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JoeRose
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22 Apr 2012, 4:35 pm

I'm just about becoming acquainted with the idea that I may have aspergers and so I'm learning things about myself every day really.
Anyway I was in my friends house the other night and was actually having a good time socially. But everyone couldn't stop remarking about how much I shake my leg. I don't even realise I do it and it just seems normal to me. If I stop doing it things just don't feel right. It's like there's a weird internal stress that is making me do it and I find it makes me calm. My mate even remarked that I looked like I was on drugs or something because my leg was shaking so much. Is this a form of stimming?



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22 Apr 2012, 4:36 pm

Sounds like it to me but I can't be sure having never met you.


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22 Apr 2012, 4:42 pm

Yes, it can be a form of stimming. I shake my leg a lot too and quite a few people comment on it, but I've seen quite a few NTs do it in class also, though no one ever comments whenever they do it. I'm guessing they don't do it to the point where it looks odd then?



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22 Apr 2012, 4:52 pm

My dad told me a few times that I was nervous. He said that I need a percussion :)

I shake my leg right now with a frequency of about 4Hz. I do it to calm myself, so yes, it could be a form of stimming, although it's popular among NT's too.



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22 Apr 2012, 4:57 pm

Leg shaking/ foot tapping is my main stim. I do it a lot. I can normally control it but if I am under stress it can be difficult.

Quote:
If I stop doing it things just don't feel right. It's like there's a weird internal stress that is making me do it and I find it makes me calm.

That is a fairly good description of a stim.


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22 Apr 2012, 4:59 pm

I'm not diagnosed with Asperger's, but I suspect I'm a mild aspie. And I shake my leg very often. For the same reasons as you.



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22 Apr 2012, 5:04 pm

When I was in a high school drama class about 12 years ago in a small town, the drama teacher told our class that "All actors fidget, it's just something they do."

I think that's kind of bull, you can't usually generalize a statement like that to apply to a group and be correct, but there were an awful lot of leg shakers in that class.

The only thing that came out of that statement that was good for me was that I felt like I could stim in class because everyone would think "oh, he's an actor". Didn't work out that way though.


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22 Apr 2012, 5:07 pm

I shake my legs too. My dad does the same thing but he has ADHD. For me it's a repetitive movement. But honestly I can't tell the difference. Right now I am doing it because I like the feeling. I also like moving my feet around.



rachel_519
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22 Apr 2012, 7:02 pm

I shake my leg ALL THE TIME. A lot NTs shake their leg sometimes, like when they are board or stressed. But I do it probably about 75% of the time when I am sitting down. It does get worse when I am bored or stressed, though. I start doing it without realizing it; when I realize I am doing it, I can stop, but then I will be doing it again ten minutes later. It used to drive my brothers crazy; they got mad at me for shaking the table while we were eating dinner and such.


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22 Apr 2012, 7:51 pm

rachel_519 wrote:
I shake my leg ALL THE TIME. A lot NTs shake their leg sometimes, like when they are board or stressed. But I do it probably about 75% of the time when I am sitting down. It does get worse when I am bored or stressed, though. I start doing it without realizing it; when I realize I am doing it, I can stop, but then I will be doing it again ten minutes later. It used to drive my brothers crazy; they got mad at me for shaking the table while we were eating dinner and such.

Yep, this sounds like me. :D My mom once quipped that people will think I have a neurological problem given how much I shake my legs.

In fact, I'm doing it as I type this. :P



biribiri20
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22 Apr 2012, 8:06 pm

I usually shake my leg when I'm sitting, among other repitive movements, like light rocking. I have ADHD though so I'm not sure if it's the reason for my stims or my possible AS.


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22 Apr 2012, 11:04 pm

biribiri20 wrote:
I usually shake my leg when I'm sitting, among other repitive movements, like light rocking. I have ADHD though so I'm not sure if it's the reason for my stims or my possible AS.
Same here. I also tap my toes and flick my fingers. In fact, my left leg is shaking, the fingers on my right hand tapping the edge of the coffee table as I type this. And yeah, it's hard to tell if it's the AS or being hyper because of ADHD.



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22 Apr 2012, 11:47 pm

I have always bounced a knee much of the time when sitting. Occasionally it has drawn comments, but not much. Sometimes I move a foot up and down slowly, like tapping in slow motion while sitting. I also sometimes twirl utensils and pens/pencils in my fingers. The twirling has gotten comments from family members at the table, including from my NT sister. That's funny coming from her. She will sit at the table shredding paper napkins or tissues into little pieces without realizing she is doing it. :lol: I sometimes rock while sitting, sometimes foward and back, and sometimes side to side, but not as much as when I was younger. I general start my stims without realizing I am doing it. Sometimes I notice eventually, but don't bother doing anything about it. It isn't doing any harm, and apparently serves some need of mine. Also, any movement burns calories, and I need all the help I can get in that department. :lol:


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23 Apr 2012, 12:15 am

If it is, count me in. I do it all the time.

Drives people crazy sometimes...



JoeRose
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23 Apr 2012, 9:15 am

Sempiternal wrote:
Yes, it can be a form of stimming. I shake my leg a lot too and quite a few people comment on it, but I've seen quite a few NTs do it in class also, though no one ever comments whenever they do it. I'm guessing they don't do it to the point where it looks odd then?


I've noticed other people do it. But I'd say a lot less intensely than I do it. I think I do do it to keep my stress levels down. I find it relaxing and comforting.

I've also noticed I rock from side to side when I'm in the shower. I think this is because when I'm in the shower I do a lot of thinking.
I also used to twirl my pencil a lot when I was in school and I used to tap on the desk literally all the time. I've actually become a really good hand percussionist because of it haha.

Are these all stims then? It seems weird to me that there's a name for this type of thing. It seems like a normal part of my behaviour to me.

I guess I'm a little shocked. As much as I'm open to the idea that I might be an aspie I'm finding it quite scary how much I'm beginning to fit the bill. I'm starting to get a little scared. I'm beginning to bottle going ahead with the final assessment for my diagnosis D:



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23 Apr 2012, 3:53 pm

I have ADHD and suspect that I might be a mild Aspie too. I shake my leg all the time. If I don't, then I'm certainly fidgeting in other ways (either with my whole body or some other parts of it). I also shake my toes all the time. Every new pair of shoes looks worn after about a week, because of my toes being so restless. I don't know if it's called a stim with ADHD, but it certainly has a similar function. With us ADHD people, it serves the purpose of producing more dopamine, which we are deficient of. Dopamine makes us feel good, so I guess it's quite the same thing, really, as a stim...


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