when stimming

Post Reply New Topic

when you stim do you do it without noticing? do you stop it when you do notice?

Most of the time, I don't notice that I am stimming unless someone points it out to me or I become aware through some external means (bumping into something, my friend putting a hand on my shoulder to inform me, etc.) I generally do not try to stop myself unless I am aware that it is harmful or it is causing distress in those around me. A good example would be the first time my friend's sister caught me flapping/shaking my hands and pacing in circles in the kitchen while waiting for my food - I'm not great with facial expressions, but I could tell she was confused/alarmed. I am more aware of my boredom and excitement stims than my anxiety, fear, concentration, etc stims.

I don't know how much my stimming is 'noticable', I do a lot of things that I believe NT's might percieve as fidgeting; twirling my hair, running my hands over interesting textures, sucking my lip, stuff like that (though to an obsessive degree). I myself rarely notice, but my friends are kind enough to point it out for me sometimes. If I notice, or if it is pointed out for me, I try to stop, or at least 'switch' stim, from twirling my hair to playing with my scarf, to chewing on a drinking straw... I don't really care what some random stranger thinks about me and my behaviour (stimming behaviour, I mean), but if I'm with friends/family I try to 'conform' as best as I can. I don't actually know if they care or not that I'm stimming... I guess I'll have to ask them.

I tend not to notice I've started, but sometimes I get a compulsion to stim which I'm aware of.

I usually only become aware of my stress-related ones and let myself continue because they help with it! But if I'm feeling insecure or embarrassed I can switch to a less noticeable stim. One of my main stress ones is curling my fingers and wrists back, then flicking and twisting them side to side. I tend to stop if someone points it out or I get weird looks and switch to tapping my thumb with my fingertips in a repetitive movement.

I'm less aware of ones I do when concentrating or happy unless someone points it out to me. Hand flapping, jerky movements where I can't keep still, noises etc. I'm usually too excited to stop or find it awkward to maintain my concentration without doing it, but there are ones people don't usually comment on, such as chewing plastic or pen lids, slight rocking, tapping etc.

I'm very cognizant of my stimming. Usually air guitar. Did it in the military even though people would throw ashtrays at me. As adult, waited until wife went to bed. One of my children picked it up, oh well. On a commune now (divorced of course), I'm just the eccentric old man. Whatever. Never could live without it.

I can control my stimming, and I am aware of it.
At home, I like to stim to make me feel good.

I get weird looks at work when I get all mesmerized by the machines. I will be intently staring at the processes and control panels, watching buttons light up, numbers fluctuate and program code on the display screen all the while running my fingers along the parts we make, the side of the machine -to feel the components moving-and playing around with random things. I really get in the zone and don't know it until I am made aware of it

A lot of the time I don't notice when Im stimming, and when I do, i find im enjoying it so much I do not usually stop, unless I am in a public place.

I love stimming. All of my autistic friends rebelled against the teachers when they told us to stop and I joined them. I still don't know I'm stimming until my hands hurt, they bump into something, someone tells me.

I love stimming. It keeps me sane and we all like me sane, right?

I can control most of mine. I am usually almost always aware as well. Most time I do it by choice. I grew up having to appear normal so much that I learned not to show anything like that. There are times, however, when I don't realize I am doing it until a few minutes in though. And sometimes it takes a lot of thought and effort to stop.

Honestly, sometimes I'm aware of when I'm stimming, sometimes I'm not.

But mostly I'm doing stuff that other people don't notice. I jiggle my knees and I pace when I'm home alone. I try not to stim in way that someone might be scared or upset with me for, like hand flapping, ect. because I know that my Dad finds it embarrassing when I stim in public.

There are times where I definitely notice I'm doing it and either make myself stop, or allow myself to stop on my own. And then there are other times where I don't notice it until either I hit something or my ankle hurts from jiggling my foot for so long!

I am also often not aware. Those times that I become aware of it, if I am in a situation where it seems like stimming openly would be detrimental to me (e.g. I am in the company of people who are not close, trusted people yet have some connection to me that impacts my life) I try to curb it, UNLESS it is a situation where I feel on the verge of a meltdown and stimming is the only thing that comforts me and thereby staves it off.