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Why do you stim? How do you stim?

(Mod edit: Shouting removed)

Not everybody "stims".

And stop shouting, please.

I don't as far as I know. But my mom says I pace like 2 hours a day. I don't realize I'm pacing. Is pacing a stim? I don't know, I think better if I'm pacing, I can't think as well if I'm sitting down or lying down. So whenever I get a cool idea I wanna think about, I'll pace and think about it.

I don't stim by the way. Not in a socially unacceptable way.

I have had a lot of different stims through the years. Some of these are as follows:

-I curl my upper lip toward my nose until my upper lip/skin between lip and nose is almost covering my nostrils and I inhale/exhale through my nose. I also curl my bottom lip so it folds over and touches the skin under my lip. This one I'm careful about not doing in public. If I do I put my hand over my face and make it look like I'm wiping something off the bridge of my nose. I also pull my nose down toward my lip with my hand so I can get an even better connection. (People probably wonder wtf I'm doing if I do this)

-I rub the inside of my pinky against the knuckle closest to the tip and the second knuckle. I also do it with the second finger. I've had blisters on my fingers as a kid from doing this too much.

-I smell my fingers in odd ways. I'll alternate fingers, do 2 at a time, then flip them around, switch fingers, etc. Hard to explain. This one I try to avoid doing in public too much. This one and the lip thing are the ones I do most often (constantly when I'm alone). The only finger I don't smell is my pinky because it's too short to pair with the other fingers, and it also doesn't smell like anything. The fingers that smell the most together are the middle and ring fingers on my right hand, ring finger on my right nostril and middle on my left nostril (back of the hand against face).

-I "cut" my index finger vertically with my thumb nail (so the nails are crossed) and I do the same with my middle finger against my thumb nail. I also alternate fingers while doing this, including the pinky this time.

-I rub my index/middle finger and thumb together in circular patterns (alternating of course) until I start to get a friction sore on my fingers. It doesn't always result in a friction sore, but the pain makes me realize I'm doing it so I can stop.

-I occasionally clench my teeth and bring my jaw forward and back so that my bottom teeth go in front and behind my top teeth. I push/pull and feel my teeth with my tongue.

- When I was a teenager, I used to twirl the hair on the side of my forehead above the sideburns with my fingers, and I'd do it so much that I'd end up ripping out chunks of hair and I had bald spots on both sides.

-Up until I was almost 20 I used to bite off my finger nails in chunks then I chewed on them until they disintegrated into my mouth. I did it so much that my front teeth started to hurt so I stopped. I no longer bite my nails at all.


I'm probably missing some but that's the jist of it.

When I was little, I used to bite my nails and suck my hair. I have also always rolled little bits of rolled up paper (corners of magazine pages are delicious for this), blue tac etc., and I rub my fingers round my mouth in patterns, rub various digits synchronistically in patterns against other parts of my hands, and my weirdest one, is I really like the feeling of curved things against my fingers. For that one there are curved indented sections of the TV remote control which are great for that but I also find the crease of arms inside elbows and behind knees and even belly buttons really great! It's just the feeling of rubbing my fingers against the curves repeatedly. Then there have been random ones over the years such as chewing the end of pens and hooking paper clips round my tooth and pushing it round and round with my tongue. For me, stimming is very much about the pleasure and relaxing element of it. It can often increase if I'm thinking a lot or following a period of stress.

Why do I stim?

The most accurate answer I can give you is "I just do".

How do I stim?

* Discreet hand shaking/flapping.

* Wiggling my ears.

* Clicking my fingers.

* Making discreet whistling sounds.

* Biting my nails (only when extremely anxious).

Umm...

- In class, I tap my fingers or pencils on the desk 4 times in quick succession
- When I was younger, I would bounce
- I "draw" things/words on my hand with my fingers (usually it's this)
- I pace if I'm worked up
- Bouncing my leg while sitting.
- Tugging at my hair (allll the time)
- pulling at my eyebrows (this one is a bit weird)

I don't know why. I just do. It's more comfortable than not doing it.

Erh - i thought stimming was more like flapping and reading the lists above ive got more than i thought.

In relation to topic - why? Noticed that it seems more when im subject to loud noises, or when someone is talking to me. Maybe noise related again.

I stim a lot. Twirling a string in front of my face was my childhood stim and I still do it (just at home in private now) .... I also do other socially acceptable stims like picking my skin, chewing my lip, wagging my leg, pacing ect. Sometimes I hum, sing or read out-loud in my room to block out noise in the rest of the house. When I was a kid I used to hum, sing and talk to myself while walking in circles, flap my hands and twirl things in front of my eyes (like I mentioned). I do this when I'm nervous, when I'm bored, when I'm concentrating or to block out noise. When I was a kid I pretty much just did it constantly.

I don't stim terrifically much but do hand-flap when very frustrated, disgusted (a reaction commonly shown by NT's too) or feeling generally overloaded. I also pace for hours at a time; sometimes I can't even sit still long enough to watch a movie and have to pace around while watching the movie.
Other ones:
-I click my teeth almost endlessly if stressed and typically more quickly the more stressed I become...can't seem to break this reaction
-Drum my fingers on tables often
-Sometimes I pinch myself in order to take my mind off something...not sure what to think about that
-I rock back and forth, especially when eating something I know I should eat but don't particularly want to, even if it's a food who's taste I enjoy.

The only one that regularly escapes while in public and around other people is the teeth clicking and rarely, the rocking back and forth. With the others, I have pretty decent control over them.

I:
*Pick and bite at my nails and skin.
*When I was little I would always be singing and talking to myself. I still talk to myself and sometimes read aloud to block out other noises.
*I created my own language which I use moreso when I am stressed, I say things in this language under my breath, I have been caught out before.
*Leg waggling to a pretty obvious degree before I notice and calm down.
*Grind and clench my teeth a lot

I rub my thumbnail with my index fingertip in a sort of heartshape pattern.
I snap my hand shut so my nails click together.
I click my tongue.
I sit with my legs crossed one knee on top of the other and squeeze my inner thigh muscles together.
And I nibble the skin off my lips and scratch the corners of my lips, which isn't good as they crack.

Why do I stim? I have no idea. I just do. It is kind of relaxing, I think.

How do I stim? Self-cannibalism, mostly. I bite the skin off of my fingers and lips until they bleed. And my fingernails, too, although I spit them. I also wiggle my fingers and flail my arms randomly (generally to follow the rythmn of a song I am listening or I have in my head). I also make some weird movements with my head, inclining it to the sides like some an owl.