Stim? Tic? What is it?

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I've made a video for it, a quick recording while I was working on some homework in the computer lab. I've learned to kind of disguise it, but you can see it in my wrists if you look.

Is this a stim? A tic? Normal? What is it? I've been doing this for years, when I'm relaxed or when I'm stressed. It jumps from hand to hand, and sometimes jumps to my ankles instead. It irritates my bf that I do it, especially because I'll do it when we're holding hands or something, and it feels weird to him. He also thinks I may be hurting my wrists by doing it.



[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YtwNJnNB4M[/youtube]

Anyone have any clue? I seem to do it a lot more when I have to focus on something, but even if I'm relaxed I do it a lot. I don't remember when it started, been doing it for years.

Yeah i know what that is, it might be a stim or whatever you want to name it, i would describe it as "joints needing to be stretched " lol....i do it too but not as constantly as you do, and yes i have annoyed my husband by doing it while holding hands. What i do to make it less frequent is i do it one GOOD time, and the feeling of needing it doesn't come back as soon. Just looking at your video has made me do it, because you do it too softly and it irritated me like when you see someone smelling cake for 10 minutes and think omg, EAT IT!! !!

My son does the same thing. He is usually doing it when he's doing homework or a test or something requiring his attention. I would guess (?) that it's a stim.

Do you take any kind of stimulant? My son tends to do this MORE when he is on a strong stimulant like Vyvanse or Ritalin.

Yes. Joints needing to be stretched is a very good description. And I think one reason you do it so constantly is that you've learned to disguise it, which prevents you from giving it a good, satisfying stretch to begin with. Of course, figuring out what to do about that won't be easy. As for damaging your wrists - I'd say you're more likely to damage them if you hold them too rigid, although, again, I'm not sure disguising it is the best strategy.

I will have to flex my wrists, my hands and fingers, my ankles, my feet and toes, whatever, and I'll just give it one good stretch and that usually takes care of it for a while, unless I'm holding them in too rigid a position. Then, I can find myself caught up in a spasm of twitches and stretches until the feeling settles down.

I think it can be difficult to tell the difference between a stim and a tic, but it depends on how much control you have over it.

Here's an article that talks about tics: All About Tics

Looks like a tic to me. Is it controllable? If you can control it but do it later it could be a tic. I only have facial tics when under stress.

When I write I stretch my arm out because of cramps. But it doesn't look like that.
My studying stims involve shaking my leg or rocking slightly which helps me keep attention on the task.