Is this stimming?

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Hi

I've been doing a lot of thinking about whether I am somewhere on the autistic spectrum and I have a referral from my GP for a diagnosis. One aspect I've read a lot about but not been able to identify with is 'stimming'. Most of the descriptions I've read involve quite obvious movements, rocking, etc. and I've never really done any of that stuff I don't think. But then it occurred to me that I do have a "habit" which I've had ever since I've been a child of "kneading" a piece of cloth with my fingers. Very often when I'm passsing the cloth through and over the tips of my fingers I also move my tongue across the roof of my mouth. When I was young it was a security blanket and I'd often go to great lengths to make the sensation "even better" like putting it in the fridge to make it cold to the touch (as you can imagine, that went down well with the rest of the family!). But these days it tends to be a handkerchief and limited to periods when I'm relaxing/reading etc. (although I have found myself doing it when I've been on the phone). Could this be a form of stimming? Having reread what I've written it occurs it's probably just a bit weird and I'm now slightly embarrassed in asking the question!

Thanks for your help

sounds like stimming to me. and not weird at all.

All stimming seems a bit weird when you actually say it or write it down.
When anxious I often smell my fingers, or my armpits, I may also wring my hands, massage my wrist (having previously had a minor injury), or do all sorts of other things I'm not conscious of until someone points it out, like picking my nose etc.
There are also all sorts of self soothing things some of us do, some of which should probably not be discussed on a forum lest we offend the moderators!
So long as you're not offending anyone, not doing anything which could be considered lewd or inappropriate in public, or throwing a tantrum, I'd say whatever gets you through is fine, just don't get too worried if someone that doesn't understand thinks you can just stop it, because sure as eggs if you stop one form of stimming it'll only be replaced by another - which may seem even odder than the current one.

Any stimming has got to be better than relying on alcohol or drugs to cope!

And some quote-unquote 'normal' people will fiddle with a pen or pencil while talking on the phone (no such thing as 'normal' anyway and how boring a place the world would be if there were! ).

And reminding us that it is indeed a Spectrum.

Thanks everyone for those comments. So it looks like it is stimming. Things are starting to make a little more sense to me.

All the best.