Is it ok to stim heavily as a mature adult?

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I bounce my leg incessantly when sitting. I don't usually notice it. I can stop, when told to, but I don't like to. People comment on it often. I don't feel that it's something that is inappropriate though or that takes away from my credibility (like twirling in circles would at my age).

Since self-diagnosis, I've realized how much I clap and flap my hands when excited, too. Fortunately, I don't think I get excited enough to do this unless I'm around close friends and family. I'd be embarrassed if someone at work commented on it.

One that bugs me because I never realized that I do it... my husband says that when I'm concentrating hard on what someone is saying that I move my lips like I'm talking, too. Not sure if that qualifies as a stim since I don't think that I get any release from it... but it really can't help me out when trying to blend in... Anyone else ever been told that they do that?

I'm a nailbiter and a leg bouncer

my newest one is tugging on my eyebrows. I find the tug pleasing, although my brows are getting a little thin

Hi,

I have had a relationship with rhythmic movement for years as a musician, but it wasn't until reading this thread, that I realised my so called "fidgeting" and "incessant tapping" is probably a form of stimming too. It definitely distracts/stimulates me in a way that allows me to feel more mentally relaxed.

An interesting aspect to this, is that I consciously play with the rhythms to address the feeling I desire - for example: "complex" and "compound" time signatures can add a funky oval lolloping feel, or a sense of urgency, whilst a "simple" fat back-beat can be equally satisfying in a more brute-force manner.

I stim in several of the other ways that people here have mentioned too, and for me tapping of drum patterns can definitely have a similar urge to these activities. I'm particularly satisfied by odd meters. Does anyone else have a take on this?

btw: On reflection, I think this may be to do with "control"; To take events, and stipulate exactly where they fall. The more acute the implementation is, the more satisfying.

Leg rocking you can get away with body rocking you'll get ridiculed for in my experience . In private go for it . I wonder if leg stimying is bad for my knees they get sore sometimes so I have to mix it up.

Heh if you're alone what's the big deal x) I am most comfortable when I am alone with my obnoxious habits

When in private, it's okay to be yourself, as long as you aren't hurting anyone. I don't stim as much as some others on the spectrum, but do have to suppress myself somewhat in public occasionally. Doesn't always work though. Was in a waiting area at a business recently, and a couple of other people were waiting there too. Had a nice tune going thru my brain. Couldn't shut it off, and couldn't stop moving my hands or nodding my head to the beat. At least I looked like I was peacefully having a good time. Was waiting for a relative to finish his business there, and I am always stressed by being with relatives, so I guess that's why I was having trouble controlling the stimming that day. I live alone, so I am able to stim all I want when I am at home. I don't stim much away from home, but it helps to know that I will be able to do it once I get home. This helps me control most of it when I am away from home, although I will still twirl utensils and pens anywhere. None of my stims hurt anyone, and they seem to relieve stress, so it doesn't bother me, as long as I don't look too weird in public.

IMO, yes, it is ok. I have autism and tourette. I can't even stay still in my sleep. I do a wide variety of really noticeable stims and tics, and nobody says anything. Leg bouncing, bobbing my head as if listening to music, twitching or twisting my head to the side or on an angle as if to pop my neck, staring off into space even though I'm paying attention, finger tapping, finger fanning, finger danging, flapping at the wrist, popping my knuckles, rotating my arms, tugging at the collar of my shirt, humming, blinking overtly, twirling pens between my fingers, shifting in my seat, sitting in odd positions, etc etc... I might briefly stop moving for a minute, but usually at any given time I'm doing at least any two or three of those things, of not more. I don't make enough noise to disturb anyone, and my movements stay inside my personal bubble. Haven't had any problems with it that I'm aware of.

I started to write a reply, then I had a doubt and went to check what "stimming" means. How smart was I! It prevented me from posting a big text on my masturbation habitudes.




Now as to stimming, I do a bit of it on my desk, everything should be at its place or at least at an interesting angle with other objects around. But I don't care what people think of it, it's quite soft I think and did not increase in life fortunately. I also do those things with my fingers, my hands and my jaw but I believe no one really pays attention to that so I feel OK with it.

My ankles/lower legs/knees are often intertwined, sometimes with a foot flapping too. I need to shift in my chair a lot, I hold my wrists or slowly wring my hands. I'm barefoot usually but socks must be arch support for the squeeze, I sometimes wear a tight tank top under my clothes if I need to focus a lot that day.

I stim nonstop 24/7 even in my sleep, to the point I've needed medication for self-harm. I don't hide it at all any more because I think I'd go out of my mind without it.

I was stimming before I knew what it was and knowing I was autistic.My is pacing had it for yrs some people can't even tell when doing it in front of them.

I start rocking often without realizing it when I'm sitting, and it's sometimes the only way that, say, if I'm at a restaurant, I can make it through the ordeal without curling up into a little ball under the table with my eyes closed and my hands over my ears - I figure the rocking is better than that, so I don't fret about it too much. When I have my service dog with me (who has "autism service dog" in big letters on his vest) or when I'm at home either by myself or with only family, I'm trying to un-condition myself from suppressing my stimming, which is actually much harder than I thought it would be. When I'm out in public without my dog I try to keep to stims that won't draw much attention to me because a. I don't want to be disruptive (and I loathe being the center of attention) and b. I don't want people to see me doing it and make (likely incorrect) assumptions about me. But I'm almost constantly stimming in at least one way, even if it isn't very (or at all, such as tapping the back of all my teeth one at a time with my tongue) noticeable.

I stopped suppressing my stimming when I was diagnosed, so I actually stim MORE as an adult than I did as a teen, mostly because I learned about all the alternative stims I could do. Like stim toys to replace harmful stims and stuff.

One of my stims is picking/biting at my fingers, and even though I still give in and do it sometimes, I carry around little fiddle toys to occupy my hands. Some of them are pretty small and discreet. My fingers haven't bled in a good while now, so that's awesome.

Also I have chewing things to replace my stim of chewing on my lip. They're pretty discreet too, just clear food-grade silicone tubes the size of a pen cap.

I don't know if it's okay, but that doesn't mean I can help it.