Hi , does this sound like anything you know about?

[mikeluck]

Hi There,

Through the power of the internet I have discovered that I am a propioceptive stimmer and have been since a baby.

I used to jump manically with flailing arms and facial contortions as a child, and my parents discouraged this when it got beyond the "cute" stage ( I guess from when I was about 4 or 5).

I then began locking myself in the bathroom or bedroom so I could jump.
I still do this today at age 54 and this led me to look up this behaviour on the net.

I often ( say about 10 times a day), have thoughts that just "run away " with me and I get hyper excited, almost like head tripping away from where I am at. It is all good from my side but the facial contortions and grinding and twitching are weird and even scary for other people.

I disclosed this behaviour to my new life partner, but I can see that it freaks her out a bit. I head trip about mostly good stuff and I cannot control when I go into a stim.

I do not think I am an un-diagnosed autistic person as I have never really had any learning difficulty and have been a reasonably successful lawyer.

Are there causes of uncontrolable stimming other than autism?
Might I , in fact, have a type of autism?
Can one be tested for the cause of uncontrolled stimming as an adult?

Are you aware of any groups on the internet where people with similar issues congregate and share?

Any advice you can give me is most welcome.

Best regards,

Mike

 

[Bolletje]

Hi Mike! First of all, welcome.

It's entirely possible to be on the autism spectrum, to have a successful career, and no learning disabilities all at once. It's a common misconception that autism automatically comes with learning disabilities, but that's not the case.
A lot of people fly under the radar because they do well intellectually and manage to find their way in life, putting their skills to good use and surrounding themselves with people that like their quirks.
I'm a medical doctor, with a successful academic career, quite a lot of friends, and an autism spectrum disorder.

By which I just mean to say it's possible. You could be on the spectrum, you could be someone that just finds jumping soothing. If you would want to be tested for the reason you jump (ha, that's a book about autism!) I think your best bet would to be getting evaluated for autism. As far as I know there's no standardized jumping tests

You should ask yourself what you will gain from such tests, though. If you just want to know why you jump, by all means, go ahead. I applaud the search for knowledge. But if you are happy with the way your life is, and you're not running into any problems that may or may not be autism related, I would recommend just celebrating the fact that you have an awesome life, and accept that you happen to love jumping.

 

[Crossbreed]

I am not a psychologist, but your description strikes me as bipolar. Apparently, there are versions of bipolar that only have manic episodes rather than manic ones alternating with depressive ones.

 

[Streetwise]

There is lowercase D bipolar disorder that has very mild symptoms of depression but if you don't get depression at all it wouldn't be that

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Do we charge you by the hour?

More or less what bolletje said.

Keep reading,keep learning. You need to flesh out your symptoms with a bit more beef.
The nitty gritty of How you relate to people in your life,things like that.

 

[Warmheart]

Hi Mike, welcome here!

 

[tree]

 

[Judge]

Welcome to AC.

Though if you do determine you may be on the spectrum of autism, just know that it isn't a crime.

I didn't begin to figure it all out until my mid fifties. It happens.

Even at this late date, I'm glad to be able to look back at my entire life and be able to explain so many things about myself that I previously could not answer.

 

[Nitro]

 

[Nervous Rex]

Welcomrle, Mikeluck!

First, see an expert. As a lawyer, you wouldn't recommend anyone represent themselves in court. So, don't diagnose yourself - find a counselor.

Second, getting a diagnosis doesn't change who you are. You still get to keep all your gifts and talents, but you get better insight into how to deal with your challenges. There's literally no downside to knowing more about yourself.

Third, being successful doesn't mean that you can't have challenges like autism, bipolar disorder or anything else. I am a successful, leading engineer and make a good living. I get people from multiple departments coming to me for help solving hard problems. And yet, I recently had to admit that I can't solve myself, my anxiety and perfectionism. So I got myself to an expert, and was told that I'm autistic. I am grateful to know - now I get to start learning how to change the things I want to.

 

[Tom]

Hi & Welcome
I do a form of what you call 'head tripping', but it is less predictable or regular. However when left to itself my brain will often daydream or create stories.