Help me identify 'stimming' behaviour please.

[Kari Suttle]

I find and 'excavate', scratch or squeeze blackheads and hard spots, face and scalp mostly, sometimes to the point of bleeding.
• I twirl my hair (I used to plait any available strand-like stuff. Less often now).
• I tap rhythms with my hands or fingers.

I do similar things. Spin lightly left and right in spinny computer chairs, pick at pretty much any blemish i can find on my face or lips, twirl a pen around in my hands, i used to twirl my hair, and sometimes at work if i'm unsually nervous and uncomfortable i'll quickly tap out a beat on the rim of the scanner as i'm checking out a customer.

I'm a cashier and i stim a lot at work. I identify it as stimming because it feels like a compulsion, like a need, and i only do it if i'm nervous or somewhat overwhelmed or such. I wouldn't even say its comforting so much as a compulsion that when performed feels comforting because i'm doing it not fighting it. As a cashier i think the environment is too busy to tell just how much it helps me 'get it together' so to say like i've heard it can do.

 

[Skylark]

The compulsion thing makes sense. With me it is a release of energy. I'm really good at bottling things up (not healthy!) so I think these little traits are ways to release the pressure.

 

[Myway]

I don't tend to rock, spin, and flap when around things that are over stimulating. I love a lot of repetitive things like lining up toy cars by color, turning light switches on and off, flipping through books over and over again without reading it. I also tend to play repetitively with stuffed animals. It all depends on the person.

 

[Myway]

I rock, spin, and flap for no real reason. Just lets me regulate and helps me focus. I love motion, so those are great for me.

 

[zurb]

I can relate to a number of your stims, including squelching saliva to make rhythms.

Stims seem to fit into two categories: stress relief and happy stims, and usually happen without you being aware of it until attention is drawn to it.

As others have noted, sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between stims, tics and tourettes (and sometimes even OCD behaviour?), especially to an outside observer.

There's a thread titled 'what is your stim?' that you may be interested in. In that thread, I made this post:

A list of 1441 stims and growing:
The Stimming Checklist | there's a flap for that

If you don't like the term 'stim', we have a thread about that too.

 

[ItalianAspie]

Why can't I have normal stims...I'm a hand flapper and wriggle my fingers constantly. I don't even need to do it just for comfort, it's all day. Biting back of my lips, fingers, toes hands. If you want a real show, sometimes all at once until my wife hits the reset button...smack in the back of the head. Honestly it never bothers me, just embarrassing when someone notices. Did I mention ceiling fans and lights?...like a dog chasing his own tail.

 

[Skylark]

Thankyou zurb. 'Squelching'...yes, that's the word I needed! Well, I thought I was odd but now I feel...well.... 'oddinary'. (There just aren't enough words sometimes!)
I will check out that link, thanks.

ItalianAspie - 'reset button' made me laugh

 

[Cosmophylla]

Why can't I have normal stims...I'm a hand flapper and wriggle my fingers constantly. I don't even need to do it just for comfort, it's all day. Biting back of my lips, fingers, toes hands. If you want a real show, sometimes all at once until my wife hits the reset button...smack in the back of the head. Honestly it never bothers me, just embarrassing when someone notices. Did I mention ceiling fans and lights?...like a dog chasing his own tail.

Yes, I need a reset button!