.

So, what can we do?

1.        STOP – take a breath and ask yourself – “how do I feel?’ Then ask yourself a few more questions. Do I need a break from what I’m doing? Have I slept enough? Do I need something to eat or the toilet? Do I need to hydrate?

2.        BE INTENTIONAL  – what me? But I’m a seat of ya pants kinda girl, fly or die. Yes, you – you really need to plan breaks, mealtimes, loo breaks, quiet time even holidays. This is because we’re not great at executive function AND our brains are working much harder than neurotypical folk and we just get more tired. Fact!

3.        SHOW YOURSELF SOME COMPASSION – We have a harsh inner critic, coupled with a brain that is always seeking stimulation. If your friend came to you and told you they were having a difficult time, feeling poorly, exhausted from life, you’d encourage them to take a break and be kind to themselves.

4.        FIND YOUR WAY TO REST – (Before burnout!) It might be listening to music, exercising, a walk in nature, gardening, hobbies or being with friends and family. It’s your happy place, anything that sooths and helps you regulate.

Today my happy place is sitting listening to a podcast and gazing at the beautiful flowers I’ve grown.

My 10-week Personal Growth and Wellbeing Program is a great way to help you answer these questions for yourself as it helps you identify your energy drains, plan for self care and establish habits that support lasting wellbeing.

Growing Flowers and listening to my favourite podcast is my happy place.