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Disraeli
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09 May 2012, 9:13 pm

Let's face it, to most people stimming is not an attractive quality and can quite often be annoying foro ther people. So the question is, how do you stop yourself from stimming completely? Is there a way?



RobotGreenAlien2
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09 May 2012, 9:29 pm

If I'm alone I stim away. Sometimes I rub my finger across my thumb down by my side. If I need to hide it
I thoung the roof of my mouth or rub my toes against the inside of my shoe.



Tuttle
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09 May 2012, 9:33 pm

If I concentrate enough I can mostly stop myself from stimming.

However, its an absolutely horrid idea to do so. The only reason its been actually a good idea was when I'm in medical procedures that require me not moving. Lasting 72 hours without stimming led to multiple extra meltdowns each of the three days.

I really don't recommend doing this.

If you're insistent on wanting to look less weird, what I'd recommend is finding new, more socially acceptable stims that work for you and actively try to switch over to those. I've heard of people being successful at that.



Disraeli
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09 May 2012, 9:37 pm

Quote:
If you're insistent on wanting to look less weird, what I'd recommend is finding new, more socially acceptable stims that work for you and actively try to switch over to those. I've heard of people being successful at that.


That's not a bad idea. I have noticed some neurotypical colleagues who do stim in an acceptable way such as tapping their foot or something like that.



Rebel_Nowe
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09 May 2012, 9:42 pm

I find something that will build up lactic acid quickly in whatever part I'm stimming with. I can generally stop once I feel the burn.



Atomsk
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09 May 2012, 9:44 pm

In public I generally just play with my hands -a lot-, but I still involuntarily do stims. Worst one is a hand flapping/finger flapping one I do with my hands in a weird position with the backs of my hands on my face. It's also the most involuntary of all of them.



Atomsk
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09 May 2012, 9:47 pm

Oh, also, I chew the inside of my cheeks a lot. Not like getting a massive amount of cheek between my teeth, but just a tiny tiny pinch with just the very first layer of skin, using the very corner of my first molar on the top and second molar on the bottom. Gives some stimulation without being overly apparent to anyone except my dentist, who has indeed remarked that I chew my cheeks a lot.



Who_Am_I
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09 May 2012, 10:37 pm

I don't, and f**k other people; I don't tell them to stop conversing because they're hurting my ears, so they can deal with a little annoyance by... I don't know... looking at something that isn't me, perhaps?


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FishStickNick
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09 May 2012, 10:44 pm

I don't try to stop stimming. But then again, I didn't realize that it might be abnormal until recently.



EstherJ
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09 May 2012, 10:49 pm

I don't try. If I do....I feel like I'm about to explode.

I don't think anyone wants that. It's almost more acceptable to stim than explode. So people can deal with it.



CuriousKitten
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09 May 2012, 11:23 pm

pick a stim that is not obvious and is socially acceptable, and deliberately do it to lower your stress levels.



Steven_Tyler77
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10 May 2012, 5:25 pm

CuriousKitten wrote:
pick a stim that is not obvious and is socially acceptable, and deliberately do it to lower your stress levels.


This ^^.

It took me a few years, but I finally managed to stop rocking in front of other people. I do so in private, though. When I'm not by myself, I just go for less noticeable and more socially acceptable stims, such as tapping my foot, fiddling with some object, twirling my hair, doodling and scribbling on a piece of paper.

I cannot stop from stimming. If I try to, I feel like a huge amount of tension starts building up inside of me and I'm bottling up. One time, when I was instructed to stand still for a few minutes, I nearly fainted... The only moment I don't stim is when I hold my cat and she is purring against my body. She has a calming effect on me and the vibration from the purring is kinda replacing the need to fidget...


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