Is it ok to stim heavily as a mature adult?

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I can't really speak for anyone 30+ but...

I used to be really bad at stimming, amongst other things, but I only ever got bad when things made me really uncomfortable or my emotions were in overdrive (happy, sad etc).

How do I control/maintain it?

If I have an urge, I usually keep it as low profile as possible. I make noises on occasion too, but keep that low as well.

I think the best way to do it less/more diluted is to find out when it happens and why.

Now emotions can run high and trigger it, it's best to keep them in check and follow the motions carefully, so that you are in control.

I think most people would accept stimming adults, but the prejudice is still there. So not exactly hiding your stims, but to dilute them is the best solution.

I have a stim bout at least once every 5 minutes. Thats a rough estimate. Mostly these stims are barely noticeable. I have managed somehow to get my stimming to not be obvious.

It gets to be a bit of a practical problem for me when I wash something. I have to make my fingers rub together repeatedly before and after the washing activity. It is excessive such that the washing activity becomes a mission.

When I drive I go through this elaborate ritual which can interfere with my ability to drive the vehicle, so I have to be careful of that. The stim where I have to stretch and tense my calf muscles can cause me to hit the brakes or accelerator at an inappropriate time.

In private I go totally wild on stimming but there again I have reached the limits of what my body can take. It seems that my stimming will extend ifallowed to whatever bodily movement is possible. I have learnt those limits through the injuries I have incurred. I have badly hurt my neck muscles before. It resulted in intense headaches, painful movements and an ongoing problem for sevral months and then another month when the neck injury recurred. I have had other less serious injurues such as straining my forearm muscles.

I have really enjoyed Wrong Planet for the reason that I now understand these weird issues I have. Stimming and sensory issues are two that I never knew were associated with Aspergers Syndrome. Its been a major revelation for me. I used think I was just a little insane.

I'm constantly playing with my ears - which after years of manipulation can easily be turned completely inside out which freaks some people out :p I also suck my thumb and will often suck my teeth (mostly for the feeling on my tongue I think). Someone walking in on my in the wrong moment would see me curled up with my arms over my head, ears inside out and sucking my thumb - shortly before they ran off the get the straightjackets!

I also love the taste of salt on my tongue, but don't do that any more as it's quite unhealthy (I lick crisps when alone though :p).

I used to do the knee bouncing thing (but have largely stopped now) but still move my foot a lot - especially in bed.. so much I actually get muscular aches from it :p

All of this I thought was perfectly normal until about 9 months ago..

My stimming is getting worse as I age. I am now 21.

Stimming is one of my most pronounced traits. My stimming though is socially unacceptable. What I mean by that, is that if people saw me flapping my hands and making those odd body movements, it would probably alarm or amuse those around.

I have stimmed a few times, mildly, in public without making a conscious effort to hold it back.

I stim even now, while I'm at my keyboard. I take a moment. My stimming is caused by emotions, music, stimuli and especially daydreaming. When I was a boy I did it publicly and got made fun off.

I've never been able to control it, but I can control it better when I'm in public - because in public I become quite withdrawn. It's just when I'm at home I let it all out. I've never been able to suppress or stop it completely. I am worried about how others will perceive it. But I guess you should be able to act however you want in the privacy of your home.

I'm new to the aspergers concept.
I guess I've been stimming all my life. I use to drive my parents crazy tapping knives and forks at the table. I use to do the knee bounce alot, not so much anymore. I tap my fingers in various rythums alot. When thinking when waiting for a page to load. I play with the coins in my pocket. My GF is always having a go about that. I can't resist playing with elastic bands. I fiddle with things alot.

I stim all I want when I'm alone(mostly arm flapping). I do not stim in public though when I have to I just twist my wrist, it does the trick for me.

I don't think I could suppress it if I tried. It's very much a focusing tool for me.

I am tapping my fingernails on my lip as I read this - if someone were to forbid stimming in my own house, I'd say that could be classified as mental abuse. We stim for a reason. The thought of not being able to do so in private scares me.

My stereotypies (I don't like the word stim) happen automatically and I am not aware of it most of the time. Mostly repetitive hand movements and some other movements like head nodding or rocking. When I realize that I am doing it I try to make it less obvious, but I know that when I stop thinking about it I will start doing it. I used to be totally oblivious to it unless someone brought it to my attention because they got annoyed or people made fun of me, but still I didn't know it was something that wasn't normal, and I didn't think much of it.
I am more aware of it since learning about it. I don't do it for any conscious reason, it's just my natural mode and it is constant, either a purposeless perseveration or it's related to sensory processing disorder or sensory integration. I don't know if it relaxes me but I am uncomfortable if I try to stop it.

I already knew what stimming was because my autistic son does it a lot. But until I was diagnosed with apergers last month I didn't realise how much I did it myself, knee bouncing being the most obvious thing ( I lways took it to be an uncontrolled nervous tick) I don't think I do the arm flapping thing, or at least I'm not conciously aware that I ever have.

If I don't do something to stimulate myself my body becomes very tense like a spring needing to be released, and the tension gets greater till I give in and do something to release the physical tension. I can relate to the stretching till it lt hurts thing, I have done that on many occasions (again never really thought about it till now, I'm still learning lol)

My opinion ims that if you can't do what you like at home then its a travesty of personal freedom. In public I guess you have to be careful, so as not to attract unwanted derision, but the knee bouncing thing seems to be ok (again I just tell people its a tick and they accept that)

Remember your stims are NOT HARMFUL to others, so its not really their business. If they are freaked out by some of your mannerisms, then that is a problem with THEIR inability to cope with the real world, they need to get a grip and stop being upset over trivial things.

Unfortunately we don't live in a utopian world so there will always be small minded people who will use your mannerisms to be cruel to you, but the problem is with them not you!

I stim (or rock and bob) when listening to music, I let it out when alone and sometimes when around others. I'm mainly at Uni at present and the other students don't interact beyond study/nice-ities really, so I think no one's bothered.