How do you stim?

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I tend to wring my hands a lot, especially when I'm under stress or bored.

I've picked my nails(both fingernails and toenails) for as long as I can remember.

Sometimes when I get really anxious I'll chew on my tongue.

In a lot of different ways, but here are a few of my stims.


I clinch my fists and stamp one foot.
I take some of my hair and just hold it or sometimes twist it.
When I'm at home, I pet my cat excessively.
I look through my bag--that usually has too many things in it. Haha
I rub the shoulder of my shirt.
I rub the top of my table.
I fiddle with my cell phone.
Wring my hands.
Sometimes I pound my fist onto the table, but that bothers people a lot.
Listen to music and toss and turn.
Sleep.

Oh, another one is, I take all of the change out of my pocket and arrange all the coins in size order in a row across my cupped palm. I used to only do this while waiting in a queue to buy something, but recently I've found myself doing it at other times, for no real reason. The logical order of it is comforting, I suppose, and the coins fit neatly in my hand that way. But then, I could have just left them in my pocket?

I also stamp my feet and/or wiggle my legs a lot, and tap tunes on my knees with my hands while I'm concentrating. I used to work in a badly-insulated office and I always wondered if the person sat underneath me on the next floor down could hear my foot tapping all day. I did try to stop but found it impossible.

Could Trichotillamania be classed as a stim?

Most definitely, thought not one of the more "healthy" stims, as you might have noticed, skin picking is fairly common, and Trichotillamania is very similar, and in other posts on the site about stimming / picking I've seen quite a few mentions as well.

If so, I'd include it in my stim list... unfortunately.

The rest is:
- rocking side-to-side, while standing, or sitting on spinning chairs
- playing air-piano (or orchestra director , when listening to music)
- fidgeting with toes
- throwing objects from one hand to the other (pens, stress toys, cellphone, etc.), making coins spin, making book pages run through my fingers, opening/closing pen caps, etc.
- handflapping (that's recent, though)
- leg bouncing
- squeezing a hand between the knees
- singing, during stressful situations
- massaging my hands
- chewing lips/cheeks, clenching teeth

Ive done it since i was a child. I pull from every where on my body, ive no eyelashes left

What is stim? NT newbie here.

Two main ones these days: The rubber bands which I have discussed in a few threads last month. I carress, ball the up, switch from hand to hand. etc. at high speed.
Also, especially if I am stressed or often before getting ready to go asleep, I repeatedly comb my hair. Actually, scratch the scalp. This is becoming more of a ritual these days..
Also, pace or wander aimlessly. Sometimes talking to myself. However, that is usually if I am remebering something vivid, I start voicing what was said at that moment.
As a child, I always flapped/shook a string in my hands, often running around pointlessly at the same time. This is the behavior that angered/frustrated/frightened my parents most of all. For years they tried to get me to stop. Eventually, I played along like i obeyed. Then did it as soon as they were out of sight/sound.
When I get very upset, meltdown zone, I will tuck my head between my knees & rock. One of the classics I guess.

Sincerely,
Matthew

I stim by:

Rocking in the chair or jumping in one spot or bobbing my knees.

Good topic!

- rocking side-to-side
- shaking hands
- playing air-piano when I am thinking/"processing"
- talking alone and loud (is it a stim?)
- singing, during stressful situations
- massaging my hands
- jumping
- flapping my fingers on my forehead when I'm thinking/"processing"

I don't do all of them now but in the past they have included (in chronological order):

Hand flapping

Waving the cord of my dressing gown and watching it

Waving handkerchiefs in front of my eyes

Staring at pieces of thread while waving them about in front of my eyes

Watching water as I pour it back and forth from one container to another

Squeeziing water from a cloth and focussing on it striking a surface

Cutting several squares of toilet paper into a special shaped strip and waving it in peripheral vision

Cutting a long triangular-looking strip from a piece of paper and flapping it to and from in front of my eyes

Pacing up and down

Running through the streets

ie Most of my stims are visual. I think I also have mental stims which I haven't mentioned and I don't know if playing the same song over and over and over again for years counts as a stim. It probably does.

I don't know if I stim or not; I am still undiagnosed but very curious.

But here's what I do on a daily basis:

Drum with my fingers (tapping, making real complex beats)

Type on the computer's keyboard

Fiddle with my iphone as if I am playing with an app but really I am just fiddling

Twitch and grimace if I know I am not supposed to drum on a desk or fiddle with things.

Scratch my leg as if it were itchy but it's not, just to feel a sense of "relief".

Tap my foot very quickly as if I'm tap dancing; however, I am very good at hiding all of these quirky behaviours.

Raise my eyebrows.

All of these behaviours make me feel less tense and more at ease - would this be considered "stimming"? Or just OCD?

Self-Stimulation, which is often shortened to "Stim" "Stimming" etc.

In short, the basics usually include repetitive reassuring movements. In my opinion, and many others on here (just read through this post from beginning) this can encompass many more things than just flapping ones hands, or organizing things. I even believe in my own opinion that mental stimming is something many of us do as well. Even NTs have stims, clicking pens, typewriter leg, etc are all essentially performing the same function, it is just a matter of degrees.

The three main times I think most would say stimming happens is 1) As a means of coping 2) To aid in focusing & 3) Enjoyment, there sure is a certain amount of pleasure and contentment as well as feeling reassured and more comfortable when stimming.

In regards to the Trichotillamania, I have struggled with this on and off as well, its a real b***h to stop And if I find myself in the bathroom in front of the mirror with a pair of tweezers nearby I find it almost irrestible not to stop and groom myself, pulling all the "not right" hairs out of my beard. I've always done it to a certain extent throughout my life, but once facial hair came into the picture it became an actual problem for me.

Very much all self stimulation, OCD differs in the dread of something horrible, terrible or bad impending if certain rituals are not performed. This is a very simplified explanation, but that is the main difference between stimming, and OCD rituals. Stimming results in comforting, relaxation, hyperfocus, etc. and is done just because it helps or is enjoyable, especially comforting for most. OCD is a result of "if I don't do this, something bad will happen".

Mahlon, thank's so much for explaining this to me.