Am I misunderstanding stimming?

To all of the above:

I have to keep everything on my body so neat because if there is like a bump, scab, or flake I will pick at it and then it's sore and I want to fuss with it even more. I cannot stop myself from tearing the inside of my mouth to shreds though. I guess because it's not visible my brain has less motivation not to do it since I can easily keep it a secret.

I never thought of any of that as stimming before. Certainly doesn't feel good.

Paper said:

It's just a way to discharge energy

Oooh yes this is how I would describe it for me too.

Not sure if your the same but for me it's any dry skin or texture that feels like it would peal, so biting at lips when dry , picking fingers, nails if they're broken etc. I have managed over the years to avoid the lip biting but can often chew the inside of my mouth too till it's sore. Weird how we can be so self destructive!

Hi it helps me if I am frustrated or i have suffered unkindness I do it in private but find it enormously help ful

Paper said:

If you've been watching TikTok videos of women dancing around and looking like they're on MDMA and saying they're stimming, I would not take it too seriously.

I had a girlfriend (17-18) who used to loose herself in dance as a way of stimming - she would be in her own world, making up her own moves and generally being weird but into it in a way I couldn't connect to.

It worked for her - calmed her own demons (I never found out if she got diagnosed) so I wouldn't dismiss the dancing stimm out of hand.

I used to pick my lips to the point of bleeding. I started controlling this stim a bit to stop hurting myself. 

I'm the same, tends to make my fingers very sore too. I tend to start with the side of my thumbs and end up with them bleeding. If I start doing when  at work and end up making a mess of them I go get a plaster and stick it round. Fiddling with that them becomes a thing but at least it's not doing any more damage.

I pick my skin as a form of stimming. I find it satisfying to peel the skin off. It is not good but I cannot help it. 

Not every autistic person stims. And that’s fine. For me it feels calming, it helps me get rid of too much energy, I feel calm when I rock or fidget my fingers or pick my lips I have few other things I do. I often do it without realizing it. I do it when I’m stressed or excited or deeply concentrated or just like that without reason. Whenever I need - I just unapologetically do it. There is only one stim that I do only when I’m alone - pacing the room. Whoever had a chance to catch me doing it asks me the standard question “what’s wrong with you?”

It doesn't make me feel amazing. It's just a way to discharge energy and helps me be calm. Repetitive motions bring a stability and predictability to what I experience.

If you've been watching TikTok videos of women dancing around and looking like they're on MDMA and saying they're stimming, I would not take it too seriously. They're putting on a show.

I didn't realise I needed to read someone having this point of view until I read this. Thank you for writing. Made me feel like I'm not just an unlucky, broken autistic person (And I also LOLed at your delivery, so bonus) 

Me too with the meows (and occasional moo) 

I'd never heard of stimming until I read Neurotribes and even then I didn't really understand it and still don't, the nearest I come to it is the odd MEOW when upset, I don't flap, hop, blow bubbles or any of the stims I've heard of others doing. Like you I'm unsure of how its supposed to benefit people, maybe its a bit like smoking or masturbation, it only makes sense to those who do it and feel releived by it, for the rest of us it a bit Ehh?