Ways to cope with repetitive habits?

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I was diagnosed Aspergers since i was 2 year old, and pretty much since i was in 4th grade till now, i've always had various uncontrollable or unconscious habits that would happen out of random, like snapping my fingers, doing repetitive noises with my mouth, flapping my hand or head, doing at task multiple times (like e.g: i opened a drawer, but then a second after, i feel like opening it slighty a few times, even if theres no need for it), and the list went on, sometimes mixed together. It happens whenever it wants to, especially in sensory 'overblowing' (yes, thats a term i use) or stress. If i try to ignore myself not do them (and trust me i tried to), i just either feel weird or feel extremely anxious not doing it, and the cycle goes on until they go away somehow (but they can come back somewhile after). It's a heck when it happens sometimes.

Usually, i am rather well thinking & intelligent person, but sometimes, these habits often mess with my concentration & they can last for a while, so i'd like to know first:
is this a normal autistic thing? if so, is there a way i can do to help reduce or diminish these kind of things in a little? I'd like to know if possible

Last edited by JTheBoop on 31 Jan 2016, 10:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I do this unconsciously when I am stressed. I am sometimes aware of it, but to try and stem it would be almost impossible for me. I need a physical release valve one way or another.

I believe its a coping mechanism, everyone has them. for instance; I will randomly scratch my head extremely hard nails and all and pull in about halfway, it creates a stinging pressure and calms my mind. but I have to be extremely forceful otherwise I won't feel it.

For me, when I do these things it actually helps my concentration. I've found that NTs like to discourage this behavior because they find it odd and unusual, but the truth is that for us, it's no different than someone scratching an itch; a reaction to help us deal with the stimuli around us. Maybe the only reason it bothers you is because people point it out to you or make you feel odd for doing it, or possibly ask you why you do it.

This was the case for me, but now I've learned to not care what others think so I barely notice my own stimming now, and when someone else brings it up I simply tell them that it's something I have to do and leave it at that.

I do it when I'm happy too. The happy stims are a jump or skip in my walk, rubbing my hands, clicking my tongue...

The bad ones are really bad. I'm ashamed of the bad ones.

Hmm...well I had an extremely unusual complex motor stereotypy (I've never seen it before) that I used from a young toddler till about 3rd grade, maybe. It was a happy stim that I used when I was very pleased with something for whatever reason. I was usually unaware that I was doing it, and when it was pointed out to me, I somehow stopped it out of embarrassment. I don't remember how.

I tap my head sometimes when I'm very distressed, I rock when anxious or impatient, I hit the heels of my hands together when I have too much nervous energy or impatience, and I rub my arm or head when very sad or distressed. I also jiggle my leg, flick my fingers, and/or pace when nervous or too energetic. And I have another happy stim I do with my hands that looks very strange.

Most of these things I am able to control in public. Some I am not aware of. I do shift from foot to foot, flick my fingers, bang or tap on things when I am in public and nervous or impatient.

I wish I knew how to stop it. I think holding my hands in fists or crossing my arms helps to keep me from doing it in public. Sometimes establishing a new habit or replacement stim may help. You may also have some OCD along with the stimming. Opening and shutting drawers sounds a bit like some OCD experiences I've had, but I'm not a psychologist so I don't know.

Well, first, thanks guys for clearing me about this, i felt like i was doing it for some other reason, but i do understand these habits help me better or cope with some situations and i dont mind them at all.
By "coping", i didnt exactly mean get rid of them permantly tbh in this thread, LMAO.

I just meant like, to help reduce/change some of the worse ones (like by example the head/hand shaking, or doing a thing (like closing a switch, opening drawers, or even correcting words when working on a text) more times than needed), so they become less dominant or really showing in public. Snapping fingers, doing noises, etc, i can deal with it.

Usually, i try to be focused on something else so i dont think about doing it, but it comes sometimes so quickly, i can't avoid it fully.

About my habit, it may be possible that i may have undiagnosed OCD tho (in a way, then again, i cant tell), but by "opening drawers, and closing them slighty", i kinda meant....
...well it's hard to explain.

Like, heres another example so you can understand better:
When i'm closing the lightswitch when i leave a room sometimes, i feel like reopening it & closing it a few times (like in a fast motion) then closing it for real, before actually leaving, and that can go with some other situations, the drawer thing was just a example tbh.

I cant explain why i do that, but then again, being that i see some people here do this sometimes, i'm less worried about it.

I used to do some things like that due to my OCD. Taking Neurontin/Gabapentin for my OCD helped some.