Rocking

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I had my apartment to myself the other day and noticed myself starting to rock and stopped several times over a span of about ten minutes. Up until then I stopped when I realized I was doing it.

I decided to not stop myself and let myself rock and try to not pay attention to it. I was rocking most of the evening! It's as if I opened the flood gates and I'm doing it all the time now. I'm even rocking as I type this!

Before I started suspecting I was on the spectrum, my rocking was so subtle that no one really noticed it!

I'm pretty much working under the assumption that my brain may be predisposed to rocking (and stiming in general), and now that I'm letting it happen, it's reinforcing itself in my barin.

I don't mind doing it (when I'm alone). It's getting to a point where I don't even notice it.

I do, but ONLY when I am alone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThOXlmVbQGs

I am always Rocking!

I've caught myself rocking back and forth numerous times. I especially due it during times of stress.

Yeah, and often. I'll rock when sitting down anywhere that's around people; the one exception is at home and with my mother. Probably really evident, but I don't seem to care (once when going out with a friend, on the rare occasion that I have; she noticed and held my shoulder, which was actually nice of her and it did seem to make me feel better).

Can't seem to stop it either.

I just wonder if anyone here uses a rocking chair as a stim toy? I was at IKEA and looking at the Poang rocker and really wanted to buy it as it has to be the most comfortable thing I have ever sat in.

I used to rock as a kid, in chairs/sofas that didn't rock, until I overhead my mom in a bit of a panic on the phone to a friend one day about it. I almost posted this the other day to the thread on "stopping a stim and replacing it with something else". I had been talked to at school about trying to avoid behavior that made adults uncomfortable and this obviously did. I remember deciding I could try some things that might be more acceptable but couldn't remember what it was...riding the anxiety off on my bike? artwork/crafting? I think I spread it out through a couple of different activities, and it must've worked because I didn't feel the need to rock anymore. I still have little physical stim outlets but not as obvious as the rocking.
My sister however, who scores right in the middle NT/AS, rocked and hummed herself to sleep until she went to college. She has severe anxiety attacks and I've told her "If it would make you feel better, why don't you do that? It doesn't hurt anybody." but she's too embarrassed her husband or son might catch her and then there would be some explaining to do.

I do rock, just not when people can see me do it. One thing I do in any situation, tho, that's similar to rocking, occurs most often when I'm sitting in a chair or on a couch...if I'm watching TV, and see something that I think is funny or makes me happy (like watching one of the Cars movies - those never fail to make me laugh or make me happy) I'll do this thing where I sort of "lurch" backwards and bounce. This isn't a repetitice motion, tho, just sort of an isolated movement.

Oh yeah... I still do.

I rocked a lot more when I was younger, even rocking when I went to bed. I would sing the same song over and over again whilst rocking from side to side until I slept.

When you can’t find the right words, the right thoughts, even when our thoughts move too fast, excessive expressive energy. Normal folk also experience it, a little quirk some might say, usually fuelled by stress.

I have recently developed a rocking stim which occurs almost every time I sit down. Because I didn't do this until fairly recently, my family think I'm just seeking attention.

I rock front to back sometimes, usually it starts unconsciously. I'm incapable of taking a shower without rocking in a little side-to-side semi-circle, too. it distributes the heat evenly across my back and I tend to do it for long periods of time, moreso when I'm stressed. the combination with the flowing water and the bathroom vent fan blocking out other sounds, and the shower/tub area itself always being exactly the same, is like heaven. it's probably not great for water bills, but I don't pay utilities so whatever.

I also have a little plastic clicky toy called a klixx, which is in my pocket 24/7 and which I swear I get like, finger-cravings for the same way some people get mouth-cravings for food. I also sometimes wear a spinning ring on my thumb, and often have to wrap the pinky fingers and toes over the 4th fingers and toes for whatever reason. the main thing I use is the klixx, though. it's been less than a month since I realized I was on the spectrum and until fairly recently I tried to stop myself every time I noticed myself rocking because I thought it made me look "ret*d", but frankly now that I realize what it is I don't give a damn and it is nice.

seriously, go buy a klixx. set it up to be 16 links long and pick your favorite colors. keep it looped in your pocket. I couldn't live without mine, it's like the best $2 I ever spent.

I rock back and forth, and side to side every day. It is comforting, and just automatic. I also fidget my leg or legs daily when I'm sitting down. I move my head like that as well, typically while I am sitting on the ground, or in a chair.

I've had numerous stims throughout my childhood including spinning, bouncing, flapping and skin picking to name a few, but I didn't start rocking til I found out I probably have AS; I tried it out and found how appealing it is; I've always enjoyed rocking chairs, and now I know why. Rocking is currently my resident overstimulation/anxiety stim; I do it whenever I'm nervous or overloaded, such as when I'm sitting in a crowded noisy restaurant. Flapping is my excitement/frustration stim; it's a lot more vigorous and gives sharper sensory input than rocking does, which helps drain the energy of the emotion I'm feeling, whereas rocking puts me in a calmer, more meditative state and enables me to relax a little more.