Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello, I've just joined this community. I'm 33 and I'm in the process of getting a referral to get an ASD assessment, but I'm also doing CBT to help me with anxiety and the therapist said that she thinks I definitely have autistic traits and so we're approaching CBT under the assumption that I have ASD. But although I do feel like I have a lot of the traits I have seen listed in various places, one that confuses me is stimming. I am not sure if I do it, because I'm not sure I understand what it is.
What I understand is that it's physical stimulation that is usually soothing and repetitive, but is it something that only happens when people are overwhelmed or are having difficulty coping with or processing something? Is it something they are aware they are doing, is it something they would be able to stop doing?
There are several physical things that I do but I'm not sure if they would be considered stimming because they're not linked to discomfort or difficulty processing, and although I always start doing these without realising, when I do realise I'm doing it I am able to stop (although unless someone can see me, I usually don't want to stop). Basically I can't sit still, I'm always doing something, even when I'm calm or when I'm watching TV etc. I'll play with my fingers/fingernails, if I'm standing up I'll often shift my weight to the other leg, sometimes I sort of slightly rock sideways by continuously shifting my weight from foot to foot. I often pinch/play with my lips when I'm thinking, watching a film or focusing on something on the computer. I bite my lips, play with my hair, if I'm sitting down barefoot or lying in bed I like to intertwine my toes. Or I sometimes run my fingernails down my sides from the top of my rib cage to my hips three or four times, it tingles and relaxes me.
I don't think I do these things when I'm stressed, I just can't sit still, I think I do them when I'm thinking and they just feel nice. I know some of them look really dumb, like the toes thing, or playing with my lips, so I try not to do them in front of people.
Would these be considered stimming? Or are they something totally unrelated? Do you experience similar things?
This link has a list of common stims, do any of these relate to you?
www.betterhelp.com/.../
Only about three of them. I can stop one thing I'm doing if I want but I seem to then start another form of sensory stimulation instead right away. I'm just starting to realise that I have some form of sensory stimulation going on most of the time, whether it's rubbing my feet together when I go to bed, or click or play with my fingers, twist my hair, bite my lips, play with the skin on my elbow... Earlier today I tried to stop everything to see if I could or if it was a compulsion. I was able to stop for a while but it took all my attention and I felt uncomfortable. And when I stopped focusing on it I started again doing some form of sensory simulation but only noticed after I had been doing it for a while.