what is your stim?

[Kaede]

hm.. let's see


I Crack my neck, crack my backs, crack my fingers, crack my elbow. (?-?
(I don't Know crack is the right word)

I Bite my fingers.

I say sentences from games "gauntlet hades!", "'au revoir'", "Beast Buster!", "die.. dissipate"
I say too some random sentences, like: "how dare you", "I told you to leave me alone". I say then even in job but in undertone. fortunately/unfortunately, in my country is few the number of people that know english. so they think i'm singing international music. Sing in undertone is considered normal even in public.. ?-?).


English isn?t my first language, so please excuse any mistakes.

 

[Douglas_MacNeill]

I put my hands together, flat, like in praying and push my fingertips. My hands usually end up under my chin or on my bottom lip. I usually pace, too, and make a growl in the back of my throat. Anyone have similar stimm? Oh, and I stopped stemming in seventh grade but picked it back up in high school. Is that normal?

Before I forget, welcome to Aspies Central Madame Catfish!

 

[Axeman52]

I put my hands together, flat, like in praying and push my fingertips. My hands usually end up under my chin or on my bottom lip. I usually pace, too, and make a growl in the back of my throat. Anyone have similar stimm? Oh, and I stopped stemming in seventh grade but picked it back up in high school. Is that normal?

I do a similar thing with my hands, but i kind of spread out my fingers when i do it - or i interlock my fingers and squeeze my hands together. i also have a tendency to run my fingers along my beard where it grows on my neck - one time some guy at the train station who asked if i had a lighter then asked if i had a sore throat and that's when i realised i'd just been rubbing my neck the whole time and didn't know why. had no idea how to explain to him why i was doing it when he pointed it out :unsure:

yesterday my brother was here with his girlfriend and their baby and lots of people were visiting, i was a bit stressed about the number of people visiting and noticed i was swaying from side to side a lot and trying to stop myself from doing it in front of everyone. It reminded me, i noticed myself doing that a little bit on a video of a gig i played where between songs if there was a hold up in starting the next song i would start to sway from side to side a little or kind of pace on the spot.

when i'm concentrating on something i end up tapping my foot pretty often. and leg-bouncing.

 

[bpoe]

When I stim I tend to talk with a hillbilly accent and sing songs repetitively and random thoughts pop out of my mouth. My children are rather entertained by "Hillbilly Momma". I have never displayed this stim in public as it would be embarrassing. It is rather interesting and entertaining at the same time. I will say things that make even myself laugh and once I start stimming my family is rolling on the floor laughing. In public, I tend to tap my feet. The speed at which I tap depends upon the level of stimming required. I also tend to stim at night and will respond with the opposite of whatever my spouse does. He will say uh huh and I will say un uh and vise versa. He finds it cute. At first I did not even realize I was doing that with him, now I notice it every time I do it.

 

[Laura]

Right now I'm kind of bouncing my feet up and down on the toes while rocking my head side to side with a little internal song that simply goes "Tippy-toes, tippy-toes, tippy tippy tippy-toes". I don't even know. I must be in a good mood.

 

[MoCoffee]

I bounce my right leg up and down, count in my head 1-4 while I touch each finger to the thumb (on my left hand). Come to think of it, maybe I'm more coordinated than I thought! Nah, I truly am a klutz.

 

[wyverary]

Today, in addition to the usual rocking back and forth on those times I managed to get a break, it included clacking my teeth back and forth, thumping my feet and my fingers to the music I had playing on the radio (fortunately, we have display tablets that can play Pandora, and computers in various places that can play Internet radio and Youtube mixes), and repeating phrases, in English and French, over and over under my breath.

@ MoCoffee: No, sorry, we're still klutzes, teehee! I am capable of many accurate rhythmics and certain fine motor coordination, but think before asking me to climb a flight of stairs holding a cash drawer!

 

[Rob]

My scalp scratching stim took over last night after working 9 hours. Watching TV while tired after a long shift sets my stims on fire. Picking my teeth and moving my feet back and forth really took over last night.

 

[JDartistic]

I have several stims, mostly private...kind of embarrassing, but I think we are all being honest here, so here goes...

My worst stims (only happens under terrible duress, like recently when my father died and my wife divorced me) are screaming when I think no one is around (like in my car on the highway); I also slap my face & rub my scalp and head; I make rapid ticking noises that seem to soothe me; I also make strange "wooshing" sounds or even "wooooooooo" & will sometimes make up words, like "WowSies" or "ShaBangWooo"...and I've been told that I make funny animal sounds, but I don't know how to spell them here - all very strange and the next day, I often feel weird about the episodes, but luckily, they don't happen that often...

My "regular" stims are rocking while lying in bed to loud music (I do this almost daily...think it's called Maladaptive Daydreaming) and I talk incessantly to myself when I'm highly stressed.

In "coping situations" like in an argument with my ex, I repeat the same question or phrase over and over again...it's like I can't stop doing it, even though I'm told to stop it...it just makes it worse, and I'll continue to repeat myself...over and over...very annoying, I suspect, to others...I just can't control it...

 

[Laughingowl1975]

I have a number of stims:
I sniff at my hands and arms mostly at work (my uniform has a t-shirt and sleeveless vest), because I use sunscreen I end up with a greasy nose
I run my hands through my hair and scratch my head or rub my hands over my face
I sort of flap or wring my hands but they stay at my side and its not very noticeable also I twirl my fingers at the same time
I will pull at my fingers and give a weak cough
I pick at peeling skin, chew on my finger nails and the skin around them
I pace about repeating things I have read or thinking aloud
I rock myself slightly when stressed or listening to music
and I say strange alien made-up words to myself

 

[Goose Girl]

My biggest one I've done since very young is to pick at the skin around my left thumb. It's only that thumb, not both. I seem to be fascinated by picking at something, because I also pick at my scalp, to the point where the skin has broken and a scab forms! It doesn't actually hurt -- I'm not into pain or anything. It's the picking that is the big attraction -- I can't figure out why the act of picking a piece of skin or scab is so interesting, soothing or satisfying, but it seems to be so for me. :unsure: I try not to do in public though, and I tend to hide my thumb from view, as the skin is always callouses, torn, hard bits etc.

I also twist and twiddle strands of hair, but I don't pull hair out -- I just twist it around until it kind of twists into a little rope, then I start on the next strand. I strictly only do that in private as I can tend to wind up with a whole row of little "straight hair dreadlocks" all down my hairline.

My worst one that bothers me is that when I get home from a situation out in the world that has agitated me -- something at work or even just too much socializing, or a social encounter that really bothered or exhausted me emotionally, where I didn't say what I really wanted to say, or didn't think on my feet fast enough to respond to something someone said which bothered me, I tend to talk out loud to the four walls. I pace around, saying out loud what I WISH I'd said to the person, kind of rehearsing for if there's a next time, or expressing something I know I suppressed while in the situation. I talk to myself a lot when I'm melting down alone and away from the situation. There's nobody listening or talking back -- I do know I'm not talking to anyone, and I certainly don't hear voice talking back to me. I just "think out loud" trying to marshall my thoughts together or express my anger, frustration, and what I wish I had said in the moment. I'm terrible at self-advocating, and I'm often pacing around hours later going "Why didn't I just say: 'Alison, I do just fine doing it my way'"? Or some similar scenario where I felt I let myself down or didn't stand up to someone.

I also jiggle my leg rapidly while sitting; I see there are a few of those on here.

 

[Ehmagerd]

I've never really thought about this and I'm not sure what counts but in different situations:
I pace. Used to on the phone, not anymore. And recently I can remember doing it at mum's house and my grandfathers house just because, though it's not that often.
Mainly it's when I'm very angry or anxious to the point of trying not to yell no, **** or why! And then popping the blood vessels in my eye/straining muscles. Because I don't know how to get over certain things.
But that's kind of an extreme situation.

I groom my scalp with my nails. I'm not sure if it counts as a stim, really. I am compulsed to do it. It keeps me clean. I don't want layers of dead skin there.

One thing is that I become unhappy if I temporarily lose my comb because i have to comb my thin crappy beard multiple times a day, it doesn't feel right if I can't. But then again what is the difference between 0cd and stimming? Hmm. I try to not comb for too long each time as to not encourage the hairs to fall out.

I almost forgot too. I bounce my foot when I'm sitting around people sometimes, more so if they're unfamiliar or the situation is 'alive'(?i guess like that). People tell me to stop but **** them, seriously. If i enjoy let me go I mean. Arg. Lately have not been in such a situation too much apart from at a restaurant a few weeks ago.

I don't know if i do anything i'm unaware of

to the point where the skin has broken and a scab forms! It doesn't actually hurt -- I'm not into pain or anything. It's the picking that is the big attraction -- I can't figure

When my scalp was more dry I used to actually enjoy finding scabs. There was some pleasure in finding larger pieces of dried blood. Disappointing if I lost it before I could play with it. I think that sounds kind of gross. Oh well. My scalp doesn't scab anymore even though I still scratch a bit. My scalp is less dry now that I don't often shampoo my hair. I may also be picking less at the moment.


Some people have said made up words. I do that. Also used to make animal noises (my dogs whine) idk if that's stimming but I think it's common for us. I haven't been around my dog much lately as he lives with mum, and at age 10 he seems to have grown out of whining.. I just realised this. Kind of sad as I've forgotten how to mimic him so well. Yeah, it is really weird he would stop now. My voice is not high pitched at all so I had to breath inwards to generate it. takes practice.

 

[Divrom]

I thought I'd already replied to this thread, but I can't find it.

Anyway, I clench my eyeballs as hard as I can. I can usually tell when I need to do it, so I can hide it fairly easily.

I used to make a kind of high-pitched grunt in my teenage years. Sometimes it was just once or twice, but quite often at night I'd do about 100+ in a row!

For a while, I'd stretch my arms as far as I could until they hurt.

 

[wyverary]

Lately...for the past several months...it has been rocking my hips back and forth. Obviously, this is something I have to try very hard NOT to do in public.

 

[Soup]

Lately...for the past several months...it has been rocking my hips back and forth. Obviously, this is something I have to try very hard NOT to do in public.

How does that stim work? Do you do it standing up or sitting down? I could use a new stim...

Soup's stim of the day: toe wiggling (what with the new socks & all...)

 

[wyverary]

How does that stim work? Do you do it standing up or sitting down? I could use a new stim...

Standing up. It looks really weird, especially if I'm standing against a countertop or something...I tend to do it when I'm washing my hands, as well.

 

[Tucker Soloman]

I've never been officially diagnosed but I feel the more people's posts I read, the more I fit the description. Here are some things I find I commonly do that may or may no be classified as stims (I'm not sure)

I always, always, am tapping something or moving something to the beat of a song stuck in my head. As of the last maybe 8 months its been the drum intro to the Megadeth song "Rust in Peace...Polaris". sometimes I tap it with my fingers, sometimes I tap it with a pencil, or my foot. Sometimes I hit my teeth together to the beat of it. I do this often in public with my mouth closed so it doesn't really look like I'm doing anything... although it kind of makes me look like I have an under bite when I'm doing it. I've been doing this for years and people (parents, teachers, friends) often tell me to stop tapping. Where they hear tapping I hear music!

I also scratch and pick at my scalp. I never do this in public because I often wear black clothes and don't want people seeing me do it, but at home I do it almost without noticing. I never do it to the point where anything bleeds or hurts, but my hands tend to gravitate there.

I have this weird habit of repeating exactly what I just said under my breath, as if I'm going over it again. I used to do this a lot more as a kid and mostly grew out of it, but every once in a while I'll catch myself do it and make myself stop.

That's really all I can think of for now, although I'm sure there's a ton more.

 

[Ravkrat]

What is..a stim? ()

 

[Ste11aeres]

What is..a stim? ()

The above posts provide pretty good descriptions

 

[Rob]

What is..a stim? ()

A stim is basically a regularly repeated tic or habit that may change in frequency (how often it happens) due to stress, fatigue, overstimulation, or even boredom. Tourette's syndrome is a good example of a condition dominated by tics, but these tics are uncontrollable. Stims can be somewhat controlled but they do happen regularly. Mine include picking my scalp, sometimes my nose, picking my ears, picking my teeth with my tongue or fingernail, occasionally shaking my legs, and others I might not be aware of. Watching TV and spending a lot of time on my computer can make them more frequent. Hunger can make them a lot more frequent too.

I think stims or tics have a neuro-chemical basis behind them. There's probably quite a bit of information available on this subject too.