How do you stim?

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I am going in for a diagnosis soon (I've been referred for diagnostic testing) and am concerned about...well, everything actually, but specifically - at least at this moment, concerned about stimming. I do it, but I got beat so unmercifully for it as a young child that I found ways to hide it. That, of course, creates a diagnostic difficulty because if the psychologist can't see it...

I'm trying to think back to when I was very young but frankly, all I can remember about it is the beatings. The last outward sign that I was stimming was chewing on my hair - so mom shaved my head so I couldn't. Since then, my main form of stimming has been my teeth chattering rapidly (but quietly). I haven't thought about it too much cause it's just part of me, but recently, in anticipation of my upcoming appointment, I started examining it and discovered something I never knew before. I 'chatter' my teeth to the tune of 'Chattanooga Choo-Choo', always have - ever since I started. One would think I might have changed songs by now eh?

I am about a year or two from getting a diagnosis, so I understand the anxiety.

I used to suck on my two front fingers...well past the time when children usually stop sucking on thumbs or whatnot. I think I was like 11 or 12 when I stopped, and the reason was because I was abused for a myriad of odd behaviors (that wasn't th only one) I stopped doing it so I wouldn't be made fun of or targeted for abuse and so on. I grind my teeth/squeeze my jaw muscles often, but I never saw that as a "stim" so much as just a... thing.

I bounce my knee frequently...it happens even when I am not stressed, and happens most days. I do gentle forward/backward rocking when I am by myself (I also sit in a rocking chair, and I am constantly making use of the feature to get away with the same motion without it being odd). I sometimes do a subtle finger flicking/hand flapping (Not super noticeable) when I am upset, stressed, or anxious. The knee bouncing and finger flicking/hand shaking is done on just my right hand side...I do not do it on my left.

I walk on my tippy toes any time I can, and while not a stim per se, it is a *stimulation* thing that occurs for me, where I can't stand wearing shirts. I wear Hawaiian shirts because of the loose material and the way they don't feel uncomfortable/stifling, but when I am at home, the first thing to happen is for me to take my shirt off.

I have heard some people say that another kind of stimming represents in other ways...humming a lot, playing songs over and over in your head. Stuff like that (And I happen to always have a song playing in my head....like almost non stop). But I do not know if these really count or not.

It’s so interesting hearing how others stim. Especially other adults as I’m new to this forum (exploring my years long and burgeoning suspicion that I am ASD and thinking about seeking a diagnosis).

I have stimmed in many ways since very early childhood, my earliest memory is of having the socially inappropriate manner of playing with one of my nipples.

Small noises, bouncing and restless/jerky hands or shaking my hands seem to be the most common occurrence in teenage years and adult hood. I was frequently told off at school for using tech decks, pens or hackey sacks to distract my hands in high school.
I use discrete stim toys in work meetings to avoid bursting out of my seat or to reduce my vocalisations. Although, I’m pretty comfortable with my colleagues so they don’t seem bothered by my noises or accents or movie quoting (which is suspect is a form of stimming too? Maybe some of you do it?). I also shake my hands when in over stimulating environments like shopping centres and weirdly, when I walk down stairs.

It’s also a bit of a joke in my family that my grandfather kind of pivots or jerks his arms and hands when excited or in motion and I do the same so it’s not seen as abnormal… just… quirky… I guess.

Stimming feels bloody good when I’m free to do it!

Sorry you used to get beaten for stimming. I had a grandmother who would go ballistic like that on me as a kid for stimming. It sucked. That much I understand. Meh.

As an adult, I'm still a pretty stimmy person. I can isolate a few muscles, and I bounce them, for lack of better wording. I bounce, pace, rock on my heels. Sometimes if I'm in public and lights are making me nutty I find I blink a lot and do quick head shake movements. I tap my head, sometimes hand flap but more likely it's going to be something more of a hand 'dance'. I get into visual stimming sometimes too, where my eyes follow shapes of things, almost always squares or rectangles, ie: windows, ceilings, an entertainment stand, table top, whatever. I like smooth surfaces and will drag my hands on walls, mantles, doorframes, anything I think will feel good. I rub my thumb in circles on surfaces, objects too, if they feel especially nice to me. I'm sure I have more, but that's all I have at the moment.

I rock back and forth or walk from on place to another, i shake my leg or foot, i bite my lips, i tap my fingers, i play with objects around me. Some of these may also be adhd related, im not sure.

I rock back and forth. I flap my hands as well. Sometimes I spin in circles. I also have vocal stims that I don't do because people tell me to be quiet and I almost got kicked out of the library because of it.

I rock or bounce my legs. Sometimes I drum.

I sometimes make weird vocalizations (inhale screams, droning throat noises, etc).

I sway side-to-side or rock back-and-forth, shake/flap my hands sometimes, and bounce up and down when I'm excited. I have some vocal stims like these grunting and higher pitched noises that I try to only do when I'm alone. Oh, I also like to chew on things. I got some of those chewy stim toys because of it so I don't ruin things.

How could I forget throat clearing. Incessantly. Arguably my most annoying stim.