Do You Engage in Stimming?

[TheGreatCthulhu]

Stimming, or self-stimulating behavior is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, words, moving objects, or other repetitive behaviors.

There were a lot of behaviors that I didn't know were me stimming until I went to therapy.

For ADHD, it looks like:

• Zoning out.
• Playing with fidgets.
• Doodling.
• Humming.
• Excessive clearing of the throat.
• Biting your nails.
• Scratching your head excessively.
• Playing with your hair excessively.
• Chewing your tongue.
• Cracking your knuckles.
• Grinding your teeth.

For those with autism, it looks like:

• Finger flicking.
• Rocking back and forth.
• Pacing back and forth.
• Repeating words or phrases.
• Humming.
• Hard blinking.
• Opening and closing doors.
• Flicking switches.
• Cracking your knuckles.
• Snapping your fingers.
• Spinning or tapping objects.
• Covering and uncovering the ears.

But, you don't need to have ADHD or autism to self-stimulate. Everyone does it, just in neurodivergent folks, it's more excessive than what's considered normal.

Personally, my stimming behaviors are humming, cracking my knuckles, chewing my tongue, zoning out, and playing with fidgets. The big one for me is knuckle cracking, I do it all the time. When I'm not distracted and actually focused, I chew my tongue or fidget. I find it helps keep me focused.

So, do you engage in self-stimulating behavior? If so, what do you do?

 

[Dizzi]

Umm is dancing to no music one?? Also i hum music randomly...

 

[TheGreatCthulhu]

Umm is dancing to no music one?? Also i hum music randomly...

Dancing isn't, but humming can be.

 

[Chevywolf:30]

Please give this thread a different name.

But yeah I do tic, as I call it, sometimes, if I catch myself doing it I stop.

 

[Dizzi]

Please give this thread a different name.

But yeah I do tic, as I call it, sometimes, if I catch myself doing it I stop.

YOU JUST MADE MY BRAIN GO GUTTERING!!!

 

[TheGreatCthulhu]

Please give this thread a different name.

But yeah I do tic, as I call it, sometimes, if I catch myself doing it I stop.

Well, crisis averted... I hope.

 

[Azure Sage]

• Zoning out.
• Humming.
• Playing with your hair excessively.
• Cracking your knuckles.

• Pacing back and forth.
• Repeating words or phrases.
• Spinning or tapping objects.

I do all of these. I am both autistic and have ADHD. I crack my joints more than anything else though.

 

[Uwu_Oocoo2]

I don't really know much about what stimming is but I do a lot of stuff like that. I'm constantly tapping my feet for one thing, to almost an excessive level. I worry I might be bothering people in church with it but nobody has said anything so far. If I'm not thinking about anything I'll chew my lip. I fidget with stuff. And lately I've been snapping my fingers a lot, like I'll suddenly get the urge to and then I have trouble stopping myself lol. Not sure if those count?

 

[twilitfalchion]

I do a good number of those. Not sure if ADHD, anxiety, autism, or all three, honestly.

 

[TheGreatCthulhu]

I don't really know much about what stimming is but I do a lot of stuff like that. I'm constantly tapping my feet for one thing, to almost an excessive level. I worry I might be bothering people in church with it but nobody has said anything so far. If I'm not thinking about anything I'll chew my lip. I fidget with stuff. And lately I've been snapping my fingers a lot, like I'll suddenly get the urge to and then I have trouble stopping myself lol. Not sure if those count?

That's most definitely stimming.

What it is is a repeated behavior that stimulates the person in some manner. Most people call these tics, fidgeting, or quirks, and in neurotypical people, they're pretty mild.

In autistic folks, stimming is mostly a sign of emotional self-regulation in some way, either to stimulate their understimulated brains, or to self soothe if they're overstimulated. The classic example in autism is hand flapping, but it can manifest in different ways.

In ADHD folks, stimming is believed to be a result of a need to improve focus, self-soothe, or channel energy.

Everyone does it, and you don't need to be neurodivergent to engage in stimming behaviors, it's just that for neurodivergent folks, it can come off as pretty excessive compared to typical people.

 

[DJ Twitch]

• Rocking back and forth.
• Pacing back and forth.
• Repeating words or phrases.
• Humming.
• Cracking your knuckles.

• Zoning out.
• Doodling.
• Humming.
• Excessive clearing of the throat.
• Scratching your head excessively.

I do these. I also mumble to myself and shake my legs when sitting still.

 

[Ragnarokio]

I'm of the opinion that everyone stims, and probably mostly for the same reasons, though the methods and degree can vary. I think dancing can definitely be stimming, particularly if you're doing it because you like the way your body feels in motion or because you feel like you need to move your body.

From your lists, i engage in the following:

• Zoning out.
• Playing with fidgets.
• Doodling.
• Humming.
• Biting your nails.
• Chewing your tongue.
• Cracking your knuckles.

For those with autism, it looks like:

• Finger flicking.
• Rocking back and forth.
• Pacing back and forth.
• Repeating words or phrases.
• Humming.
• Opening and closing doors.
• Flicking switches.
• Cracking your knuckles.
• Spinning or tapping objects.

 

[MightyMario]

Yep

 

[Mikey the Gengar]

Please give this thread a different name.

the current thread name is discomforting


the most "stimmy" thing I do is like, claw my fingers and then flap my hands really quickly. It causes a really unusual sensation in my fingertips that I can't describe (so you should try it right now)
it acts a bit like a pressure release valve ig for when I'm feeling too amped up and can't do anything particularly productive
I used to play with my hair a lot by like, taking a lock and sticking a pencil through it and twisting the pencil (must've looked weird to classmates)
and I pace a lot a lot

 

[OGSniper]

Ye, the name can easily confuse people.

(I was pretty confused at first)