Forms of stimming?

[Fabian]

I am doing for a long time now (years) and since my recent diagnosis was wondering whether it could be forms of stimming. I am becoming more sensitive and pick up more and more things about me since my diagnosis. I have not noticed that I stim much although I want to discuss these 3 things with you to see whether they are in fact forms of stimming:

It's a bit strange, but I place my hand near my groin area, rub the hand against my legs, and then sniff my hand afterwards. Even if its all clean and I know its clean something tells me to sniff my hands and I can't stop it... and don't want to stop it either.
In general I sniff my hands quite often especially after washing them or after I touched food.
Could that be a form of stimming for me?

The second thing I used to do but not anymore is walking up and down the house and talking to myself for easily an hour per day. It was always the same route in the living room and got to a stage where you could actually see track marks on the carpet where I walked due to the frequency and time. This has suddenly stopped since I am taking medication for depression but I am wondering whether this was a form of stimming and actually helped me to cope with the daily negative stress.

I also tend to not like wearing any clothes at home so I am usually walking around the house naked. As soon as I wear clothing at home it feels like a restriction. Does anyone here experience similar things?

I am really bad describing my own feelings so I don't really know how else to describe it.

 

[Chance]

When I was young I was a hand flapper and I would pull my ears... I get so embarrassed to remember that.
I grew out of all of it, but it just morphed into more subtle things. I bounce my leg when sitting, or I touch my fingers to my palm counting when I am upset. I pace when on the phone. I hate phones, because I hate talking in the first place, and I never know when to talk... I think they are finished, then they start again and I get lost on what I was going to say... In person is bad enough, but phones suck. Texting is a miracle and a dream come true for people like me, but I don't answer people and they get all upset.

I think most ASD people have some stimming thing, and its just a built in vent to help cope.

I'm not sure if what your saying is a habit or stemming? If it has helped you cope then you have your own answer, if not its just a habit maybe...

Yes I have tactile issues, but I am always around people. I'm real picky about my clothes. They have to be soft, loose, and no tags. I wear basketball shorts and loose tee shirts when I can get away with it.

 

[Suzanne]

Ever since I discovered aspergers, not offical right now, though, I have found that I stim a lot more, but that is because it is highlighted more.

I bounce my knees and they get more furious if I am excited or angry. I wring my hands in glee when I feel happy. I twist my hands when aggitated and yes, feel like Chance, hate using the phone and because of not being sure when it has ended, I actually end it.

Also, I feel so gratified for the invention of texting, because I can think ( being a very slow thinker too, it is great for not reacting too fast).

I could live my entire life texting.

 

[fairy_girl]

I have a problem with my hand going to the groin area as well but I wouldn't categorize it as being a stem, it's more to do with being nervous and the anxiety that goes with it. My stem used to be hand flapping but I got bullied for it in school so that went away and the groin area started more often.

My stems currently are head scratching, clearing my throat, squealing in a high pitched noise, smiling alot and picking the inside of my ears.

 

[Laughingowl1975]

I used hand flap or curl my hands up against my chest when excited or frustrated as a child. As an adult I often smell my hands especially after touching something, I also rub my head in a circular pattern or scratch it as well as press my eyes lightly with my fingers and bite my nails. If I'm very upset I will sometimes lightly slap my face.

 

[isthisreallife]

I am doing for a long time now (years) and since my recent diagnosis was wondering whether it could be forms of stimming. I am becoming more sensitive and pick up more and more things about me since my diagnosis. I have not noticed that I stim much although I want to discuss these 3 things with you to see whether they are in fact forms of stimming:

It's a bit strange, but I place my hand near my groin area, rub the hand against my legs, and then sniff my hand afterwards. Even if its all clean and I know its clean something tells me to sniff my hands and I can't stop it... and don't want to stop it either.
In general I sniff my hands quite often especially after washing them or after I touched food.
Could that be a form of stimming for me?

The second thing I used to do but not anymore is walking up and down the house and talking to myself for easily an hour per day. It was always the same route in the living room and got to a stage where you could actually see track marks on the carpet where I walked due to the frequency and time. This has suddenly stopped since I am taking medication for depression but I am wondering whether this was a form of stimming and actually helped me to cope with the daily negative stress.

I also tend to not like wearing any clothes at home so I am usually walking around the house naked. As soon as I wear clothing at home it feels like a restriction. Does anyone here experience similar things?

I am really bad describing my own feelings so I don't really know how else to describe it.

I'm a hand sniffer too. My clothes also come off pretty much as soon as I'm through the door. I also pick the inside of my ears, scratch my head, clear my throat, tap my fingertips together, etc etc. There's probably a lot of little things you never really noticed you do. I also noticed recently, that if I take a look around in a public place, other people don't do these things. Being recently diagnosed has been an eye opening experience for me.

 

[Oda a la Tormenta]

I tap my index and middle fingers together, hold or rub my hands together, bounce my leg, rock back and forth unintentionally, turn my bracelets back and forth and hold my hands up to my forehead repeatedly. I will also pick at my scalp(sorry if tmi) which I always thought was dry scalp, but I don't always have that year round or any dandruff, but learned could be stimming. I am also new to this, just have a possible diagnosis at this point as I am very new to therapy but like yourself have looked at myself in a new light since this and found out a lot about myself...and also found this place. For which I am grateful. Everyone's responses have been very helpful...especially yours @Suzanne...thanks again.

 

[SusanLR]

That grasping in the groin area is something I do a lot going to sleep. It has no sexual aspect to it as some might think. I think it has to do with anxiety. Sometimes I catch myself doing it watching TV at night too. The hands just seem to lay naturally near that area and I find I want to push my hands tight against myself. It is like a form of contracting as tightly as I can where ever my hands are on my body. As a child I sit with my right leg totally wrapped around the left. Foot and all. I couldn't even do that now if I tried. I also notice when I stand in front of someone talking with them I just instantly cross my arms without thinking. An instinct body language like not looking them in the eyes that is like withdrawing into self like a turtle pulling into his shell if feeling anxious.
And yes I love to go around the house without clothes and sleep in the nude, but, yet I need a blanket over me that is soft or I could never sleep.

I don't pace, but, the man I rent my three rooms from does. Especially when on the phone. I just don't like using the phone either. Thankfully it is usually a solicitor and I let the voice mail take it.
I too have become more aware of the stimming things I never paid attention to before since I was diagnosed two years ago. I'm not trying to stop most of them, but at least I know where it is coming from now. As I take a deep breath, scratch my head and rub my face trying to write this.

 

[Fabian]

Thanks for everyone's answer here. It's good to know that I am not the only one doing this