Embarrassing stimming

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Usually when I'm in public I tend to only stim with my hands, which isn't too severe.

Last night, at a restaurant, I got into an argument with my parents and ended up rocking my head back and forth while turning it side to side (not to mention stuttering a lot). Basically I made a scene there, even though I was trying to stay calm.


Anyone else have problems like this?

Like you, I try to keep my stims off the radar, but a few weeks ago, while standing in a gift shop in High Rolls, NM, I thought I recognized a childhood friend whom I parted ways with. While I was trying to determine if it was really this person, I walked over to stand next to my wife and she noticed I was bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet. I did not even realize it, but I did feel like a goofy goober.

BTW, I live South of you.

i talk to myself in public, and sometimes i can hear other people saying: "whats wrong with that guys??" lol othertimes i skip and that brings everyones eyes to me; yeah its pretty much embarressing.

I dont know if humming/singing aloud are "stemming" but I am constantly doing this at work and in public....I get really bad "ear worms" from the crappy music they play over the speakers at thrift store or elevator music at the Dentist.Sometimes I will just realize I am hum/singing christmas songs or showtunes, which is bazarre because I dont like that kind of music....or do I?

My leg still decides to bounce occasionally, while I'm sitting down... And for some reason I keep walking around on tiptoe somtimes, as well as sometimes skipping.
Sometimes I found that I've got up out my chair and have walked around my room, or sat up in bed, or started bouncing on the bed, only to start thinking, "Why am I even doing that?", and then I'll just go back to what I was doing anyway.
Luckily I'm a musician, so I'm kinda expected to have habits.

Lol - do you mind if I borrow that sentiment?

I will rock and bounce in public, and will play through pieces, with my right hand acting as the fingerboard and doing the finger patterns for pieces I'm currently playing. And ... yeah. Depends how comfortable I'm feeling - if I'm with my friends and feeling comfortable I will happily stim without a care. If I'm not comfortable I'll try not to (though that generally tends to backfire and I end up nervously stimming instead )

I talk to myself and sing, i sing alot, allmost all the time and have for years, i guess people sometimes think its strange, but i've never been asked to stop ( well once but i spent about a hour humming the same thing over and over again so i could see it abeing annoying)
I phase out too, when its too noisy, dark, with weird lightening( bascally some pubs and most clubs) i stop talking or moving and find everything very overwhelming, this can make people coment about me as i look so strange just sitting there curled up in a corner.
I don't really find these habits embaressing though, there just what i do!

Yep singing jingles over & over is something I TRY to do when at home (don't care in front of family). Also make noises like a dolphin & sing songs but change words to how I feel at time! I feel it's a complete release from stress of everyday nonsense like visitors, chores, stress etc. Whilst I do these things my whole body often tenses (esp. hands/arms) as if on a buzz with it. i zone out & do not want to think about ANYTHING else for those precious few secs/minutes.

When I'm really interested in something, particularly at school when I'm in the middle of a history discussion, my foot swings back and forth constantly. Luckily, no one has called me on it or asked me to stop, because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to unless I was constantly thinking about it.

Thankfully none of my stims are really strange or obtrusive.

No doubt - a great a great saying. Maybe some of us should wear little signs that offer some possible responses from those who have noticed our antics. Such as: 'If I'm all that entertaining, please, drop a 5 in the hat.' or ' If you would like me to stop, applaud with enthusiasm.' 'If I'm blocking your path, I can be easily redirected with food.'

It can be very embarrassing, when you don't even realize you are doing something goofy, and you catch yourself and wonder if anyone else is aware.

I rock from side to side on my tip toes, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, sometimes really fast, if I try to stand in line, too long. People think I have to GO, sometimes. I had a headcase tell me once that the "line for the bathroom is over there, Dude." I also do a frustrated sounding grunt/growl thing sometimes, too. That one can be fairly impressive at times.