On Monotropism (2/3)
Monotropism affects our senses as well
This is the second in a three-part series on monotropism, the concept of having a One-Thing-At-A-Time brain, which is posed as a universal theory explaining the AuDHD (and especially autistic) experience.
Part one in this series looked at special interests and hyper fixations. This article looks at how monotropism may also affect how we experience the world from a sensory perspective. Here are some examples:
Sensation. Sensory sensitivities can be the worst. I get cold easily and when I do it’s all I can think about. Other people struggle with the touch of certain materials on their bodies, or may vom if they smell someone eating their lunch nearby, or want to punch that idiot talking in the cinema (that’s also me. If you talk, I will punch you). Whilst neurotypical people can ignore such irritants or put them to the back of their minds, we become consumed. The disruption to our sensory experience becomes our hyperfixation until the source of our distress goes away or we exit the situation.
Interoception. Feeling a bit peckish? Annoyed at your neighbour making noises at 2am? That’s interoception: the awareness of physical and emotional sensations within you. Our monotropic focus on other things can dampen our interoceptive awareness, such knowing when we need the toilet or recognising our feelings (aka Alexithymia) until they’re too intense to ignore. And when our inner sensations do hold our attention, they are overwhelming. For example, studies have shown that autistic fear is much more intense than neurotypical fear. When I see a spider in the house, I can’t even move until it’s been booted outside.
Proprioception. The sense of the location and action of one’s body is a topic I covered in a previous article as something with which us AuDHD people can struggle. It comes across as being clumsy or careless, but is arguably down to monotropism. Our attention is so focussed on something else that we lose periphery awareness, causing us to spill drinks, bump into tables or drop things. As Rich Pink explains, our attention is like a flashlight with a narrow beam. He talks about it in the context of interrupting someone, but it applies just as well to attention in relation to proprioception.
So, the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed by (or not aware of) a physical or emotional sensation, inside or outside your body, consider that monotropism may be directly or indirectly at play. What’s important is that you take action to look after yourself. Worried the restaurant will be too loud? Always have a spare set of earplugs to hand. Scared of that spider? Get someone to get rid of it. DO NOT try to ignore your needs because you think that’s what ‘normal’ people do. Remember that the world isn’t designed for you and the better you can manage your experiences, the better your life will be.
One more part to go! Watch out for the final article on how monotropism affects our relationships with others.