Being able to control stims

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Hello WrongPlanet,

I just wanted to pose a question:

"Is there anyone that has enough self-control to avoid/stop stimming, even when stressed?"

I ask this because I do this sometimes; recently, when I had my diagnostic assessment, I managed to make my posture almost statue like, in a meeting with both the psychologist and psychiatrist. I so badly wanted to stim, but I somehow forced myself not to. Though doing so, made me exhaust myself to the point that when I got home I fell right asleep.

...I wonder if, maybe it was just me 'masking' or 'faking' my persona- like many female Aspergians do.

Can anyone relate?

I can't really control my stimming at all. I am always stimming in some way. Usually rocking, that feels the bestest. Stimming makes me feel good. I really need to do it just to feel normal.

when in public I usually push my tongue against my teeth really hard or wiggle my toes its really hard to not do

I can mostly control stimming for 72 hours if I'm willing to have 5 meltdowns in those 72 hours.

I learned this when I had an EEG that I had to do no repetitive motions during.

I can but only if I notice I'm doing it, then I can stop. I can't tell you how often I'll be talking to someone (which makes me anxious obviously) and realize 5 minutes in that I'm bouncing on my toes or bouncing from foot to foot while I talk to them. I think most people I work with are very polite, and don't say anything. Plus I have been here 7 years so most people are probably way over it anyway and know that I do my job and that it gets done, so who cares if the eccentric lady likes to bounce on her toes? I do some other ones but that is probably the really BIG one. If I'm really agitated I have some others but most people don't get to see those, just my family.

I don't try to control my stimming when I'm home. But, I do find myself rocking back and forth in public places, especially if some object I see excites my senses. I was in the office of our light company waiting for them to bring back my drivers license because they needed a copy of them. While I was waiting I started looking at all of the door closers in this big office and started rocking. I caught myself doing this and was able to stop.

I forgot about these stims which happen almost every time I talk to someone in an office where I'm on one side of the desk and the person is on the other side. I'm always bouncing the back of my heels while keeping my toes in one place and also make hand movements as well. But, I don't stop these stims because the person on the other side can't see them.

When I'm at home I don't see any problem stimming, so I don't try and limit it.

But, if I'm with a group of people I can not do it for a day (12 hours), but it ends up with me clicking my fingers a lot, or rubbing my hands together, or my forefinger and thumb. Just, it gets directed into smaller and less notable movements.

I really can't control it and I don't think an hour in any given day passes by without me jiggling, rocking, bouncing or tensing. Probably the one time I don't feel the compulsion to do it is when I am driving. Even then I think I tense my neck sometimes, I can't remember when I come to think about it. Most of them don't bother me but the neck tensing thing causes my neck muscles to get a bit uncomfortable if I get really stressed and do it way too much.

Edit: and I hate the crazy looks people give me in public when I just can't help myself :/ People wouldn't stare at a guy in a wheelchair struggling with his problem so why is it cool to stare at me when I am struggling with my problem? :/

I always thought so because I can temporarily play the part of a living "statue" well.

Also, I was pretty sure I must be good at controlling them because none of my old reports so far mention repetitive motor mannerism - besides head-banging which they highlight as "auto-aggressive behaviour". About the head-banging: they figured it had/has nothing to do with my autism because I high IQ and that somehow means that I won't engage in stims that could be harmful to me without meaning to cause myself pain or injury. (And no, I guess that doesn't need to make sense.)

Anyway. When keeping very still, I will rhythmically wriggle my toes in my shoes (if I have shoes on), engage in a light form of my finger wriggling/flapping (possibly in my pockets or under the table when I am making an effort to keep still), tap my fingers rhythmically, trace lines, hum, so on... I figured that yes, these are stims despite that a fair share of ASD specialists fail to notice them and others and therefore claim that I do not seem to have autistic stims.

I can control my stims in another way usually/when I am calm and focussed - controlling meaning that I can substitute at least a few of the stims for some others.

i can control my stims, if i focus, though i prefer not to.

i usually dont go into 'statue' mode, i only do that if i'm on the verge of a meltdown, to calm myself down enough to leave the situation.

for normal controlling, i got a few stims that are hard to see for others, and i can sort of half-meditate to delay a stim from happening.
i dont like delaying stims, as it makes my anxiety go trough the roof, but the invisible stims can sustain me for hours during social or stressful situations.

the most i do is wiggling my toes around, and i have great effects from driving the nail of my pinkyfinger into the palm of my hand (i keep those nails a bit longer the the rest for especially this reason)

I can control my stimming, but that was more my insane mother threatening/demanding I'd not do it for years.
It feels good to do it again, but I can stop when in company no problem.

It's just better to just do it and get the relaxation it gives.
No use fighting your nature, that will only make you sick!

As a younger child yes, as an adult no. I've got less and less functional as I've got older and the associated behaviours have got worse and worse.

I rock a lot. I do other things with my hands (flapping, finger flicking, tapping, fiddling with small objects). I find it very hard to sit still for very long, but when I'm completely absorbed in something I seem to be able to manage to some extent.

I attempt to control which stims I engage in while in public or at certain places by utilizing smaller stims and reserving the larger ones for use in the privacy of my house.

I don't do anything 'big' (eg jumping up and down while flapping, spinning, rocking on the floor) except when I'm by myself. Around other people, I often fiddle with things, rub my left arm with my right fist, shift from foot to foot, and bite my lips and nails.

It depends on my stress level. I'm usually pretty good at minimizing stims in public. Lately I've been pretty stressed though (pet health and job environment issues) and the other day I noticed a co-worker noticing me rubbing my ears. Usually I can play it off like I'm adjusting my earrings, but this was too obvious to hide. If I keep it up, she'll say something. She means well, but she's... I'm not even sure where to go with that. She's Herself.