I am a cashier and I jiggled my leg. This little girl sweetly asked " why do you wiggle?" I told her God made my brain special so I wiggle. She shrugged and said "okie ! Did you know ghosties are real?!" This 4 year old was so accepting. This family came up and this mom lit up when she saw me hand flap. "Look Tommy, she flaps too!" She pointed to her autistic son. He beamed at me and said " I'm super happy!" . I was approaching meltdown and I was wildly flapping and shaking. The customer revealed herself as a autism mom and talked me through it and validated me and calmed me down. There. Positive stories of nt interactions while stimming
I started flapping my hands when I was at work (I was also a cashier) as well I had someone in my line who said “STOP FLAPPING YOUR ARMS LIKE AN IDIOT AND DO YOUR JOB!” I was really stressed and was going to have a meltdown to I was ready to get fired so I could scream at that bitch while simultaneously crying when the person I was serving at the time did it for me (without the crying) once they had finished with the other person they turned to me and said “it’s okay, I have autism and if you want you can stop and I can stay with you and help you until you calm down.” I accepted the offer and that person helped me the whole time, we have now been best friends for 5 years.
I used to flap my hands with excitement as a child . My nickname was Schroeder after the piano guy from Peanuts. Im in my 40s now but it still comes out when I get excited just not as often .Not sure if thats stimming but it feels damn good.
I'm 42 and I've got this kind of rainbow colored, clicky worm thing that is just too satisfying to play with. I see the colors, I feel the textures and hear the clicks, it doesn't have a flavor as far as the marketing materials go, but it hits at least 3 of my senses.
Yeah me too. I now find it very hard to stim, I experience constant stiffness and moving is hard. Anyone now how to ease back into stimming? I also get ticks and it's hard not to suppress them
I know it's so deceiving. It can later on feel like you're being taken advantage of. Then people develop trust issues. This is why I dont trust counselors, and staff in general at school or most adults generally.
I am almost 60 years old and autistic. My father beat almost all of the stimming out of me when i was small. I mostly hide it, but I still get startled when i catch myself stimming. It does not go away.
Now that you’re older I say let it all out! Stun until your hearts content! It will take a while especially after what you went through but just be you and allow your self to express your emotions the way your body knows how ❤️
@Katherine Dalton CA 2027 No worries. It was a different time back then with different morals. Non-functioning autism was the only kind back then. After I turned 13, I only saw them a couple of hours a week. I had a full time job and bought my own food and clothes. I slept at home most days, but sometimes left for weeks, and my parents never worried when I was gone. I was kind of emancipated like a lot of my friends. Back then, it was still not uncommon for teenagers to live on their own, completely responsible for ourselves and our futures. I was also an honor student in high school and joined the military after graduation. I retired as an Engineer, so it all worked out.
Neorotypicals think of stimming as 'that thing autistics do.' Clicking your pen, chewing on a pen lid, tapping their foot... I think they genuinely don't see that it's the same thing. I do think that we should try and keep our stims appropriate to the situation as much as we can though. If you're in an exam or a church service and your stim is noisy or very animated that is going to disturb the people around you and stop them from being able to focus. And that's not fair on them. My coat pockets are starting to fill up with different fidget toys for different situations 😂 Obviously when you're feeling an extreme emotion controlling anything goes right out the window. Then the flapping and pacing starts! (I didn't even know I flapped until a friend told me 😆) [Bte, I've gotten used to how fast you talk now! No fiddling with settings or 3rd party software required 😂]
When you were showing those clips, I started getting really excited for you and started rocking and hand flapping. I can tell how happy you are in those clips!
I'm trying to move dangerous stims, chewing sugary/carb heavy foods (i have diabetes) to more safer ones. E.g. chewing gum I think there are definitely 'harmful' stims, head banging, self harm etc but that that behaviour is happening for a reason and people need to do more about recognising the reason and supporting, helping transfer people to more healthy stims. Sorry for the long message.
deadphoenixrising yes! also idk if you know this, you may know and just not like these, but there are these things made of silicone or something made specifically for people to chew on :3 like I said, you might know, but I figured it’d be nice to mention to you in case you didn’t, since you say you stim by chewing
Yes, harmful stims should be avoided, but even there you're talking about substituing a benign one for the harmful one. The need is still there, it just ought to come from something that doesn't cause so many problems.
I didn't even know I've been suppressing stimming, it didn't occur to me, I just hold this sort of tight discomfort in public. I'm so excited to listen to my body and proudly wear my skin. I'm sure my toddler will be delighted by the energy as well..and if he lands on the spectrum one day, he'll have the support I didn't.
A couple of my favourite “unnoticeable” stims to do in public are wiggling my toes and digging my fingernails into my palms, but often this is too little for all the energy in my body and I’ll just panic and ✨ f l a p ✨
Yeah, those smaller stims are a good alternative if you try to avoid being judged but sometimes we need to move more. I subconsciously started twitching my stomach (because that’s more movement and is not easily recognizable by others) when I needed more movement than just moving my toes and biting my inner lip, but stomach twitching becomes painful after a while :/ We should just be allowed to do any stim that isn‘t too loud for others. Like, if it just looks „weird“ but doesn‘t disturb anyone, why should we stop? There‘s no reason other than catering to what others judge as „appropriate“ which in itself is a very shallow argument.
I find stimming to be calming for me especially when I feel nervous or anxious. I tend to fidget with something or zone out without realising I do it a lot of the times.
Same for me too. Whenever I'm at school I will end up zoning out. If I get put back to reality then I fall asleep, and then if I'm awoken I zone out. It's a huge little circle.
Well... I stim myself, but I'm also sometimes sensitive when it comes to repetitive sounds/movements/stimuli in general. It can be incredibly distracting when the person next to me wiggles their foot or rubs their thighs ALL THE TIME. I know that people can't help it, again, I stim myself, but it definitely can be distracting, even if it's silent.
i can't really filter information pouring in, so producing extra info makes me process more info. i have, on occasion, asked friends to wiggle a bit more to the left, so they are not in my field of view anymore, when i really needed to concentrate
If someone's coping mechanism offends you (provided no one is getting hurt) then you have the problem not them. Everyone has some sort of coping method and if it works for them, that's a beautiful thing.
I can’t get over how much I adore you!! I am twenty five years old and because of you and several other channels dedicated to autism spectrum disorder, I am realizing that the feeling that I’m too different from others (especially people my own age where there is this unspoken rule that you MUST be doing things and behaving in ways exactly like your peers) and feeling like I’m ‘doing life wrong’ because I’m not developing exactly everyone else may be due to possibly being on the spectrum? Even just toying around with the idea has brought so much liberation and validation to me! RealIzing that I’m not ‘broken’. Realizing that it’s okay that I’m not growing up as fast as my peers, and that it’s okay that I get overwhelmed by lights and noise and crowds and social situations, and that the ‘strange ways’ I move my body are OKAY! My parents are going to help me seek a diagnosis. Thank you so much for all you do Chloe! 💕💕💕
I flap my hands when excited. I’m trying to carry soft things on my person to try and stop skin picking as that is a harmful addiction. I have multiple comfort items and I’m trying to bring them out with me more as I try to understand me and my autism better. 😊
I never even realised how much I actually stim subconsciously. I almost always bounce my leg, and then I sometimes will blink, tap, exhale repetitively. when I was excited as a child (and occasionally now) i would jump up and down a lot and my hands would literally pull in and sit like a kangaroo's. everyone else would remark on it, but to me it's just something my body did. the other day I saw a child sitting in a car bobbing up and down, and i started bobbing back. He lit up with a smile it was absolutely adorable.
Overt stimming was conditioned out of me by ninth grade. Now I only stim covertly via wriggling my toes, pacing or some form of oral stim. (Humming, singing softly or whistling) Between reprimand and ridicule it eventually made me so self conscious that I could never dance in a social setting. Needless to say, that inhibition didn't win me any friends.
I get often asked if I'm nervous because I shake my legs a lot, click my pen, or similar things, when most of the time, I'm actually just focused on something and I don't realise I'm doing it. It sounds counter productive to focus on not doing these things when you're doing just fine 🤷🏼♀️
So, I got an ad for Spectrospective before this video started and as this video started wrapping up, I decided to check it out and the front page video was discussing Autism in the work place and one of the key things that was brought up, was understanding that some people may need to bring in a toy, or headphones, or have to do things a certain way to perform, or process a task. I recommend checking it out, as someone that struggles with employment, let alone getting an interview.
I recently developed metal screaming as a vocal one maybe 6 months ago, i dont do the loud one unless im alone thank God I can control it but i cant control the quieter one. Its called a fry scream but people think I'm a gremlins sometimes lol. But its a super satisfying throat feeling. This is what i get for learning new things
I never heard the term stimming until recently, but I’ve totally done it my whole life. When I was little Id spin in my dad’s office chairs for almost an hour, I’d also fidget with stuff on his desk when ever I’d go to talk to him (he hated that one but if he made me stop, I wouldn’t be able to talk somehow) and I drum on things a lot and I play with my hair and mustache a lot, my legs shake and I crack my knuckles and rotate my wrists back and forth. Sometimes squint my eyes play with whatever’s in my pocket etc etc. I notice people giving me weird looks or staring sometimes (oh by the way I’ve never really looked much into autism, but I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult), but my advantage is that I’m a pretty strong dude. So if people stare at me because I’m being weird, I smile and wave or give them a nod. Most of the time they’ll smile or nod back, or at least look away. But if they just continue to stare or give a disapproving look, then I stare back with an “I’ll f*** you up” face and at that point they usually go on with their day. I wouldn’t ever actually get violent over something like that, but the threat of it makes them leave me alone, and I always try the friendly approach first. Also, I like your flower hat thing.
This is such an important message to share. No one should ever be shamed for stimming. Everyone has ways to calm them self and no one should be able to take that away or shame them for it. I am so sorry someone said that to you.
I stim all the time...usually i don't really pay much attention to it and it doesnt bother me...while watching this video i became really self conscious however..... By the end of the video i felt so much better...so thank you xx
i was so moved by this awesome video that i started stemming as you were speaking and i had to write this message while i watch the video and i usually wait until the end lol way to go chole you speak it girl :)
My dad always tried to tell me not to jiggle my legs because it showed how nervous I was. I’ve never jiggled my legs because I was nervous, I jiggle my legs because of the energy that needs to escape from me.
Same. My parents told me I picked the skin on my fingers because...I was nervous? I think they told my teacher this too, and a friend of mine heard somehow too. so I was given this silly putty to mess with at school instead of picking my skin, and I remember at one point I was picking my skin again rather than playing with the putty and my friend kind of told me to like...stop picking my skin and that I had the putty for a reason and I think she mentioned at one point that I pick my skin because I'm nervous and I'm just like...no? I just...do it. All the time. It's not....I'm not nervous. I just need to do it. I'm not nervous at all.
One of my most common forms of stimming is shaking my leg, and I was once told I wouldn't get hired by a Japanese boss if I did that. Once I finally realized what was happening, it was really disheartening that I know what has hindered me from going where I want and I can't do much about it.
If they take away our stims, we'll be increasingly prone to meltdowns and shutdowns without that outlet for energy and self-soothing. I used to rock and bounce more, and my mom would often tell me to sit still (currently only have ADHD diagnosis, self diagnosed autistic, working to pursue clinical diagnosis) so I gradually relegated my stims to more and more discreet actions (bouncing my leg when sitting, playing with a small toy in my pocket.... hand-jive.... I know that one's not discreet, but I just look like a theatre geek.... which I am... so...). Since the COVID shutdown I've been spending more and more time by myself and the mask has been gradually slipping off and I'm finding myself rocking and bouncing more lately than I have for the last several years, it's mostly when I'm by myself but for a long while I would even suppress some stims in private because they were, "weird."
Really enjoyed you talking about this and also that person who said that people should go and stim at home & get help for it is a pretty ridiculous person. I do think that if you are not use to people stimming as such an obvious way that it can be strange. But I definitely think that is the chance to have a conversation about it and why autistic like us do it. I know it might seem silly to try and normalise stimming for neurotypicals but I guess that's the only way they understand I guess. For me, stimming wasn't a term that I became familiar until 1-2 years ago but I realised that I've done it all my life to not only show positive emotion but sometimes negative also. I do think there will always be negative people in this world who are not interested in finding out the how's and why's of things. But never stop talking about it as there will always be people wanting to listen and to be enlightened by other people's experiences. I really liked this more talky ranty style video and I like how positive you were talking about stimming and your autism as a whole. It's just brill to see especially from someone who is also autistic.
I agree that person who said that is pathetic moron and I'd say other things as well but I'm censoring myself because of total idiopathic neuro-typical idiots who are so dense in their delusional thinking they're not thinking of past the end of their noses to spite their face to grasp the concept they lack people's feelings and/or experiences are affecting their stimming because of the nerotypicals idiotic statements period
Not gonna lie, seeing you happy stim is therapeutic for me. I've masked my whole life and taught myself not to stim, so this is helping me to relearn how.
A thought I have is....autistics have too powerful an energy for the human body (in most cases) and it short circuits the system...evolved human, baby 💎💖💜💙💚💛🧡❤️💖💎
Literally just started the video but I need to say this!! (I also already know that this is going to be a stemming positive video) Everyone stems!💖 even Nt!! just Nd people do it more frequently and more extremely💖 Stimming is beautiful, and should never be shamed!! only should be adapted in cases such as: from harmful to non-harmful stems✨ Everyone needs self-regulation, and that person who said otherwise probably doesn't even realize that they stem too✌️ Okay, now I'm going to watching this video by this beautiful person 💖✨💕
Story time! I have adhd and I just got a random energy boost after watching a clip of a famous UA-camr stimmimg (I'm not the only one that gets energy from euphoria, right?) and I hand flapped and I loved it and now I still have energy-
I do exactly the same moves when I'm excited haha and I enjoy it actually. And thankfully not much people said something against it. of course I get weird looks when I stim, but no one told me to stop.
I don’t have autism, but I do have adhd and I grew up stimming by rubbing my hands and face against soft objects and people would make fun of me for it.
I'm in a BPD ward right now and every time I'm stimming it's seen as problematic behavior and they want me to change that, and I feel so bad every time they want me to change my autistic traits. I feel like I can't do that
Hi sweetie, my name is Jenny and I'm 33 I have a sister called Zoe and her 5 year old son (my darling nephew) is called Jonah. We live in a place called Londonderry in northern Ireland and he was born non verbal autistic and we all are trying to learn as much as we can so we can understand him that little bit more and thanks to you and your videos I am. I love him so much almost as much as if he was mine but it's so hard to understand him and know what his needs are but we are learning and learning alot. I've become disabled because of an autoimmune disease so I know how hard it is to be "different ". Thank you for being so wonderful. Keep up your incredible work and bless your beautiful heart xx
As a child my mum always tried to keep me from stimming, because it looked weird. And I don’t judge her, she didn’t know and she just wanted the best for me. But now, when I have a meltdown and have too many emotions to cope, I automatically hurt myself with my nails, or pulling my hair, because I don’t know how else to cope. So I’m actively allowing myself now to stim again, in hopes that I can use it to better regulate myself.
Stimming is only negative when it hurts you or someone else. I used to pull my hair and pick my scalp to the point of hurting myself. Also lip biting to the point of my lip getting swollen and numb. At one point I shaved my head so I could rub my hair instead of hurting my head and it worked well.
Unfortunately as an older person I had most of my sims forced away and I’ve learnt and adapted to play a role in public but then lock myself away for a day or two to hide and be me
People can be so cruel. It's just a way people cope or respond to things, like nail biting, smoking, drinking, etc. The only difference is that it doesn't hurt anyone and not everyone does the same thing. I think hand flapping is far superior to holding out a cigarette and getting noxious fumes on everyone. But good grief - people can say such upsetting things. Please don't let them get to you.
i know this is an old video, so sorry in advance but...i don't think i've ever seen someone else stim like you did in those videos before. i've done that type of thing, almost exactly the same *so often* when i was younger (and now ofc) but i never realized that reactions like that weren't just...something everyone did? there's so much i've learned - things that i've done for *years* and thought were just Common NT Experiences when they weren't - since finding your channel and it's absolutely mind-blowing
I used to stim and was constantly Bullied. I now smoke because that's acceptabl n that is hurting my helth im trying to quit but that past trauma is a wond that goes deep. U make me happy thankyiu for another great video 📹
Those clips of you stimming are extremely helpful for having examples as I am having some Realizations about my own behaviors 😆 Thank you for this positive video, a lot of us really need to hear it, even two years later 💙
I bite my lips & play with my teeth. My fingers write. My eyes move across your face as if I'm reading your words so I don't have to look you in the eyes all the time. It wasn't until recently when I was writing a paper on the subject of autism did I realize that I'd read & written most of my psychological profile well before I was finished. A lot of early and unexplained, and certainly weird behaviors of mine suddenly became explained. Now I know what they are for and why they exist, and I can choose which ones to enjoy, rather than blow with the wind on them. Question remains, since I'm the same person I was before writing this paper, where does it go from here?
"I was told that if i do any of these things, I'm opening myself to bullying". Oh, yes, yes, because now we comply to bullies and want to hide our true selves in order to make bullies happier. WHAT. Edit: "I feel like I shouldn't stim" Meanwhile me, happily tapping with my finger nails at the bottom of a drink can at work yesterday, even when I was made aware of that fact, but had no regrets: D:
The only time stimming should be a concern is when its hurting the stimmer, but I'm sure theres ways to impliment ways to do whatever it is safer onto maybe a comfort object or something
I absolutely think stimming is awesome I use this when I’m stressed or excited and I think this should NOT BE MADE FUN OF!! My brother doesn’t like it when I stimm next to him because I usually shake my leg and it jiggles the couch :/
Well now I know why rock myself all the time sometimes even when I'm not nervous. I do the tapping of the leg and carry things around the house to help me as well. Never knew it had a name. Hell, I was doing that while watching this.
I will admit, when I first saw a friend stimming, I was startled. I had no idea what she was doing or why, it was very disturbing to me. Then I learned about stimming and it was no longer an issue. It's just her being excited about something. I really do not think Autistic people should have to stop stimming, I think more people need to learn what stimming is and realize it's not hurting anyone.
I am 19 (20 in one week) and I was diagnosed with Aspergers in grade 3, so I’ve known for a long time. But I can’t recall any time in my whole life that I have stimmed, at least from all the explanations and examples I’ve seen over time. And yet, all these autism videos that I see always talk about stimming and how it’s normal and natural and everyone does it and I feel like something’s wrong with me because I really don’t think that I do it? Also my sister has the same diagnosis as me (she was diagnosed at least a year before me though despite being younger) and she definitely does stim. But my problem is that her specific stim she does (that is not common but still very outward and noticeable) makes me feel uncomfortable, in the same way that certain sensory stuff does. She seems to do it when she’s thinking/concentrating really hard. But I’m the only one who is uncomfortable with it and I don’t know how to make the feeling stop because I know it’s wrong but it makes me feel bad inside and it’s not fair. And even if I try to look away it’s like I can feel her doing it. I don’t want to feel that way but I can’t stop it. Is there any way to make this feeling go away?
I'm still learning a lot about myself and my possible autism (I'm undiagnosed but I've been doing 2 years of research so far and I'm fairly certain I do) for me figuring out my stims has honestly been a LITTLE challenging because I don't know if I'm looking "too deep" into certain actions or too little haha here's my stims that I think I have: Biting my nails/skin around my fingers/inside of my lip and cheek (this is the most common) *Kinda TMI one, a little gross* I'll make myself salivate by pushing saliva out of the gland under my tongue (I do this one randomly and honestly I hate it bc after a while it starts to hurt but I cant stop!) playing with my hair and putting it in front of my mouth (this one comes out more in stressful situations when I worry) holding objects and shaking them by rotating my hand rather than up and down (this one comes out mostly at work) and when I'm angry I hit my head (besides nail biting, this has been the one I've definitely had the longest) oh and while at work I tend to make a lot of random noises with my mouth or hum
I am just starting the process of getting possiblity diagnozed for autism, and going through the list of symptoms stimming was always the one that i thought i had the least, especially when it come to the handflapping and stuff. Not anymore. If hand flapping looks like that, i do that like all the time. Thank you for making this video and helping me realize these things
I'm undiagnosed because my mom thinks it would make her look like a bad parent if my brother or I were labeled as anything. She believes you can just get over it and do things properly, if not you weren't taught right by your parents (aka, bad parenting). My mom has berated me continuously for a lot of stims, to the point of not doing any, or hiding them. Skin picking and swaying, I just can't help but do... I had a lot of screaming meltdowns growing up, and occasionally as an adult. I'm understanding myself more and trying to allow myself to stim more. I now go to the store alone more often (normally I go with my mom) because it's less stressful and when my favorite food is being discontinued, I can shake my hands out for several minutes to calm down vs. whispering obscenities while stomping through the store 😅
I always knew I was stimming a lot, as a neurodivergent person, but in the clips you show, there were some things I do I though even neuroatypic people do, and I was shocked to realize it was stimming as well!
I'm just coming out of a major autistic burnout and I've decided that I'm not going to perform for NT'S anymore. If they don't like me they can "just get over themselves." Do whatever is right for YOU.
i am ALWAYS, and i really mean that, at least as long as i am awake, stimming. how do i know if it's neurodivergent stimming, or just neurotypical stimming? (i am trying to figure out if im autistic or not.) things i do aren't really stereotypical autistic stims i don't think. i mostly do small stuff like pick my lip, play with my hands, click my teeth, crack my knuckles, breathe songs, touch things around me, etc. and when i was younger i remember constantly rubbing my thumbnail to my lip because it was smooth. when i am anxious i do a lot more. i pace and walk on my toes, stop midway a thousand times to fidget with random things. and when im excited i jump around a lot and stim more. i also do vocal stims like repeating words, phrases, noises (like from inanimate objects or non human animals) i do those more when im alone because im more concious of them and get embarrassed. but if im not actively doing a motor task, like right now i am typing (but have stopped like 30 times randomly to play with the carpet or pick my leg or click a song on my teeth) i will absolutely always be doing something.
I don't have autism But I do have diagnosed anxiety and In times where I'm Just Chilling or Stressed I stim alot Like Rock back and forth, Bite my lip, And pull my hair when I'm upset
The only stims that should be limited are stims that hurt one's self. Like scratching, cheek biting, digging nails into skin, head banging. The only reason I ever do painful stims are because I didn't feel comfortable stimming in a healthy way, and got overwhelmed to the point where I felt a meltdown incoming. Stimming is a wonderful tool we have. If we don't use it when we need it... It makes everything worse.
I have felt like I've needed permission to stim; especially as a 31 year old woman. It would be great to be myself for once, playing pretend in the NT world is damn exhausting.
Some stems like face picking and nail biting or finger sucking can be detrimental, but another person should not determine when you stop, you should find an alternative stem on your own for your reasons. For instants I have to wait to save up for it but I recently found a Peapod stimulator that you can push the peas out that I might be able to use in replacement of my skin picking tick that keeps my face agitated. Another good example is my cousin was constantly sucking her fingers and not only did that mess up her teeth and caused her to have to get her cleft lip surgery all over again it also caused her infections in her finger tips, So she had to find a new stem, I wish I had known about chewelry then.
I stem a lot and when I'm surprised or excited and at my work a lot of the people are older than me and when something goes wrong I like stem and they always tell me I'm over reacting and to calm down 😅
I have ADHD and I am neurodiverse today I was jumping and hand flapping in the bathroom because I was stressed about my math work and someone walked in and listen while I explained what I was doing and kindly said oh, that’s cool, I’m gonna try that next time I get stressed
I don't think stimming is a bad thing-- For context, I have two pretty severe anxiety disorders and is looking to speak privately to a medical professional about maybe having ADHD/ADD. Because of this, my emotions aren't very regulated that well, so I tend to stim A LOT. It helps me calm down for the most part, so I don't see the issue.
I stim when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm excited, when I'm bored, when I'm none of the above. In school, the teacher would ask, "Tentoes, can't you be still?" "No."
i used to not even realise that i needed to stim. i just knew that everything felt either too intense or too not intense and i had "that weird energy" and i was uncomfortable. i didn't know i could channel it by moving, instead i just sat with it feeling like i was about to explode. i never connected the increase in energy with the increase in how often i was told to sit still, with the changes in my life, with the increases and decreases in sensory input. even then, i bit things, i blinked fast, i wiggled in my seat and spun around really quickly and drummed my fingers on the table and took apart my pens and tapped my legs, but it wasn't enough. i've since realised that i need to stim, like, *constantly* in order to avoid freaking out (i spent literal years disassociating every time i left the house because of this). i'm rocking side-to-side and shaking my left hand while i type this. it's not hurting anyone. and yet i was still taught to feel ashamed of it.
I think that people who tries to stop people from trying to self-comfort or self-regulating people? They're the ones aren't normal or human for that matter
I never realized how much or how often I stim (learned I stim a lot and very often) until I really started paying attention to the little movements and reactions I have that are almost reflexive and realized that none of my nt friends do similar things lol
If only I could feel half the joy you feel in these videos ! Lol. Correct me if I’m wrong but what I’m seeing is someone who has the ability to feel so intensely and honestly what’s wrong with that ? I think it can be a great thing but I bet it’s hard in a world that doesn’t understand. Some people don’t feel enough IMO lol .
It's hard - not for anyone beeing a bit different. But for anyone who's not a psychopath. Or not completely numb inside... A zombie by media .. Or who's sole got destroyed in the process of growing up. We are very rare. 🍀
I have ADHD, and while listening to a few select songs, I tend to smile and get butterflies, and sometimes hand flap a little. Is that stimming, even without the hand thing?
I sprained my wrist in a bike accident. I can’t flap my right wrist. It feels like it’ll explode I exit a room to stim now and then. Once coworkers caught me and laughed at me For me I think it’s an ADHD thing
I am a cashier and I jiggled my leg. This little girl sweetly asked " why do you wiggle?" I told her God made my brain special so I wiggle. She shrugged and said "okie ! Did you know ghosties are real?!" This 4 year old was so accepting. This family came up and this mom lit up when she saw me hand flap. "Look Tommy, she flaps too!" She pointed to her autistic son. He beamed at me and said " I'm super happy!" . I was approaching meltdown and I was wildly flapping and shaking. The customer revealed herself as a autism mom and talked me through it and validated me and calmed me down. There. Positive stories of nt interactions while stimming
Those family’s are so kind and truly understand us autistics so well
That is so sweet and heartwarming oh my god 💕
I started flapping my hands when I was at work (I was also a cashier) as well I had someone in my line who said “STOP FLAPPING YOUR ARMS LIKE AN IDIOT AND DO YOUR JOB!” I was really stressed and was going to have a meltdown to I was ready to get fired so I could scream at that bitch while simultaneously crying when the person I was serving at the time did it for me (without the crying) once they had finished with the other person they turned to me and said “it’s okay, I have autism and if you want you can stop and I can stay with you and help you until you calm down.” I accepted the offer and that person helped me the whole time, we have now been best friends for 5 years.
What a rare in 1:999999999 experience. Lucky you.
That makes me really happy
Autistic stimming is how we express our emotions how beautiful that when we are happy it fills up our whole body and overflows into movement
This !! So true :)
What a lovely perspective, I am in total agreement :)
I used to flap my hands with excitement as a child . My nickname was Schroeder after the piano guy from Peanuts. Im in my 40s now but it still comes out when I get excited just not as often .Not sure if thats stimming but it feels damn good.
I’m a 40 y/o man that carries satin ribbons in his pockets at all times so I can rub them between my fingers. Do what makes YOU calm!
TY I’m 44 and bought satin fabric I used to rub satin blankly as child this is a need
What a fantastic idea!
I'm 42 and I've got this kind of rainbow colored, clicky worm thing that is just too satisfying to play with. I see the colors, I feel the textures and hear the clicks, it doesn't have a flavor as far as the marketing materials go, but it hits at least 3 of my senses.
I think that's the worst kind of bullying when they pretend they want to help
Yeah me too. I now find it very hard to stim, I experience constant stiffness and moving is hard. Anyone now how to ease back into stimming? I also get ticks and it's hard not to suppress them
Me too.
My cousin did this to me pretty badly about a year ago, it’s still painful to think about
I know it's so deceiving. It can later on feel like you're being taken advantage of. Then people develop trust issues. This is why I dont trust counselors, and staff in general at school or most adults generally.
You're not alone. I have no trust in any figure of authority AKA "Benevolent ableists."
I am almost 60 years old and autistic. My father beat almost all of the stimming out of me when i was small. I mostly hide it, but I still get startled when i catch myself stimming. It does not go away.
Now that you’re older I say let it all out! Stun until your hearts content! It will take a while especially after what you went through but just be you and allow your self to express your emotions the way your body knows how ❤️
@Katherine Dalton CA 2027 No worries. It was a different time back then with different morals. Non-functioning autism was the only kind back then. After I turned 13, I only saw them a couple of hours a week. I had a full time job and bought my own food and clothes. I slept at home most days, but sometimes left for weeks, and my parents never worried when I was gone. I was kind of emancipated like a lot of my friends. Back then, it was still not uncommon for teenagers to live on their own, completely responsible for ourselves and our futures. I was also an honor student in high school and joined the military after graduation. I retired as an Engineer, so it all worked out.
I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope that you can relearn to stim! You are allowed to express your emotions in any way you choose. :)
Stim all you want! Stop caring abt what others think!
I’m srry tht u went through that
Girl, do what you need to do to make yourself feel better. I can’t believe someone tried to shame you for this
Neorotypicals think of stimming as 'that thing autistics do.' Clicking your pen, chewing on a pen lid, tapping their foot... I think they genuinely don't see that it's the same thing.
I do think that we should try and keep our stims appropriate to the situation as much as we can though. If you're in an exam or a church service and your stim is noisy or very animated that is going to disturb the people around you and stop them from being able to focus. And that's not fair on them. My coat pockets are starting to fill up with different fidget toys for different situations 😂
Obviously when you're feeling an extreme emotion controlling anything goes right out the window. Then the flapping and pacing starts! (I didn't even know I flapped until a friend told me 😆)
[Bte, I've gotten used to how fast you talk now! No fiddling with settings or 3rd party software required 😂]
Helen B I talk quite fast as well lol! When I was younger my grandpa paid me five dollars to sit still and not talk one (he only did it once)😂😂
Fish never know they are in water.
When you were showing those clips, I started getting really excited for you and started rocking and hand flapping. I can tell how happy you are in those clips!
Bro, me too! :)
I'm trying to move dangerous stims, chewing sugary/carb heavy foods (i have diabetes) to more safer ones. E.g. chewing gum
I think there are definitely 'harmful' stims, head banging, self harm etc but that that behaviour is happening for a reason and people need to do more about recognising the reason and supporting, helping transfer people to more healthy stims.
Sorry for the long message.
Oh believe me there are much longer ones.
deadphoenixrising yes! also idk if you know this, you may know and just not like these, but there are these things made of silicone or something made specifically for people to chew on :3 like I said, you might know, but I figured it’d be nice to mention to you in case you didn’t, since you say you stim by chewing
@@ruru1824 Thank you for the information I didn't know. I will have to look into it.
There's also chew necklaces for stimming as well @deadphoenixrising
Yes, harmful stims should be avoided, but even there you're talking about substituing a benign one for the harmful one. The need is still there, it just ought to come from something that doesn't cause so many problems.
I didn't even know I've been suppressing stimming, it didn't occur to me, I just hold this sort of tight discomfort in public. I'm so excited to listen to my body and proudly wear my skin. I'm sure my toddler will be delighted by the energy as well..and if he lands on the spectrum one day, he'll have the support I didn't.
A couple of my favourite “unnoticeable” stims to do in public are wiggling my toes and digging my fingernails into my palms, but often this is too little for all the energy in my body and I’ll just panic and ✨ f l a p ✨
Yeah, those smaller stims are a good alternative if you try to avoid being judged but sometimes we need to move more. I subconsciously started twitching my stomach (because that’s more movement and is not easily recognizable by others) when I needed more movement than just moving my toes and biting my inner lip, but stomach twitching becomes painful after a while :/
We should just be allowed to do any stim that isn‘t too loud for others. Like, if it just looks „weird“ but doesn‘t disturb anyone, why should we stop? There‘s no reason other than catering to what others judge as „appropriate“ which in itself is a very shallow argument.
I find stimming to be calming for me especially when I feel nervous or anxious. I tend to fidget with something or zone out without realising I do it a lot of the times.
Same for me too. Whenever I'm at school I will end up zoning out. If I get put back to reality then I fall asleep, and then if I'm awoken I zone out. It's a huge little circle.
Pfft "huge little"
people get "distracted" by my SILENT stimming, how is moving my hands distracting?
Same. Like, how is what you said and bouncing my leg or rubbing my arms or curling my toes, etc. Distracting?
Well... I stim myself, but I'm also sometimes sensitive when it comes to repetitive sounds/movements/stimuli in general. It can be incredibly distracting when the person next to me wiggles their foot or rubs their thighs ALL THE TIME. I know that people can't help it, again, I stim myself, but it definitely can be distracting, even if it's silent.
i can't really filter information pouring in, so producing extra info makes me process more info. i have, on occasion, asked friends to wiggle a bit more to the left, so they are not in my field of view anymore, when i really needed to concentrate
They have ADHD.
@@molly702its misokinesia!
I have a very bouncy leg. Especially when I’m directing my newscasts. I’ve had crew tell me to stop. I don’t think they get that it just...happens.
I stim when I'm happy, sad, bored, excited, delighted, angry, stressed, relieved, tired, rested...
I always hum and I sometimes flap my hands and rock but i try not to because i feel like my parents will judge me
Saaaaaame
Same
If someone's coping mechanism offends you (provided no one is getting hurt) then you have the problem not them. Everyone has some sort of coping method and if it works for them, that's a beautiful thing.
The compilation is SO RELATABLE 😂
Snow Guardian YES!😂👌🏼
Same! I feel so validated
YES
Indeed
I can’t get over how much I adore you!! I am twenty five years old and because of you and several other channels dedicated to autism spectrum disorder, I am realizing that the feeling that I’m too different from others (especially people my own age where there is this unspoken rule that you MUST be doing things and behaving in ways exactly like your peers) and feeling like I’m ‘doing life wrong’ because I’m not developing exactly everyone else may be due to possibly being on the spectrum? Even just toying around with the idea has brought so much liberation and validation to me! RealIzing that I’m not ‘broken’. Realizing that it’s okay that I’m not growing up as fast as my peers, and that it’s okay that I get overwhelmed by lights and noise and crowds and social situations, and that the ‘strange ways’ I move my body are OKAY! My parents are going to help me seek a diagnosis. Thank you so much for all you do Chloe! 💕💕💕
I flap my hands when excited. I’m trying to carry soft things on my person to try and stop skin picking as that is a harmful addiction. I have multiple comfort items and I’m trying to bring them out with me more as I try to understand me and my autism better. 😊
I never even realised how much I actually stim subconsciously. I almost always bounce my leg, and then I sometimes will blink, tap, exhale repetitively.
when I was excited as a child (and occasionally now) i would jump up and down a lot and my hands would literally pull in and sit like a kangaroo's. everyone else would remark on it, but to me it's just something my body did.
the other day I saw a child sitting in a car bobbing up and down, and i started bobbing back. He lit up with a smile it was absolutely adorable.
Overt stimming was conditioned out of me by ninth grade.
Now I only stim covertly via wriggling my toes, pacing or some form of oral stim. (Humming, singing softly or whistling)
Between reprimand and ridicule it eventually made me so self conscious that I could never dance in a social setting.
Needless to say, that inhibition didn't win me any friends.
I had that too, still working on relearning stims
8:40 When you're done spilling the tea, but you're never truly done.
Haha you can never spill enough tea :)
I get often asked if I'm nervous because I shake my legs a lot, click my pen, or similar things, when most of the time, I'm actually just focused on something and I don't realise I'm doing it. It sounds counter productive to focus on not doing these things when you're doing just fine 🤷🏼♀️
So, I got an ad for Spectrospective before this video started and as this video started wrapping up, I decided to check it out and the front page video was discussing Autism in the work place and one of the key things that was brought up, was understanding that some people may need to bring in a toy, or headphones, or have to do things a certain way to perform, or process a task. I recommend checking it out, as someone that struggles with employment, let alone getting an interview.
I have an extreme vocal stim and I don't even notice I'm doing it, I have been told off for it countless times.
Saaame
Ahh me too. Its bad
I recently developed metal screaming as a vocal one maybe 6 months ago, i dont do the loud one unless im alone thank God I can control it but i cant control the quieter one. Its called a fry scream but people think I'm a gremlins sometimes lol. But its a super satisfying throat feeling. This is what i get for learning new things
I never heard the term stimming until recently, but I’ve totally done it my whole life. When I was little Id spin in my dad’s office chairs for almost an hour, I’d also fidget with stuff on his desk when ever I’d go to talk to him (he hated that one but if he made me stop, I wouldn’t be able to talk somehow) and I drum on things a lot and I play with my hair and mustache a lot, my legs shake and I crack my knuckles and rotate my wrists back and forth. Sometimes squint my eyes play with whatever’s in my pocket etc etc.
I notice people giving me weird looks or staring sometimes (oh by the way I’ve never really looked much into autism, but I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult), but my advantage is that I’m a pretty strong dude. So if people stare at me because I’m being weird, I smile and wave or give them a nod. Most of the time they’ll smile or nod back, or at least look away. But if they just continue to stare or give a disapproving look, then I stare back with an “I’ll f*** you up” face and at that point they usually go on with their day. I wouldn’t ever actually get violent over something like that, but the threat of it makes them leave me alone, and I always try the friendly approach first.
Also, I like your flower hat thing.
This is such an important message to share. No one should ever be shamed for stimming. Everyone has ways to calm them self and no one should be able to take that away or shame them for it. I am so sorry someone said that to you.
you're right Chloe you're right Chloe we should be able to do what we have to do to help us and it shouldn't judge us or make fun of us it's not right
I stim all the time...usually i don't really pay much attention to it and it doesnt bother me...while watching this video i became really self conscious however.....
By the end of the video i felt so much better...so thank you xx
We shouldn't feel the need to be ashamed of who we are. I felt so ashamed of it for so long but am coming to accept it at the moment.
i was so moved by this awesome video that i started stemming as you were speaking and i had to write this message while i watch the video and i usually wait until the end lol way to go chole you speak it girl :)
My dad always tried to tell me not to jiggle my legs because it showed how nervous I was. I’ve never jiggled my legs because I was nervous, I jiggle my legs because of the energy that needs to escape from me.
It's like everything about us is misread even by those who love us
Same. My parents told me I picked the skin on my fingers because...I was nervous? I think they told my teacher this too, and a friend of mine heard somehow too. so I was given this silly putty to mess with at school instead of picking my skin, and I remember at one point I was picking my skin again rather than playing with the putty and my friend kind of told me to like...stop picking my skin and that I had the putty for a reason and I think she mentioned at one point that I pick my skin because I'm nervous and I'm just like...no? I just...do it. All the time. It's not....I'm not nervous. I just need to do it. I'm not nervous at all.
You stimming: cutest thing ever
One of my most common forms of stimming is shaking my leg, and I was once told I wouldn't get hired by a Japanese boss if I did that. Once I finally realized what was happening, it was really disheartening that I know what has hindered me from going where I want and I can't do much about it.
If they take away our stims, we'll be increasingly prone to meltdowns and shutdowns without that outlet for energy and self-soothing.
I used to rock and bounce more, and my mom would often tell me to sit still (currently only have ADHD diagnosis, self diagnosed autistic, working to pursue clinical diagnosis) so I gradually relegated my stims to more and more discreet actions (bouncing my leg when sitting, playing with a small toy in my pocket.... hand-jive.... I know that one's not discreet, but I just look like a theatre geek.... which I am... so...).
Since the COVID shutdown I've been spending more and more time by myself and the mask has been gradually slipping off and I'm finding myself rocking and bouncing more lately than I have for the last several years, it's mostly when I'm by myself but for a long while I would even suppress some stims in private because they were, "weird."
Really enjoyed you talking about this and also that person who said that people should go and stim at home & get help for it is a pretty ridiculous person. I do think that if you are not use to people stimming as such an obvious way that it can be strange.
But I definitely think that is the chance to have a conversation about it and why autistic like us do it. I know it might seem silly to try and normalise stimming for neurotypicals but I guess that's the only way they understand I guess. For me, stimming wasn't a term that I became familiar until 1-2 years ago but I realised that I've done it all my life to not only show positive emotion but sometimes negative also.
I do think there will always be negative people in this world who are not interested in finding out the how's and why's of things. But never stop talking about it as there will always be people wanting to listen and to be enlightened by other people's experiences.
I really liked this more talky ranty style video and I like how positive you were talking about stimming and your autism as a whole. It's just brill to see especially from someone who is also autistic.
I agree that person who said that is pathetic moron and I'd say other things as well but I'm censoring myself because of total idiopathic neuro-typical idiots who are so dense in their delusional thinking they're not thinking of past the end of their noses to spite their face to grasp the concept they lack people's feelings and/or experiences are affecting their stimming because of the nerotypicals idiotic statements period
Not gonna lie, seeing you happy stim is therapeutic for me. I've masked my whole life and taught myself not to stim, so this is helping me to relearn how.
A thought I have is....autistics have too powerful an energy for the human body (in most cases) and it short circuits the system...evolved human, baby
💎💖💜💙💚💛🧡❤️💖💎
Literally just started the video but I need to say this!! (I also already know that this is going to be a stemming positive video)
Everyone stems!💖 even Nt!! just Nd people do it more frequently and more extremely💖
Stimming is beautiful, and should never be shamed!! only should be adapted in cases such as: from harmful to non-harmful stems✨
Everyone needs self-regulation, and that person who said otherwise probably doesn't even realize that they stem too✌️
Okay, now I'm going to watching this video by this beautiful person 💖✨💕
My nephew has similar posture/flap when he’s excited...I LOVE! It!! So cute💗💓
Speaking as an ADHD human, I really appreciate this video!
I am definitely loving the ranting/chatty videos!
Story time! I have adhd and I just got a random energy boost after watching a clip of a famous UA-camr stimmimg (I'm not the only one that gets energy from euphoria, right?) and I hand flapped and I loved it and now I still have energy-
To me that looks like Joy, nothing wrong with that at all. ❤
I do exactly the same moves when I'm excited haha and I enjoy it actually. And thankfully not much people said something against it. of course I get weird looks when I stim, but no one told me to stop.
We need you! We really need you as a voice... Bec we might not have one like you do!!! ❤️
I don’t have autism, but I do have adhd and I grew up stimming by rubbing my hands and face against soft objects and people would make fun of me for it.
I'm in a BPD ward right now and every time I'm stimming it's seen as problematic behavior and they want me to change that, and I feel so bad every time they want me to change my autistic traits. I feel like I can't do that
Hi sweetie, my name is Jenny and I'm 33 I have a sister called Zoe and her 5 year old son (my darling nephew) is called Jonah. We live in a place called Londonderry in northern Ireland and he was born non verbal autistic and we all are trying to learn as much as we can so we can understand him that little bit more and thanks to you and your videos I am. I love him so much almost as much as if he was mine but it's so hard to understand him and know what his needs are but we are learning and learning alot. I've become disabled because of an autoimmune disease so I know how hard it is to be "different ". Thank you for being so wonderful. Keep up your incredible work and bless your beautiful heart xx
Thank you.
Thank you! There is nothing wrong with self regulating!
THE TEA
2:41 awwwe 🥹 Don’t stop stimming 🐟🐠🐡 omg you are the first person to say “loud lights” like I do 🥲
As a child my mum always tried to keep me from stimming, because it looked weird. And I don’t judge her, she didn’t know and she just wanted the best for me. But now, when I have a meltdown and have too many emotions to cope, I automatically hurt myself with my nails, or pulling my hair, because I don’t know how else to cope. So I’m actively allowing myself now to stim again, in hopes that I can use it to better regulate myself.
Stimming is only negative when it hurts you or someone else. I used to pull my hair and pick my scalp to the point of hurting myself. Also lip biting to the point of my lip getting swollen and numb. At one point I shaved my head so I could rub my hair instead of hurting my head and it worked well.
Your video has helped me and my mom!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Brilliant. Thank you.
👏thanks for those intelligent and important words Chloe !
Stimming is natural! Don't let anyone stop you! That goes to everyone, fuck other people, if we want to stim we will.
Unfortunately as an older person I had most of my sims forced away and I’ve learnt and adapted to play a role in public but then lock myself away for a day or two to hide and be me
Like most of us, that's why we unlearn it with time
Unfortunately so
@@francescomorganti2204 yes over being handicaped we have to work through trauma
People can be so cruel. It's just a way people cope or respond to things, like nail biting, smoking, drinking, etc. The only difference is that it doesn't hurt anyone and not everyone does the same thing. I think hand flapping is far superior to holding out a cigarette and getting noxious fumes on everyone. But good grief - people can say such upsetting things. Please don't let them get to you.
i know this is an old video, so sorry in advance but...i don't think i've ever seen someone else stim like you did in those videos before. i've done that type of thing, almost exactly the same *so often* when i was younger (and now ofc) but i never realized that reactions like that weren't just...something everyone did?
there's so much i've learned - things that i've done for *years* and thought were just Common NT Experiences when they weren't - since finding your channel and it's absolutely mind-blowing
I used to stim and was constantly Bullied. I now smoke because that's acceptabl n that is hurting my helth im trying to quit but that past trauma is a wond that goes deep. U make me happy thankyiu for another great video 📹
Those clips of you stimming are extremely helpful for having examples as I am having some Realizations about my own behaviors 😆 Thank you for this positive video, a lot of us really need to hear it, even two years later 💙
Again sweet girl you’ve hit the nail on the head.
Help yeah Chloe!
Hey for sharing this. I kinda want a shift that says, 'stimming keeps me sane'
I bite my lips & play with my teeth. My fingers write. My eyes move across your face as if I'm reading your words so I don't have to look you in the eyes all the time.
It wasn't until recently when I was writing a paper on the subject of autism did I realize that I'd read & written most of my psychological profile well before I was finished. A lot of early and unexplained, and certainly weird behaviors of mine suddenly became explained. Now I know what they are for and why they exist, and I can choose which ones to enjoy, rather than blow with the wind on them.
Question remains, since I'm the same person I was before writing this paper, where does it go from here?
"I was told that if i do any of these things, I'm opening myself to bullying". Oh, yes, yes, because now we comply to bullies and want to hide our true selves in order to make bullies happier. WHAT.
Edit: "I feel like I shouldn't stim"
Meanwhile me, happily tapping with my finger nails at the bottom of a drink can at work yesterday, even when I was made aware of that fact, but had no regrets: D:
My stationary stimming is spinning on a chair, chewing gum, playing with keys and playing with my hair XD
The only time stimming should be a concern is when its hurting the stimmer, but I'm sure theres ways to impliment ways to do whatever it is safer onto maybe a comfort object or something
Your channel is amazing
I absolutely think stimming is awesome I use this when I’m stressed or excited and I think this should NOT BE MADE FUN OF!!
My brother doesn’t like it when I stimm next to him because I usually shake my leg and it jiggles the couch :/
Then he must buy you a chair.
Well now I know why rock myself all the time sometimes even when I'm not nervous. I do the tapping of the leg and carry things around the house to help me as well. Never knew it had a name. Hell, I was doing that while watching this.
I will admit, when I first saw a friend stimming, I was startled. I had no idea what she was doing or why, it was very disturbing to me. Then I learned about stimming and it was no longer an issue. It's just her being excited about something. I really do not think Autistic people should have to stop stimming, I think more people need to learn what stimming is and realize it's not hurting anyone.
Whenever people stop telling me to stim, I get so upset and the masking becomes to much that I just faint
I am 19 (20 in one week) and I was diagnosed with Aspergers in grade 3, so I’ve known for a long time. But I can’t recall any time in my whole life that I have stimmed, at least from all the explanations and examples I’ve seen over time. And yet, all these autism videos that I see always talk about stimming and how it’s normal and natural and everyone does it and I feel like something’s wrong with me because I really don’t think that I do it? Also my sister has the same diagnosis as me (she was diagnosed at least a year before me though despite being younger) and she definitely does stim. But my problem is that her specific stim she does (that is not common but still very outward and noticeable) makes me feel uncomfortable, in the same way that certain sensory stuff does. She seems to do it when she’s thinking/concentrating really hard. But I’m the only one who is uncomfortable with it and I don’t know how to make the feeling stop because I know it’s wrong but it makes me feel bad inside and it’s not fair. And even if I try to look away it’s like I can feel her doing it. I don’t want to feel that way but I can’t stop it. Is there any way to make this feeling go away?
I'm still learning a lot about myself and my possible autism (I'm undiagnosed but I've been doing 2 years of research so far and I'm fairly certain I do)
for me figuring out my stims has honestly been a LITTLE challenging because I don't know if I'm looking "too deep" into certain actions or too little haha
here's my stims that I think I have:
Biting my nails/skin around my fingers/inside of my lip and cheek (this is the most common)
*Kinda TMI one, a little gross* I'll make myself salivate by pushing saliva out of the gland under my tongue (I do this one randomly and honestly I hate it bc after a while it starts to hurt but I cant stop!)
playing with my hair and putting it in front of my mouth (this one comes out more in stressful situations when I worry)
holding objects and shaking them by rotating my hand rather than up and down (this one comes out mostly at work)
and when I'm angry I hit my head (besides nail biting, this has been the one I've definitely had the longest)
oh and while at work I tend to make a lot of random noises with my mouth or hum
I am just starting the process of getting possiblity diagnozed for autism, and going through the list of symptoms stimming was always the one that i thought i had the least, especially when it come to the handflapping and stuff. Not anymore. If hand flapping looks like that, i do that like all the time. Thank you for making this video and helping me realize these things
I'm undiagnosed because my mom thinks it would make her look like a bad parent if my brother or I were labeled as anything. She believes you can just get over it and do things properly, if not you weren't taught right by your parents (aka, bad parenting). My mom has berated me continuously for a lot of stims, to the point of not doing any, or hiding them. Skin picking and swaying, I just can't help but do... I had a lot of screaming meltdowns growing up, and occasionally as an adult. I'm understanding myself more and trying to allow myself to stim more. I now go to the store alone more often (normally I go with my mom) because it's less stressful and when my favorite food is being discontinued, I can shake my hands out for several minutes to calm down vs. whispering obscenities while stomping through the store 😅
I always knew I was stimming a lot, as a neurodivergent person, but in the clips you show, there were some things I do I though even neuroatypic people do, and I was shocked to realize it was stimming as well!
I'm just coming out of a major autistic burnout and I've decided that I'm not going to perform for NT'S anymore. If they don't like me they can "just get over themselves." Do whatever is right for YOU.
i am ALWAYS, and i really mean that, at least as long as i am awake, stimming. how do i know if it's neurodivergent stimming, or just neurotypical stimming? (i am trying to figure out if im autistic or not.) things i do aren't really stereotypical autistic stims i don't think. i mostly do small stuff like pick my lip, play with my hands, click my teeth, crack my knuckles, breathe songs, touch things around me, etc. and when i was younger i remember constantly rubbing my thumbnail to my lip because it was smooth. when i am anxious i do a lot more. i pace and walk on my toes, stop midway a thousand times to fidget with random things. and when im excited i jump around a lot and stim more. i also do vocal stims like repeating words, phrases, noises (like from inanimate objects or non human animals) i do those more when im alone because im more concious of them and get embarrassed. but if im not actively doing a motor task, like right now i am typing (but have stopped like 30 times randomly to play with the carpet or pick my leg or click a song on my teeth) i will absolutely always be doing something.
I don't have autism But I do have diagnosed anxiety and In times where I'm Just Chilling or Stressed I stim alot Like Rock back and forth, Bite my lip, And pull my hair when I'm upset
The only stims that should be limited are stims that hurt one's self. Like scratching, cheek biting, digging nails into skin, head banging.
The only reason I ever do painful stims are because I didn't feel comfortable stimming in a healthy way, and got overwhelmed to the point where I felt a meltdown incoming. Stimming is a wonderful tool we have. If we don't use it when we need it... It makes everything worse.
I have felt like I've needed permission to stim; especially as a 31 year old woman. It would be great to be myself for once, playing pretend in the NT world is damn exhausting.
Some stems like face picking and nail biting or finger sucking can be detrimental, but another person should not determine when you stop, you should find an alternative stem on your own for your reasons.
For instants I have to wait to save up for it but I recently found a Peapod stimulator that you can push the peas out that I might be able to use in replacement of my skin picking tick that keeps my face agitated.
Another good example is my cousin was constantly sucking her fingers and not only did that mess up her teeth and caused her to have to get her cleft lip surgery all over again it also caused her infections in her finger tips, So she had to find a new stem, I wish I had known about chewelry then.
I’ve had people get mad at me over leg bouncing, pen clicking, meowing, and singing/humming. Those are not hurting anyone and shouldn’t be called out.
I stem a lot and when I'm surprised or excited and at my work a lot of the people are older than me and when something goes wrong I like stem and they always tell me I'm over reacting and to calm down 😅
I have ADHD and I am neurodiverse today I was jumping and hand flapping in the bathroom because I was stressed about my math work and someone walked in and listen while I explained what I was doing and kindly said oh, that’s cool, I’m gonna try that next time I get stressed
I don't think stimming is a bad thing--
For context, I have two pretty severe anxiety disorders and is looking to speak privately to a medical professional about maybe having ADHD/ADD. Because of this, my emotions aren't very regulated that well, so I tend to stim A LOT.
It helps me calm down for the most part, so I don't see the issue.
I stim when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm excited, when I'm bored, when I'm none of the above. In school, the teacher would ask, "Tentoes, can't you be still?"
"No."
i used to not even realise that i needed to stim. i just knew that everything felt either too intense or too not intense and i had "that weird energy" and i was uncomfortable. i didn't know i could channel it by moving, instead i just sat with it feeling like i was about to explode. i never connected the increase in energy with the increase in how often i was told to sit still, with the changes in my life, with the increases and decreases in sensory input. even then, i bit things, i blinked fast, i wiggled in my seat and spun around really quickly and drummed my fingers on the table and took apart my pens and tapped my legs, but it wasn't enough. i've since realised that i need to stim, like, *constantly* in order to avoid freaking out (i spent literal years disassociating every time i left the house because of this). i'm rocking side-to-side and shaking my left hand while i type this. it's not hurting anyone. and yet i was still taught to feel ashamed of it.
I hate going to uni I get sensory overload very quick and I have to "act" normal until I go to the bathroom
I think that people who tries to stop people from trying to self-comfort or self-regulating people? They're the ones aren't normal or human for that matter
I never realized how much or how often I stim (learned I stim a lot and very often) until I really started paying attention to the little movements and reactions I have that are almost reflexive and realized that none of my nt friends do similar things lol
Always think this quote "different not less" I use this quote at school because it helps a lot
If only I could feel half the joy you feel in these videos ! Lol. Correct me if I’m wrong but what I’m seeing is someone who has the ability to feel so intensely and honestly what’s wrong with that ? I think it can be a great thing but I bet it’s hard in a world that doesn’t understand. Some people don’t feel enough IMO lol .
It's hard - not for anyone beeing a bit different. But for anyone who's not a psychopath.
Or not completely numb inside... A zombie by media ..
Or who's sole got destroyed in the process of growing up.
We are very rare. 🍀
YOURE ADORABLE
I have ADHD, and while listening to a few select songs, I tend to smile and get butterflies, and sometimes hand flap a little. Is that stimming, even without the hand thing?
I sprained my wrist in a bike accident. I can’t flap my right wrist. It feels like it’ll explode
I exit a room to stim now and then. Once coworkers caught me and laughed at me
For me I think it’s an ADHD thing