"socially acceptable" stims

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Just wondering if other people had repetitive behaviours, that could be classified as stims, but are seen as socially acceptable.

I like to knit. This is repetitive, but also gives you a nice scarf at the end. I tend to knit for charity.

I also attempt to play guitar, and will sometimes practice chord changes incessantly.


Anyone else?

My more obvious stims involve opposing each finger to my thumb in turn ("flapping") and jiggling my leg.

Is foot tapping and leg bouncing socially acceptable?

As for repetitive behaviour, I like to read and play video games more than anything else.

Nope, not as far as I am aware. All my stims are very socially unnacceptable. Can't speak for anyone else though...

On a side note, I was not aware that the "tapping fingers to thumb" was considered "flapping". I might have to change a few answers next time I do an online Autism questionairre test.

My stims are all real discreet (Or atleast I think they are). My main one is tapping my fingers against my thumb.

i had never heard the word stim before i got here, probably because eng is not my language but since ive been reading a few posts about it, i understand what it is, though i dont know the word for it in my language which confuses me a bit.
Things you say are considered stimming, such as "bouncing leg (while sitting down i supposse) or even foot tapping, ive always called it " Tics" at least thats how we call it in Spain..Is it the same thing then or do I got it wrong?

But what it confuses me even more is the fact that in wrong planet everyone seem to link these kind of stims (or tics as i call it) with having Asperger(sort of in an exclusively way..)

I must say i know loads of NTs (including myself when younger..) who do the bouncing leg (to some extent) when stressed at work for instance. I used to do it when little but i was taught not to do that cos it bothers everyone around you since it could be pretty irritating..I dont do it anymore, thanks my mum would tell me all the time not to, then i sort of stopped doin it since i was like 13 or so..

As far as im concerned, most children do have some tic (like the ones i mentioned) or other but most of them are taught not to do them while growing up so when it comes to an older age, only a minority still do it. So now I wonder:

"would it be possible then that the ones that still do have those kind of tics when grown ups is it because either: they were not taught well enough not to do it (if talking about a NT) or cos he/she is AS or Autistic and cannot stop stimming no matter how many times they were told not to do so?

Hope this all makes sense..i kind of got lost in translation, hehe..im pretty tired at the moment.

hmmm, if im chillin at the desk at work, usually talking, i have a small roll of tape, thatll be lying on the desk, ill place my finger in the center of it and spin it, and do this during the entire course of the conversation.

I wish mine were subtle!
I find myself:
cracking my knuckels really loud until they hurt a little
soaking in a VERY hot bathtub
eating food that's very spicy
drinking alcohol that is very strong
abstaining for several weeks for more intense orgasms with my gf.

When I feel nothing, I need to feel something!

I also bounce my leg from time to time, but the chair has to be at just the right angel....

I do whatever I want. If people won't accept me then why would I want to be there friend. I have thought about dying alone and will be prepared for it.

Other than that.

- I crack my knuckles a lot
- Stare into nothing, this bothers people because sometimes it seems like I am looking at them when I am just staring right past them
- leg shaking
- rubbing my hands together really fast in between my legs

It is. My psychiatrist does that. Sure, it's annoying, like many other socially acceptable behaviours (drumming with your fingers, talking very loud, clapping to get attention, listening to your iPod in max volume, socializing in the middle of doorways and passageways). Believe me, NTs display almost as much stims and ridiculous behaviours as we do, they just don't call them that way.

how are these things stims? i thought a stim was something like running up and down stairs or doing lunges.

i used to tap my foot but it turned into putting all my weight on my leg and holding my heel off the ground while moving my leg up and down using my calf mussels.

i think what i do may be 'stim'-related, is grapple a lot in MMA. grappling is like wrestling but the goal is not to pin the other person, its to submit them by a joint lock, choke or pain compliance. in wressling pinning anybody would work, but in grappling some people can width stand different things, maybe having a flexible joint or not tapping out from pain compliance or fighting a submission to the very end. u roll around on the mat a lot, holding each other very close so they cant get away and stand back up. everything is ruff and tight, no loose touching or nothing. you have to not let them submit you, while you submit them. its very cool because u can learn so much. different submissions, counters, counters to the counters, etc. and u can trick them, or do lil things like have 3-4 submissions u can do after doing the same thing. you dont have to be strong or fast, but it does build strength and speed. it also helps w/ hand/eye coordination. you can make it more complicated by adding 'ground and pound' to it when u wear MMA gloves and punch each other while on the ground. or you could do other things like both hold onto their belt with one hand for the whole thing.

if carrying aroung yer sportscards is a stim then ive been doing this one alot lately. im sure it looks goofy but i cant be arsed not too

Exactly, thats what I meant saying in my previous reply. Most of these so called stims, are what everyone calls tics, at least over here, and there are loads of NT doing them all the time, at work, wherever, even if its a bit irritating sometimes to someone next to the person doing it, it is still accepted, though it doesnt look too nice just like any other tic really, but its not smth people will see as weird (i mean leg shaking or foot tapping kinda tics)

I always thought stimming would be smth like matt272 said: "running up and down stairs", or rocking heavily on the chair..or smth like that...

So it seems to me that people here on Wrong Planet sometimes are getting paranoid about things they do believing are just exclusively Aspie traits when they really are´nt! !
I read things they say they do, believing its because of their Asperger, and I can relate to them most of the time, just like majority of population.

It could well be a dangerous thing to self diagnose As for instance if someone just come to this site and feel they relate to many people here, and therefore believing themselves to have asperger.

As I say, there are loads of NT, just shy people or introverted for instance who can relate to the majority of traits people mention in here, since some of those symptoms have to do with being shy or having low self esteem as well.

I'm always moving, but nothings repetitive so it can't be considered stimming can it? Besides, I never do the common "stims" mentioned by people here...

The only repetitive thing I do is pick at my scalp, but since I do it because otherwise it feels dirty... although I thought that fell more under the category of "compulsive skin picking", a symptom of OCD. It does sometimes feel good, but that's why I do it...

I think by 'stim' it means something to stimulate our bodies/minds. I could be wrong on this...

thats where it started, but it has become a word to mean repetitive movements related to ASD's...

I don't stim. The last thing I need to do is draw negative attention to myself.