Adults- how much hand flapping do you do?

Post Reply New Topic

Can you take up flapping again, or do you loss the ability to do it once you stop for a long time?

That's kind of funny, because it seemed so hard to stop. Stimming in this way would sometimes give me that itchy feeling that you sometimes might get when exercising for the first time in long while. Plus, I've wondered if it could contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome. I have thought of going at it again, but can only seem to muster flapping my fingers a bit. I know I must not have the energy level I had when I was younger and that must have also contributed to it, but it was definitely textbook "stereotypy" according to the diagnostic criteria. It was the "gateway" when combined with the extreme difficulty I had in school and the anxiety I experience in social situations, along with missing social cues that lead me to the conclusion I belonged on the Autism Spectrum. The Asperger concept was not recognized until I was in my late 20's. That's when I initially caught wind that I might fit within the diagnosis, but I did not pursue the concept more ardently until I was in my mid 40's at which time I joined Wrong Planet, etc. Fortunately, as what you might describe as an eccentric bohemian type person I have been able to muddle along in this life, so far.

Stimming by hand-flapping was like the mechanical rolling of the reels through the movie projector in my head which stimulated the whole "thinking in pictures" thing. I would conceptualize and visualize a vast variety of wonderful things in a world to which I possessed the keys and controls. So in that regard I miss it for sure. Maybe if moms and dads and clinicians knew this, they would be more understanding of their stimming kids, but if they knew the depths of the world where stimming takes them, they might even be a little jealous!

I still do it a lot, although I *think* I'm able to confine it to when I'm alone. I probably do it a little bit when I'm unaware of it. I've done it pretty much all my life. When I was in my late teens I managed to change it to pencil twirling, which might be a little more acceptable, but I still hand flap too. I've pencil twirled a little bit in public. My wife was going through my stuff once and couldn't believe all the pencils. I even have a preferred brand, although I also enjoy novelty pencils. I do it when I get excited, or when I write something online or elsewhere that I think is particularly good. It's totally true that it engages something in my head which is like watching a film.

My mom was aghast when I told her I still did it, at 35 years old! She's in total denial about everything.

I am rocking more than I can ever remember. I think that my rocking must be regarded as very inappropriated at my age (37), but it feels so good. I used to suck my thumb untill I was 7, I grind my teeth and I am trying to replace all those with saying prayers or mantras in my head when I feel like I am in a situation where it would be very obvious that my rocking is just plain weird. But again, rocking just feels sooooo good!! ! Specially when you study and you are stuck sitting in a chair and not studying in bed, like at home. I think that I freaked out a newcoworker with my rocking when we had to spend a lot of time by ourselves in a study room, a week, but I came clean that I have AS. I really don't care anymore what people think of me having AS, I am not bothering anyone, so there is no need to be bothered as well. I am very understanding of other people's needs, even if it is not always obvious for certain close ones (I obsess to understand why certain people behave in a certain way and if I can help them feel better), so I expect the same from people.

I also mostly flap when creating a 'movie' in my mind. I use characters from my TV shows and put them into situations and imagine them. I can't do it without stimming. It'll happen occasionally if I read a really good article relating to one of my obsessions - I kind of start making up movies in my head about that actor or whatever and then I start. Basically, any time I'm imagining a scenario in great detail, I stim. Reading (not books usually, but fanfiction related to my obsessions) makes me stim. I remember it worried and upset my parents a lot. I do have total control over it, and I fold my hands under my arms so the only thing that's visible is maybe a slight shaking and weird or blank facial expressions. I choose not to control it when I'm bored, like in class, because I literally can't have a blank mind. But if I'm occupied I won't do it, and I can control it. Sometimes when I'm thinking really hard about a situation I do other weird little ticks (my eyes kind of bug out, or I start walking really fast, or I kind of stick my neck out, or something), and people have definitely been like "why did you just do that?" That's something I don't really have control over, except not to think deeply about anything, which is nearly impossible for me. I've developed a leg rocking thing when I need to go to bed, also. Does anyone else sometimes get into random teeth clicking patterns? Like your teeth have to meet an even number or times or something? It's not audible, but sometimes I get into it and its really annoying and very hard to stop.

Heh yeah I always feel like a movie's going on in my head when I hand-flap also

It's kind of manifested itself into rubbing the back of my head with both hands rapidly nowadays

Mhmm it's usually to a beat of a song or something of that sort

I rock a lot when deep in thought or if I'm upset, I really dont hand flap.

I've never flapped my hands but I do jiggle my legs when I'm bored or upset. I've tapped my fingers incessantly too at times, and a little bit of rocking, but the only thing people usually notice is the leg jiggling.

i catch myself randomly doing it when im walking places... maybe even like just goin round a corner. or if i have my keys in hand... they'll be a jingling.

I wonder if certain stims could be akin to the dance induced trance of sufi whirling dervishes.

Although grinding my teeth seems to just be a manifestation of stress, unlike hand-flapping or rocking.

Mantras, prayers or incantations are a positive way to channel some of this energy, I think.

Sometimes I shake my hands (radially), like when they become stiff from too much gaming. I think it's a fairly normal thing, though, and not at all related to Asperger's. But I used to do it sometimes without any reason that I knew of.
Which direction do you usually handflap? If I shake my hands, they're always bent down and then shaken around radially. Flapping the other way (up and down) feels silly and sometimes hurts.

What exactly is stimming/flapping?

When I experience intense emotion, usually excitement, I make short intense and very fast movements.
There not overly violent, as I've heard flapping can be, but are rather like Wallace of Wallace and Gromit when he says, "Cheeeese"

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV55L_wPzYA[/youtube]
-- short in duration, rapid in motion, and repetitive in action.
When they occur I feel overwhelmed
They are usually involuntary but sometimes when feeling stressed I'll bring one on for a sec and, usually, I'll feel better.

Sometimes, but rarely, they can be very intense almost to the point of losing awareness of whats going on around me. Because of this I repress them when around other people. Unfortunately, this can be very frustrating.
Losing control usually means I can't remember what goes on and wow, can i do some strange things But, keeping any unchecked emotion bottled up also causes strange, and sometimes dangerous behaviour.

I think it can come and go. I noticed I handflapped in childhood videos. I don't remember doing it in teenage or young adult years then I notice at age 38 I handflap in certain situations. I recently handflapped like a maniac when I got upset in a doctor's office. I scared the receptionist and interestingly they have never called me back to give me my MRI results...though another dr did get the results from hospital for me.

Same with rocking I rocked as a child. Then I noticed I started rocking like mad again a couple years ago. I freaked some people out at work so I try to not rock in public any more. I rock at home a lot when I watch tv or am on the computer. One of my drs lets me rock in her office because her son is an Aspie and she understands and says it soothes me.

I just noticed a couple of months ago, I flap too, when excited or upset. I also flick my fingers, alot and I've found I don't even realize that I'm doing it. And I start rocking when intently watching t.v. or if I've zoned out.

Part of me knows that rocking is weird, but honestly, it makes me feel so good that I really don't understand how it can be considered different or whatever. I posted before that I freaked out someone at work (I told the same day to that person that I have AS). I think that people confuse rocking with mental problems...it is not like that at all. I did watch a video with Bill Gates rocking and I saw the look of disbelief on the person that was sitting on his right...it did seem a little strange the way he was rocking, so I can imagine it's hard to stomach for a person that doesn't do it...but still, how can people NOT do something something so relaxing?

Handflapping can be the result of a number of issues.

My bother and sister, who have Tourette's to some degree (my brother more so) have done some handflapping. I have an alcoholic neighbour who has been handflapping for years, possibly as the result of brain damage associated with his addiction. My sister and I did a sort of stationary handflap as children where we held our hands beneath our noses for comfort. (My sister and brother do not live on the Autistic spectrum.) I still engage in this form of stationary handflapping behaviour; I also do a form of finger snap with my right tall finger on my right thumb nail. Hair twirling is also relaxing. If these and other hand movements are categorized as handflapping on the HF spectrum then I still engage as such, and I am 53 years of age.