Is this stimming?

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Sometimes when I have high-anxiety I make a soft beat-box sound with my mouth. I sometimes catch myself doing it. But I can control this behavior. If I am around someone that might judge me I can stop doing this.

I was under the impression that stimming is involuntary and subconscious.

What do you think?

The main reason why I do it is because it helps my anxiety level.

I would think so...
I 'click' my tongue repeatedly in a metronomic rhythm whenver i get stressed out, or if im anxious...
it is involuntary and subconscious at first...
until I realise what I am doing, and I stop myself if I'm in a public environment, where I'll get nasty looks for doing it

It sounds like a stim to me.

it sounds like a stim. the thing is about "catching yourself" doing that, i think. meaning: it wasn't something started intentionally. just kind of a "tic" that sort of starts up on its own.

I don't think stims are really "involuntary" like tics really, from what i understand... but maybe "subconscious" much of the time. They can start without you thinking about it or anything. But they are generally something you do have control over, because, from what i've heard from other people here and experienced myself, if it does catch your attention and you start thinking about it then you have physical control over whether you stop or continue. Then you can keep yourself from doing it again in certain situations if you remain aware of what your body is doing at the time. So you still physically control what it is your body is doing, you just don't always think about it when you do it. From my understanding of tics, by contrast, they just happen without you having any real physical control.

Stims can be conscious or subconscious. They sometimes start without you realizing, but once you realize you're doing it you can choose to stop or continue. You can also start one consciously.

I often start stims voluntarily because I like the way it feels but can stop them anytime I want. I have no idea whether that would count as diagnostic criteria or not:D

Tics are basically an irresistable urge to do something, sometimes people can stop them, or deprive themselves of following through on them, but when they do this, it causes them much anxiety and usually takes all of their focus and energy to 'ignore' or supress the urge. Stimming (imo) is voluntary, we do it because it feels good. Sometimes we do it because it helps us focus. However, I think if anyone did a certain stim over and over enough times in their life, it may just become a habit (like my cheek chewing). When it's a habit, it becomes more unconcious of an action, so it may seem like an irresistable urge, which is hard to ignore.

Like right now, wiggling my foot while I type is a stim.

I feel bad for people with tics. They have two choices, indulge, scream "F*CK!" (or whatever other tic it may be, possibly repeated eye blinking) ...and look/sound like a freak, or supress the urge, and loose all focus until they can find an acceptable outlet.

I don't think it needs to be uncontrollable for it to be stimming. I twirl my hair as my main stim, and I can control this sometimes if I truly need to and usually am aware that I do it.

Lol... I'm wiggling my foot right now too...
All this reminds me of a GREAT video I saw yesterday, that boy reminds me soooo much of my own stims:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XZaTqzBtPY

That was a great video. I always 'talked with my hands' growing up. People thought it was weird, but it wasn't a big deal. Then I learned that flighty hands were stereotypical of gay people and I got really self-conscious about it and forced myself to keep my hands at my sides, or in my pockets, or to just gently rub my fingertips together so no one could see. But without my hands, it was really hard to talk with people so I would just look at my shoes.

I don't understand stimming at all but I do it a lot, and I think it's important. It's not just fidgeting.

I both fidget (ADHD) and stim (AS). The fidgeting is random, while the stims are not. Both of them start subconsciously and can come under voluntary control with difficulty. They go over great at job interviews, giving the impression of inattentiveness. Is it my fault the bloody chairs are so uncomfortable? It literally hurts me to sit straight in most chairs too long (sciatica).