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Do you stim in public?
Yes 54%  54%  [ 35 ]
No 6%  6%  [ 4 ]
Sometimes 35%  35%  [ 23 ]
Depends (feel welcome to write what it depends on) 3%  3%  [ 2 ]
I used to 2%  2%  [ 1 ]
Total votes : 65

Joe90
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10 Apr 2011, 3:03 pm

Does anyone here stim in public? I know I don't, and I never have done, but my Autistic friend does. He swings his arms and flaps his hands in the air (I think that is a common stim for people on the spectrum, although I've never tried this).

I walk really fast - I don't know if that's classed as a stim or not.


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jmnixon95
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10 Apr 2011, 3:09 pm

Sometimes. It depends on where I am. If I'm at school, for example, I try to not stim very much, but I can do it at, say, a bookstore.
It's weird.
So, I'd say that, as far as stimming goes, most of my stims take place at home (about 80%), then about almost a quarter take place in public (20%).



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10 Apr 2011, 3:11 pm

The only time I don't stim is when I am asleep. I am constantly having to crack my joints (mainly my fingers, wrists, ankles, and shoulders) and I am always twitching my eyes or holding my breath. Sometimes I even tighten certain muscles.
I CANNOT sit absolutely still. Even for a second. I can try and then I will just feel so uncomfortable, like seeing a crooked line in an otherwise perfectly straight series of perfectly straight lines. You want to fix it, and in my case, I want to stim. It's not something telling me I should, I just do it to not feel uncomfortable.
But having been stimming like this in many different forms my whole life, I've found ways to do it discreetly. ie. I will only stim my ankles when no one is paying attention to my feet or stim my face while scratching my forehead to hide it, or while in a dark room such as a movie theatre.
People have noticed that I do this, but only a few have pointed it out and disregarded it. So as far as I know, it's not a big deal. Most other people who do notice think I'm double-jointed lol.


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Tosoth
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10 Apr 2011, 3:14 pm

Sometimes, if it gets busy around me, or if I get nervous somehow, I most often start stimming. My stims are either keeping the front of my right foot down and jerking the leg up and down if sitting, or if I'm standing I rub my hands and pull on my fingers (along with walking pretty fast).



littlelily613
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10 Apr 2011, 3:15 pm

I stim all the time in public. I try not to be very noticeable, but I still do it.



Bloodheart
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10 Apr 2011, 3:22 pm

It depends how wide your definition of stimming is - I'm not sure half my stuff is stimming, but I feel it is.

When having to talk to others - hand clasping, rubbing and cracking.
When outside the house - constant straightening, pulling and rearranging clothing.
When near others but not in direct contact with them - touching lips and sucking on things.

I have what I refer to as compulsive grooming which can range from normal but excessive grooming such as applying and re-applying make-up or brushing hair, through to things like scratching at skin and biting nails - if I'm stressed then the compulsion is too strong to avoid doing it in front of others...between asperger's and body dysmorphic disorder I get stressed a lot in public.

I've never really seen a problem with doing such things in front of others, I've always gone with what feels good or right, to hell with what others think.


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resfirestar
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10 Apr 2011, 3:25 pm

I just try to stick to ones that aren't very noticeable, but yes. Also, I've found that learning the Rubiks cube is a good way to stim my hands without looking strange.



Peko
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10 Apr 2011, 3:26 pm

I usually don't unless I'm having a pretty bad day/time.


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SammichEater
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10 Apr 2011, 3:27 pm

I do it at school all the time. I've never had anybody say anything about it. And if anybody ever does say something about it, I'll just reply that I've had too much mountain dew, which is actually true most of the time, or I would not be able to function at all at 8AM on a Thursday morning.


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10 Apr 2011, 4:02 pm

Can't help it. I rub my feet together constantly. My father used to make jokes about it. I twitch my nose sometimes. I'm constantly checking to see if my keys in in my pockets and running back to check if the doors are locked again, I suppose that's more of the OC thing though. If I get too worked up I have to run outside and run in circles for a little while. I suppose my neighbors have seen me do this a few times, but no one has ever said anything.



Louise8
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10 Apr 2011, 5:00 pm

I have to. If I am going to be able to do anythign I have to. It is the only way I can get my brain to do what I want. To try and calm it and make things make sence.



Verdandi
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10 Apr 2011, 5:07 pm

I stim everywhere. I have always stimmed everywhere, apparently.

I did suppress more obvious stims in public, but I still stimmed in other ways - ways that I think are obvious if anyone is aware, but generally people seem to either not notice or not say (I don't really care which). I don't suppress quite as much as I used to.



glider18
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10 Apr 2011, 5:41 pm

Yes, I stim in public.


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mhm
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10 Apr 2011, 5:49 pm

I don't really know. I know I stim a lot in private but I'm not sure about in public. I try to avoid it but I think I might without being that aware of it.



AardvarkGoodSwimmer
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10 Apr 2011, 6:00 pm

I sometimes rub the back of my head and move my shoulders if I'm thinking about something that makes me angry.



Magnus_Rex
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10 Apr 2011, 6:49 pm

Is this considered stimming?

http://xkcd.com/245/

If it is, then I stim in public. A lot.