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Pacing--What does it mean?

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Geekonychus
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22 Jan 2013, 11:58 am

lelia wrote:
In a book about getting good grades, the author states that walking helps improve thinking and memory. He suggest reading a paragraph, and then walking while saying out loud a summary of the paragraph, and then read the next paragraph, repeat.
This was my study method in highschool and college (before I was diagnosed and understood the cumpulsion.) Worked great!



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22 Jan 2013, 2:25 pm

Kelsi wrote:
I strongly suspect that all forms of stimming serve to increase our output of theta brain waves. In other words, the best and most natural form of stress management for Aspies is placing ourselves in the theta state (the 'zone').


This makes a lot of sense to me. Stimming often seems like meaningless perseveration.

Pacing, repeating words or phrases in you head over and over, repetitive body movments. I want to know what compels me do this constantly, all day long. I can't find an adequate explanation.

I know it's not normal and I want to know what is going on in the brains of autistic people that causes perseveration.

I know it's linked to sensory integration but there must be more to it. After reading about theta brain waves, I also suspect it may have something to do with it.



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22 Jan 2013, 3:18 pm

Kelsi wrote:
I strongly suspect that all forms of stimming serve to increase our output of theta brain waves. In other words, the best and most natural form of stress management for Aspies is placing ourselves in the theta state (the 'zone').


It's funny that you say this. This is what I've thought for some time now too. I've 'discussed' this with some professionals (psychologists and crap) using the exact same words, zone/flow, and they politely thought I was nuts. Of course none of them were ASD so they never experienced it and wouldn't know zone/flow from menstrual cycle/flow. If you talked to a professional athlete they would understand. When I start pacing and get into that state nothing worries me. Take me out of that state and I'm pretty cranky to put it mildly. Is it that much of a stretch to imagine that an autistic kid who is hyper-focused on his blocks is in a state of flow and will have a meltdown if you pull him out?

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22 Jan 2013, 6:01 pm

Rascal77s wrote:
Kelsi wrote:
I strongly suspect that all forms of stimming serve to increase our output of theta brain waves. In other words, the best and most natural form of stress management for Aspies is placing ourselves in the theta state (the 'zone').


It's funny that you say this. This is what I've thought for some time now too. I've 'discussed' this with some professionals (psychologists and crap) using the exact same words, zone/flow, and they politely thought I was nuts. Of course none of them were ASD so they never experienced it and wouldn't know zone/flow from menstrual cycle/flow. If you talked to a professional athlete they would understand. When I start pacing and get into that state nothing worries me. Take me out of that state and I'm pretty cranky to put it mildly. Is it that much of a stretch to imagine that an autistic kid who is hyper-focused on his blocks is in a state of flow and will have a meltdown if you pull him out?

There might be something to this. When I stop pacing, I feel like I've been pulled out of a hyperfocus state. (I don't necessarily experience that feeling to the same extent with other stims, though, but they still seem to help me focus.)



Rascal77s
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22 Jan 2013, 6:04 pm

FishStickNick wrote:
Rascal77s wrote:
Kelsi wrote:
I strongly suspect that all forms of stimming serve to increase our output of theta brain waves. In other words, the best and most natural form of stress management for Aspies is placing ourselves in the theta state (the 'zone').


It's funny that you say this. This is what I've thought for some time now too. I've 'discussed' this with some professionals (psychologists and crap) using the exact same words, zone/flow, and they politely thought I was nuts. Of course none of them were ASD so they never experienced it and wouldn't know zone/flow from menstrual cycle/flow. If you talked to a professional athlete they would understand. When I start pacing and get into that state nothing worries me. Take me out of that state and I'm pretty cranky to put it mildly. Is it that much of a stretch to imagine that an autistic kid who is hyper-focused on his blocks is in a state of flow and will have a meltdown if you pull him out?

There might be something to this. When I stop pacing, I feel like I've been pulled out of a hyperfocus state. (I don't experience that feeling to the same extent with other stims, though, but they still seem to help me focus.)


Do you just start pacing without realizing it too? For me it doesn't even occur to me that I'm pacing because I'm so focused on what's going on in my head. I don't really get agitated unless something, or someone, external pulls me out of it.



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22 Jan 2013, 6:08 pm

Rascal77s wrote:
FishStickNick wrote:
Rascal77s wrote:
Kelsi wrote:
I strongly suspect that all forms of stimming serve to increase our output of theta brain waves. In other words, the best and most natural form of stress management for Aspies is placing ourselves in the theta state (the 'zone').


It's funny that you say this. This is what I've thought for some time now too. I've 'discussed' this with some professionals (psychologists and crap) using the exact same words, zone/flow, and they politely thought I was nuts. Of course none of them were ASD so they never experienced it and wouldn't know zone/flow from menstrual cycle/flow. If you talked to a professional athlete they would understand. When I start pacing and get into that state nothing worries me. Take me out of that state and I'm pretty cranky to put it mildly. Is it that much of a stretch to imagine that an autistic kid who is hyper-focused on his blocks is in a state of flow and will have a meltdown if you pull him out?

There might be something to this. When I stop pacing, I feel like I've been pulled out of a hyperfocus state. (I don't experience that feeling to the same extent with other stims, though, but they still seem to help me focus.)


Do you just start pacing without realizing it too? For me it doesn't even occur to me that I'm pacing because I'm so focused on what's going on in my head. I don't really get agitated unless something, or someone, external pulls me out of it.

It's automatic, it seems. I start thinking about something and the next thing I know I'm out of my seat and walking around my room, blabbing on to myself. 8O :?

(I don't get agitated when I get pulled out of it either.)



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22 Jan 2013, 6:19 pm

Exile wrote:
Just spotted a fellow forum member mentioning "pacing" as a form of meltdown.

I pace. A lot. Almost every day.

Sometimes for an hour at a time.



I pace as well. For me its a form of stimming.


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22 Jan 2013, 6:27 pm

I don't see it as only a form of stimming, it's also a form of exercise. I must cover at least 5 miles a day :lol:



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22 Jan 2013, 6:29 pm

FishStickNick wrote:
It's automatic, it seems. I start thinking about something and the next thing I know I'm out of my seat and walking around my room, blabbing on to myself. 8O :?

(I don't get agitated when I get pulled out of it either.)


Do people give you crap about it?



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22 Jan 2013, 7:02 pm

Rascal77s wrote:
FishStickNick wrote:
It's automatic, it seems. I start thinking about something and the next thing I know I'm out of my seat and walking around my room, blabbing on to myself. 8O :?

(I don't get agitated when I get pulled out of it either.)


Do people give you crap about it?

Sometimes. The people I live with know my habits well enough, though.



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22 Jan 2013, 8:28 pm

I pace at least once a week, I go in circles around the house. When I do it's always between 10 minutes to 3 hours. I only do it when I'm bored and I usually don't notice it until someone points it out.



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22 Jan 2013, 9:17 pm

I pace a lot - daily. I follow the floor tiles around and around my kitchen island. I pace at bus stops. I pace up and down library rows.


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22 Jan 2013, 10:36 pm

I pace around alot when I check out at the counter or have to wait at industral supply type stores and auto parts stores etc, I suppose its a way to bleed off the overload I feel at these places from the heavy equipment and the tuff people I don't feel at ease around. Sometimes to the point where they just deal with Mom or Dad if they come in. I'd hate to know what they talk about when i'm gone.