Do you stim symmetrically or synchronistically?

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My main stim, is something I have to mirror on the other side. Once I've done it on one side I literally have to replicate it on the other side. It's like if I don't something feels wrong. It sort of follows a pattern. It can also be something I can do at the same time on each side, but that's less often, it's more essential that I repeat the same action on the other side straight after having done it on one side.

Does anyone else have this?

Maybe I'm alone with this!

Many times, I'll start tapping my fingers on the table, and I'll insist in my head on tapping all of them the same number of times. This most frequently happens when I'm tapping three fingers, then I'll start tapping the other one to catch up, then I'll start using my other hand. I don't do it every time I start tapping, though.

If I twist my neck to the left to look at something I feel the urge to twist it to the right afterwards.

I stim asymmetrically. I usually flap more with my right hand (I'm right handed). And I only twirl my hair with my left hand - the lock of hair I always twirl is on that side.

i tap on things. i try to create a drum track that is suggestive of my experience concordant with the song that i would write and play if i had enough time and talent. even from non musical situations, music can be extracted easily.

I flap asymmetrically. I find that I have to have a string or something in my hand for some reason. I often keep a shoestring in my pocket. I am married and my wife is always finding strings and shoestrings in my laundry. She still doesn't get it.

For me, this used to be an OCD thing. It made me quite stressed as I never felt I could get it quite right.

That's interesting. I do have some OCD, although it's not severe. My daughter also has OCD and since being a baby she sometimes does this synchronistic hand movement. Recently she told me that she does movements with one hand and then has to do it on the other hand too. Because OCD is often a part of autism, it's like the stim is autistic but the pattern of doing it is OCD.

There is a type of OCD called 'just right' OCD, which describes quite well what I used to (and still to a limited extent) do. http://www.ocfoundation.org/uploadedFil ... 0Sheet.pdf
It's possible for the obsessional component of OCD to be something really abstract like symmetry, rather than the stereotypical anxieties about causing accidents etc.

I also identify with descriptions of 'sensory phenomena' associated with Tourette's Syndrome. I think from another perspective it can be classified as a form of Tourette's and I think many people have some kind of inbetween condition that doesn't fit neatly into either box.

I do have stims which are not associated at all with any feelings of incompleteness or imbalance and I do them because I want to do them and I enjoy them.

My main one is across the categories then from the sounds of it. I do it because it feels really nice and satisfying, and comforting (not because I think something bad will happen if I don't do it). But I also do it more sometimes when anxious, but I also feel the need to have it be symmetrical which is OCDish.

Perhaps it is more stim-like for you, then.

Back in the day when things were bad, not doing the movements would have caused so much anxiety and tension I would feel like exploding. I wished I did not have to do it.

I do love my stims though!