'Resetting' yourself by stimming?

Post Reply New Topic

So there I was in the big city (pop 60,000), at an autie/aspie meeting. As I was actually involved I was also a tad nervous.

A fellow WP member was there and had given me a pen. I absentmindedly placed the top of the pen against my upper lip. Blessed moothness! So I sat there rolling the pen round and round whilst it was in contact with my upper lip.

1. I think nearly any physical activity can be stimming

2. I hadn't thought of it as a reset, but I think yoy may be right

3. Stimming is good!

There is nothing like a long walk followed by a long shower to reset the mental circuit breakers.

I stim by sucking my thumb or chewing things.

I rock back and forth and I like to clap.

I have also been known to hand flap and punch things :S

I'm still confused by this whole stimming thing. What's the difference between that, and just normal nervous little things? I found out from a person who's grandson has Asperger's (for sure) that he plays with rubber bands, and likes to do stuff with his hands.

I quite often am like bouncing my leg up and down, or like hitting my thumb against stuff, or I like to have a physical object that I'm "playing" with-like when I'm talking to him, I'm always playing with my Palm PDA, like flipping it around, and taking the stylus in and out and stuff like that (that's when he brought up his grandson and the rubber bands). At home when I'm talking to someone I like to hold a remote, and slide the battery cover on and off, or this one remote slides down so I do that a bunch.

Could that be stimming? I've never thought anything of it, and I'm not conscious of doing it all THAT much. I though it was just something people do. I like to pick at stuff too-like I'm terrible if there's a string on a shirt or I have a scab or something. When I first started looking in to AS and saw references to stimming, I thought "well, I don't match that". But do I? Or is this just normal stuff like I'm assuming?

I just do my little things I guess mostly unconsciously, and mostly just to relieve stress...and it just feels better, I don't know how to describe it.

And could pulling out your hair possibly be stimming? My mom says my aunt was different too (along with my father and uncle) and she was always pulling out her hair.

music is my stim, it probably always will be

I can't be very physically active & never could run (my knee would always give out on me) but I know it releases endorphins (yummy relaxing brain chemicals). Walking always made me feel better when I could really do that.

For years I've had a stim (sort of a nervous tic type of behavior) where just with my fingers I either 'type' or 'handwrite' fingers on fingers either something I'm hearing, reading, or thinking. For I don't know how long I've broken this down into sets of 3, so if a sentence doesn't add up I have to add and '&' or 'or' to complete the triplets, or I'm not satisfied. It's weird, but it's mine . . . .

Okay, this is totally weird-I've been asking my mom about this, and she says I do things like I described before CONSTANTLY. She pointed out that while I was talking to her about it, I was buttoning and unbuttoning a button on my shirt the whole time...which I didn't realize until after she said it.

Could the type of stuff I described by stimming? Can they be unconscious things, or do you have to be aware of them-because I don't think I usually am.

I kind of asked her/said that everyone does stuff like that, and she said, "No, they really don't". Now that I stop to think about it, I don't actually remember other people doing that type of thing...I guess I don't pay attention, and just assumed everyone did it because I do.

The 'button' thing's a very good example, to my mind.

Welcome to the 'matrix' - The sudden realisation, that what you thought you didn't do much, was normal - and then realising you do it all of the time and that its not!

Wierder examples from me would be;
Finding I have dismantled my Parker, realising once its in pieces and I should be writing stuff down.
Fiddling with the little metal bits that you can screw of the bottom of pens,
Tying climbing knots in my hoodie draw strings,
Drumming the side of my fingers on the table (quietly where possible) - this is again about rhythm,
Tapping my thumb with first and second finger in a quick fashion alternately with both hands,

Now, all of these are perhaps normal if you were say bored, I do them whilst sitting in lectures and some of the rhythm ones in exams too... (hope I don't make too much noise) - I'll start doing it and realise a few seconds later what I am doing...
Well, thanks Wolfpup, your aiding my selfdx too - a few days ago I wasn't sure, but I think I creep closer and closer...



This sounds intruiging - would you say you kind of spring forwards - leaving the 'pushing' leg behind for a few seconds so it becomes outstretched, I guess maybe how a deer may run if they only had 2 legs?
This is how I run on sand occasionly, and feels so much more efficient that 'regular' running - I don't do it much, as frankly, it looks very strange and I don't like running up and down a beach, I run on them to get somewhere or race a sibling.

[quote="TrishC7"]
For years I've had a stim (sort of a nervous tic type of behavior) where just with my fingers I either 'type' or 'handwrite' fingers on fingers either something I'm hearing, reading, or thinking. quote]

I've done this for years too! Just the 'typing', not the 'handwriting'. It started as soon as I learned to touch-type when I was 15.

Oh, it's not just me. Thanks.

I was going to write a post about this to try find out what various reasons for stimming. I would say sometimes it is like a brain massage for me. Pacing sometimes helps me to think clearer, not always though. I think stimming has something to do with emotions and anxiety aswell. I use it to express my self I think. I can't always get ‘normal’ emotions it is annoying.

Yes, that's more or less it. I just had to get up and go for a little run to check how I did it!

The more I think about it, the more stims I realise I do - I also do the leg bouncing thing, and tap my fingers in a certain rhythm.

I hadn't thought of it as a 'mental reset switch' before, but it does seem a good explanation of what it does.

I rub the bottom edge of my shirt back and forth between my fingers..and touch each fingertip to my thumb in order.

My hands will wander and pick scabs and the flaking skin on my nose when I'm nervous or stressed. It seems to help, but i really need to stop it as it gains the ire of my father.

I instantly identified with the title of this thread. Yes, I can definitely say I do this -- sometimes I have to, or I can't be fully reset. One of my most common ones, when no one's around, is punching the air. It provides a great physical release of built-up stress. Another favorite is pounding a desk -- the more solid the desk, the better stress release. (Almost as if I vicariously adopt the inner solidarity of the desk through hitting it.) I don't like punching a pillow -- it has to be a very hard surface. Even cinderblock works fine (for the bottom of my fist), but it doesn't give off any satisfying sounds or slight vibration -- I guess it's just past the "perfect" solidarity-zone for me. The best is some kind of heavy, solid wood furniture. (I won't be surprised if no one identifies with any of this! )