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Pergerlady
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01 Apr 2016, 6:42 pm

Throughout my childhood and now, I stim a lot. Also, as a child, up until my teens, I chewed like a teething puppy on all sorts of things. Years later, I found old pencils, pens, and even Barbie dolls with teeth marks in them. Although I no longer do that, I still greatly enjoy chewing gum, and I wonder: can chewing be considered a type of stim?



mikeman7918
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01 Apr 2016, 6:52 pm

I still chew on things sometimes (like pen caps), and I love gum. It does seem to be a stim.


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ConceptuallyCurious
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02 Apr 2016, 6:26 am

It can be. They even make extra durable chews for older children with ASD/SPD/ADHD.

I always carry one with me.


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Riik
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02 Apr 2016, 7:15 am

Chewing is as much a stim as anything else. I chew things a lot. Of course I have the added issue of having Pica as well, which means I end up swallowing what I chew. I've eaten whole plastic coat hangers before, as well as large portions of clothing, entire socks, the plastic casings of pens, you name it.

I recently found a website called "Stimtastic" - it's an online store that sells toys aimed at autistic people (teens and adults specifically, in a sense that the toys wouldn't look too embarrassing or childish to be using)... has a good range of chew toys if you need something to stop you chewing stuff that you shouldn't chew.


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Muziek
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02 Apr 2016, 12:53 pm

Yes! At the moment, I chew about 24-36 mint gums per day, but at less stressy days I chew about half that amount. I find it helps me to relax a bit more and it wakes my brain up at the same time. In fact, I'm chewing fanatically a mint gum right now, while typing this message. :D



Austinfrom1995
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02 Apr 2016, 3:05 pm

I chew when I am under stress.


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Jensen
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02 Apr 2016, 8:24 pm

I chew on pencils, ballpens and other "sticks". At shcool, I almost ate my pencils.
At home I ate page corners/margins of my private books. I still have my Paddington Books - more or less complete :D


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Pieplup
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02 Apr 2016, 8:38 pm

I used to, but I stoped due to my shirts getting ruined.


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I run a discord for moderate-severely autistic people if anyone would like to join. You can also contact me on discord @Pieplup or by email at [email protected]


CaptLasik
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03 Apr 2016, 3:12 am

I've chewed right through a lot of pens and pencils.


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EzraS
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03 Apr 2016, 3:26 am

I have a lanyard I chew on in class because it helps reduce my more distracting stims.

Pieplup wrote:
I used to, but I stoped due to my shirts getting ruined.


Hehe my cousin used to do that all the time.



Yigeren
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03 Apr 2016, 3:45 am

As a kid I ate non-edible things when I was old enough to know better (and did know better), chewed my fingernails, chewed on the ends of my sleeves until there were holes in them, and licked things (like my couch).

They were probably all stims.

Thankfully I no longer do any of those things.



Pieplup
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03 Apr 2016, 5:30 am

Probably a Pretty common, thing. I remember I used to due this all the time at school so it's probably a stim.


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ever changing evolving and growing
I am pieplup i have level 3 autism and a number of severe mental illnesses. I am rarely active on here anymore.
I run a discord for moderate-severely autistic people if anyone would like to join. You can also contact me on discord @Pieplup or by email at [email protected]


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Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
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03 Apr 2016, 7:01 am

I've chewed on things since I was a young child. I've learned that it's a form of stimming. Now I mostly grind my teeth, but I have to watch that since it might damage my teeth.



Brittniejoy1983
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03 Apr 2016, 12:15 pm

I'm a chew-er. Since dental issues prohibit me from chewing gum, I chew food when my nails and cuticles can't be bitten. It isn't healthy for me.


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