Can we change our stims?

I think you can. Plastic kindly suggested I develop a few harmless ones to cope in some situations. I hadn't considered that they could be consciously developed.

I have a couple of little harmless ones that have always been there, but I paid no attention to ever. Since they took some of my teeth two years back, I have some big wopping dramatic ones involving quite a lot of rapid head rubbing in ever increasing circles that have appeared out of nowhere and worried my husband. I'd no idea why until I figured out what the behaviours were. They happen every time the sensations in my mouth get too much because of the missing teeth; often after I've eaten and it's really stressing me out. 

I think Plastic's right I do need to pick one that won't interfere when I'm not coping in the dentists and see if I can channel the urge consciously there.

If you like to scratch, can you find a garment that is soft and comfy next to the skin but had a rougher texture stitched to the outside that's good to scratch. Or some thing scratchy as a fidget toy. Some way to stratch and protect your skin.

Hiya

I've investigated my body and tested many stims that offer different levels of soothing and comfort or overload.   It needs to be intense.

For just burning time, the leg-jiggle works well up until the point of procedure.      I need to sit still for most things like blood tests so the head rubbing works well - lots of ear and brain-noise - it allows me to leave the other arm limp..

I also scratch until I bleed - the feeling of the greasy blood both delights and disgusts me - causes brain overload so good for diversion.      I can rub my hands together until I can smell burning - but that causes long-term damage and pain so is for special occasions only.

For my daily stomach injections, I rub/pull my hair with one hand and ruffle my eyebrow with the other - it gets both my hands well away from the injection site and I can keep my eyes closed so I don't see any needles.

There are 3 separate pains - needle going in, the liquid being injected and then a few minutes after, it feels like someone touching a lit match to the injection site - hurts like fluck!

Have you found and 'useful' stims?

Hiya

I've investigated my body and tested many stims that offer different levels of soothing and comfort or overload.   It needs to be intense.

For just burning time, the leg-jiggle works well up until the point of procedure.      I need to sit still for most things like blood tests so the head rubbing works well - lots of ear and brain-noise - it allows me to leave the other arm limp..

I also scratch until I bleed - the feeling of the greasy blood both delights and disgusts me - causes brain overload so good for diversion.      I can rub my hands together until I can smell burning - but that causes long-term damage and pain so is for special occasions only.

For my daily stomach injections, I rub/pull my hair with one hand and ruffle my eyebrow with the other - it gets both my hands well away from the injection site and I can keep my eyes closed so I don't see any needles.

There are 3 separate pains - needle going in, the liquid being injected and then a few minutes after, it feels like someone touching a lit match to the injection site - hurts like fluck!

Have you found and 'useful' stims?

Good luck-  but I don't feel I've given any advice - just options that work for me to get me through unpleasant things.

I've also found interrogation scenes work well for me - demanding answers in quick succession about any subject focusses my brain elsewhere as an add-on to the hair pulling, crying, jiggling etc.

They're getting used to me. 

You are a genius and I'm going take your advice and test the next time I'm at the dentist.