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nubbins
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18 Jul 2012, 9:01 pm

Wow. Am I ever learning a lot from this thread. I always thought stimming was more wildly uncontrolled (slapping hand against thigh while staring blankly into space, etc). Reading here--man, do I ever. I've been tapping, drumming since I was a little kid. Squishing a bit of blanket between thumb, forefinger until finger goes cold. Talking to myself--big time. As a young child there were times, falling asleep, that the word 'orange' would zoom around my head until it lost all significance and actually gave me the willies to where I had to open my eyes to make it go away.

As to whether there's anything wrong with it--that would depend on the situation. Clearly, stimming while removing someone's gall bladder, or landing an A330 at Funchal with a 15kt crosswind--that might not be a good idea. Or, given there's already social nervousness for the most part, doing it in public and having people look at you as a result. Otherwise--who cares (assuming there's no self-harm of course)?



nominalist
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23 Jul 2012, 6:26 pm

Some people have compared stimming to meditation.


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CrazyStarlightRedux
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26 Jul 2012, 6:48 am

I can't really speak for anyone 30+ but...

I used to be really bad at stimming, amongst other things, but I only ever got bad when things made me really uncomfortable or my emotions were in overdrive (happy, sad etc).

How do I control/maintain it?

If I have an urge, I usually keep it as low profile as possible. I make noises on occasion too, but keep that low as well.

I think the best way to do it less/more diluted is to find out when it happens and why.

Now emotions can run high and trigger it, it's best to keep them in check and follow the motions carefully, so that you are in control.

I think most people would accept stimming adults, but the prejudice is still there. So not exactly hiding your stims, but to dilute them is the best solution.


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RyanGPenner
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12 Nov 2012, 1:05 pm

Halligeninseln wrote:
Since starting to busy myself with the topic of aspergers and since getting my diagnosis I have stopped suppressing stimming when I am alone. So when I am by myself I just do it, while engaging in my special interest. My usual stim is fairly heavy and would look very autistic if someone were to see me, so I make sure they don't. For many years I kept it suppressed but now that I know that I have AS I don't feel like suppressing it any more, at least for the time being, because it feels really good and even helps me to concentrate for long periods. On the other hand I wonder about it not being adult to do this at my age and suppose that at some time in the future I should train myself to suppress it again. I always used to wonder as a child if heavy stimming produced undesirable changes in the brain but I think that at my age I'm not too worried about that any more. Though I don't really know. I certainly count myself as less "normal" now that I have gone back to doing this but I feel it raises noticeably the level of well-being in my brain. It's a bit of a private subject to be writing about but I would be interested to hear if anyone has anything to say from a scientific or medical or personal point of view.


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Jabberwokky
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14 Nov 2012, 5:40 am

I have a stim bout at least once every 5 minutes. Thats a rough estimate. Mostly these stims are barely noticeable. I have managed somehow to get my stimming to not be obvious.

It gets to be a bit of a practical problem for me when I wash something. I have to make my fingers rub together repeatedly before and after the washing activity. It is excessive such that the washing activity becomes a mission.

When I drive I go through this elaborate ritual which can interfere with my ability to drive the vehicle, so I have to be careful of that. The stim where I have to stretch and tense my calf muscles can cause me to hit the brakes or accelerator at an inappropriate time.

In private I go totally wild on stimming but there again I have reached the limits of what my body can take. It seems that my stimming will extend ifallowed to whatever bodily movement is possible. I have learnt those limits through the injuries I have incurred. I have badly hurt my neck muscles before. It resulted in intense headaches, painful movements and an ongoing problem for sevral months and then another month when the neck injury recurred. I have had other less serious injurues such as straining my forearm muscles.

I have really enjoyed Wrong Planet for the reason that I now understand these weird issues I have. Stimming and sensory issues are two that I never knew were associated with Aspergers Syndrome. Its been a major revelation for me. I used think I was just a little insane.


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weeOne
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17 Nov 2012, 3:54 pm

Halligeninseln wrote:
Since starting to busy myself with the topic of aspergers and since getting my diagnosis I have stopped suppressing stimming when I am alone. So when I am by myself I just do it, while engaging in my special interest. My usual stim is fairly heavy and would look very autistic if someone were to see me, so I make sure they don't. For many years I kept it suppressed but now that I know that I have AS I don't feel like suppressing it any more, at least for the time being, because it feels really good and even helps me to concentrate for long periods. On the other hand I wonder about it not being adult to do this at my age and suppose that at some time in the future I should train myself to suppress it again. I always used to wonder as a child if heavy stimming produced undesirable changes in the brain but I think that at my age I'm not too worried about that any more. Though I don't really know. I certainly count myself as less "normal" now that I have gone back to doing this but I feel it raises noticeably the level of well-being in my brain. It's a bit of a private subject to be writing about but I would be interested to hear if anyone has anything to say from a scientific or medical or personal point of view.

I too have stopped trying to overly suppress all my non-NT-ness since getting diagnosed. I can't say if there's anything wrong with stimming as an adult, especially when no one else is around to worry about it, but I consider this a vast improvement over my prior sense of feeling miserable and powerless most of the time.

I will probably always keep a cap on my stimming, but I'm not worried anymore about completely repressing myself. Just so you know, I rock, jiggle my legs, and wave my fingers. If other people have a problem, don't look.

I vote yes on stimming, and no on judgmentalism.



weeOne
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17 Nov 2012, 3:59 pm

nominalist wrote:
Some people have compared stimming to meditation.

I agreed with your surmisal, so I clicked on one of your websites and got freaked out by the little sun following me everywhere--now THAT's an Aspie moment! Hahahaha!



TonyHoyle
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02 Dec 2012, 6:56 pm

I'm constantly playing with my ears - which after years of manipulation can easily be turned completely inside out which freaks some people out :p I also suck my thumb and will often suck my teeth (mostly for the feeling on my tongue I think). Someone walking in on my in the wrong moment would see me curled up with my arms over my head, ears inside out and sucking my thumb - shortly before they ran off the get the straightjackets!

I also love the taste of salt on my tongue, but don't do that any more as it's quite unhealthy (I lick crisps when alone though :p).

I used to do the knee bouncing thing (but have largely stopped now) but still move my foot a lot - especially in bed.. so much I actually get muscular aches from it :p

All of this I thought was perfectly normal until about 9 months ago..



Luska
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08 Dec 2012, 2:07 pm

My stimming is getting worse as I age. I am now 21.



Nambo
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08 Dec 2012, 8:05 pm

questor wrote:

One of my stims is bouncing a knee rapidly while sitting. This isn't too weird, so it's okay in public. I have occasionally had comments on it, but not often.. :lmao:


Goodness!, is that a Stim?, I thought everybody does it, Mine does it automatically, no wonder I get funny looks from people when I relate the following lovely story and start off by saying, "you know when you leg bounces up and down really fast on its own?"

Anyway, lovely story, I had a pair of Lovebirds, one was hand reared and would sit on my knee watching television with me, of course once the old leg started bouncing up and down, the little Love bird on my knee would be as well, his little shoulders would be bouncing up and down, but if I stopped, he would turn his little head around, look at me and tweet, so I had had to do it again, seemed he loved it.



Acedia
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11 Dec 2012, 10:14 am

Stimming is one of my most pronounced traits. My stimming though is socially unacceptable. What I mean by that, is that if people saw me flapping my hands and making those odd body movements, it would probably alarm or amuse those around.

I have stimmed a few times, mildly, in public without making a conscious effort to hold it back.

I stim even now, while I'm at my keyboard. I take a moment. My stimming is caused by emotions, music, stimuli and especially daydreaming. When I was a boy I did it publicly and got made fun off.

I've never been able to control it, but I can control it better when I'm in public - because in public I become quite withdrawn. It's just when I'm at home I let it all out. I've never been able to suppress or stop it completely. I am worried about how others will perceive it. But I guess you should be able to act however you want in the privacy of your home.



MasterSynaps
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14 Mar 2013, 11:25 am

I'm new to the aspergers concept.
I guess I've been stimming all my life. I use to drive my parents crazy tapping knives and forks at the table. I use to do the knee bounce alot, not so much anymore. I tap my fingers in various rythums alot. When thinking when waiting for a page to load. I play with the coins in my pocket. My GF is always having a go about that. I can't resist playing with elastic bands. I fiddle with things alot.



mrbagle
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16 Mar 2013, 2:50 am

I stim all I want when I'm alone(mostly arm flapping). I do not stim in public though when I have to I just twist my wrist, it does the trick for me.



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17 Mar 2013, 8:12 am

I don't think I could suppress it if I tried. It's very much a focusing tool for me.



kouzoku
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17 Mar 2013, 1:17 pm

I am tapping my fingernails on my lip as I read this - if someone were to forbid stimming in my own house, I'd say that could be classified as mental abuse. We stim for a reason. The thought of not being able to do so in private scares me. 8O



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17 Mar 2013, 4:57 pm

My stereotypies (I don't like the word stim) happen automatically and I am not aware of it most of the time. Mostly repetitive hand movements and some other movements like head nodding or rocking. When I realize that I am doing it I try to make it less obvious, but I know that when I stop thinking about it I will start doing it. I used to be totally oblivious to it unless someone brought it to my attention because they got annoyed or people made fun of me, but still I didn't know it was something that wasn't normal, and I didn't think much of it.
I am more aware of it since learning about it. I don't do it for any conscious reason, it's just my natural mode and it is constant, either a purposeless perseveration or it's related to sensory processing disorder or sensory integration. I don't know if it relaxes me but I am uncomfortable if I try to stop it.