When do you stim?

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I have noticed that I stim a lot when I'm thinking, if I'm not sure what I'm doing, mentally lost, can't find something, etc.. I do stim when I'm happy, relaxed, anxious.. well, I guess I do it all the time. But my BIG hand movements are usually when I'm thinking, frusterated or scared. Thats when I twist my hands in the air the most.

Are there usually things that happen to "trigger" stimming? Or is it totally random.

I think I stim mostly when stressed. Or at least that's when I notice it. Because I shouldn't, but then I decide I'm entitled, so I notice. There might be stuff I don't notice. And there's stuff that I didn't know was stimming until I read about somebody else doing it, like rubbing fingertips of the same hand.

There are many theories about the function of stimming, and the reasons for its increased incidence in autistic people. For hyposensitive people, it may provide needed nervous system arousal, releasing beta-endorphins. For hypersensitive people, it may provide a "norming" effect, allowing the person to control a specific part of their sensorium, and is thus a soothing behavior.[2]

Wikipedia.org

Yeah I stim probably as much as you do, but I have gotten better at containing it. However sometimes i just hold my hands together and leap sideways, sometimes in conversation. Some say things like "are you gay?" b/c it does look like a gesture often archetype with homosexuals. I don't blame them, I wonder the same things myself.

I would say mostly when I am stressed. I do when I am thinking a lot too. Otherwise it seems kinda random.

Interesting.

I've seen so many people write that they stim because they enjoy it, it feels good, or something else along those lines.. that I wasn't sure if that meant they didn't stim during stressful moments.

Looks like I'm not the only one that stims when upset or stressed too. I think I just notice them more when I'm upset because they tend to be all over the place. LOL

I do rub my fingertips together, especially when I'm walking anywhere outside alone. Like crossing a parking lot, or getting the mail. I also have an adapted hand twist that isn't so floofy.. its sort of a finger wiggle with both hands, but I keep them really low and out of sight.

Yup, when I'm in deep thought usually I gotta stim. It also happens when I get emotional about something too, if its a good or bad thing. Or, just whenever

I usually stim when I am around people. By myself I do a lot less or hardly any.
I also do it when bored or I like the feel of something.

I do it when I'm stressed, excited, figuring out/thinking through a problem, and listening to music. I have different stims for different situations, depending on what I need. For example when I'm excited I'll flap my hands to release my excitement, when I'm stressed I'll rock back and forth and have other hand stims to calm myself down, but sometimes I'll do the same thing when I'm listening to music, to really get into the music. And when I'm trying to think through or figure out a problem, I'll usually do all of the above plus pace around and talk out loud to myself as I try to work through it.

I don't do all of these stims all of the time, but depending on the situation and whether I need to relax, release excitement, figure something out, or whatever it may be, each of the different stims have their own purpose and they don't all work in the same situation.

Not so much anymore.

When its nice, the sun is shining down on me, but not in my eyes, deep in thought.

Hopefully a WS wont interupt me next time!

When thing seem to be going good and right.
When I get excited.

(Those be the times I "yelp" or clap me hands or get "bouncy," which is rare anymore...)

Stress...
Anxious.
Thinking.
Zoning off.
In bed.

(chewing my fingers, knuckles, grinding my teeth, wiggling my legs/feet...)

When I'm thinking, analyzing, or anxious - these are the most common.


M.

All the time.

Don't think it's random, but I can't really pinpoint any particular mood when I do it the most...sometimes I do it when I'm really comfortable, or when I'm stressed, or concentrating, or sometimes I'll just be sitting in a certain position.

I stim by pacing when I'm angry, anxious or depressed.

I stim by flapping my hands when I'm excited over something geeky, or when I've just interacted successfully with important people - the excitement just gets too much for me.

I stim by rubbing my thumbnails over the inside of my fingers when I'm happy.