is stimming similar to having spasams

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i am a self diagnoised aspie with a question for those veteran or just less ignorant WP members out there who can give me any additional info about the subject matter....

ive noticed that when i stim i feel as if i am having a small spasam inside my abdominal area from which i feel the need to ball up and rock to comfort and control it....i have a decent idea of what it is to stim, although what i think i am trying to figure out is the actual physical feeling to ensure this isnt anything else which i should have a doctor look at...

i sometimes bang my hands against my head as well which from what ive heard is pretty common...well anyway im starting to drift..any info into this matter would be appreciated......

It's my understanding that that isn't the way it is, and it isn't with me. With me, sometimes it seems almost like a habit although it usually doesn't start at the beginning of something, and it doesn't always happen. I am rocking NOW, for example, but I usually don't. And it is voluntary. There is nothing forcing me to do it.

Steve

A lot of times stimming is unconscious, the person doesn't even realize they're doing it. So in that case, it wouldn't be due to a conscious response to a physical stimulus, like a spasm. When it is conscious, for me at least, it's just something that feels natural, like scratching an itch or something, like yawning or stretching. Like I have this thing were I rotate my foot around my ankle between each step. I just do it, I feel like I need to do it, just like I might need to yawn, but it's not due to any sort of discomfort. I know when some people stim, it is to release nervous energy, or as an expression of excitement.

I know when some people stim, it is to release nervous energy, or as an expression of excitement.[/quote]

ok i think that is where i am...when i am either really excited or upset i get this feeling in the pit of my stomach and i have the greatest urge to stim....ive only recently began to actually put the emotions to tha act itself although i am pretty sure i have been doing it for at least 5 years or more now...i am completely aware when i do it now and tend to not be able to do it unless completely sure i am not being watched...

No I don't think so. I do get spasms occasionally. Usually a sign of stress, etc.

Stim is a repetitive behaviour that you find yourself doing. I only notice a while after I started doing. Sometimes it is a bit weird. Like last night I was like oh I’m pacing, I need to stop. Ten minutes later I’m still pacing.

thank you...i do that sometimes as well..

I think they are two different things.

Tim

That's the case with me. The most effective is rocking or contorting, but since that's so noticeable, when I'm around other people I usually will tap my fingers or stretch. If I am sitting a lot of times I will bounce my legs. In cases of extreme anxiety, though, sometimes I will rock or contort even with others around. It's almost like a nervous sort of energy that I have to get rid of.

I kind of miss being in the band I used to play in because playing bass guitar was a pretty good outlet for the finger-tapping.

i've ALWAYS bounced my legs, heck never though anything of it to tell you the truth, lol. but yeah mom's always fussed about it. kinda annoying(her fussing) cuz it's real something i do unconciously

I bounce my legs too, sometimes. It just feels nice.

I also twitch my head to one side (usually the left) from time to time, which acts as a sort of "reset button" for whenever I'm thinking unpleasant or painful thoughts (try it, it really works! ). If I'm not careful, though, it can develop into a prolonged twitching session which I have to try very hard to stop.

My most common stim, when I find something to open and close (DVD & spectacle cases, fold-out car-keys, bottle caps), is something I do consciously when I have to stop myself from really fidgeting - if I'm playing with something in my hands then I don't have to move around all over the place. I remember I used to run around the room when I was watching Tom & Jerry cartoons as a little boy - I wonder if I would have sat still had I had something to keep my attention? I still get the urge to run around now, but I can manage to resist it these days

I agree. I've given up on trying to prevent myself from playing continuously with whatever I can get my hands on. Even if it's slightly rude to do in public (especially during a presentation or something), it's better than stimming some more obvious, odder way.

Hmmm....contorting sounds like the better word than spasm, you should go back to playing bass...i get a lot of energy out playing guitar and singing or just making music in general...i only tend to stim when i cant get to an outlet such as mu music or writing