What is stimming?

 

Understanding Stimming and ADHD

Stimming, an abbreviation for "self-stimulatory behavior," involves repetitive movements, sounds, or actions such as hand flapping, rocking, spinning, or verbal repetition. It helps individuals with ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions to self-soothe, manage anxiety, or regulate sensory experiences, ranging from sensory overload to boredom.

How Does Stimming Relate to ADHD?

Stimming is a common and useful behavior for individuals with ADHD, who often become dysregulated. They may use stimming to help increase focus, regulate their senses, calm down, manage distraction, regulate emotions, and improve attention management. A particularly challenging aspect for individuals with ADHD is maintaining concentration during uninteresting activities. In such situations, stimming becomes an essential tool, not just for sensory regulation but also to combat boredom. This intentional use of stimming helps enhance focus and makes it easier to complete less engaging tasks.

The key point is that the neurodivergent nervous system quickly becomes dysregulated in a world not built for them. Stimming is a natural way to self-regulate, especially when navigating tasks that fail to capture their interest or are inherently monotonous. By engaging in stimming, individuals with ADHD can remain attentive and productive, even when their environment is not inherently stimulating.

The Role of Sensory Processing in Stimming Behavior in ADHD

Just like autistic individuals, those with ADHD use stimming to help with sensory regulation. To understand stimming, we need to understand the senses.

Beyond the traditional five senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell—three additional senses play a role in stimming: proprioceptive, vestibular, and interoceptive.

• Proprioceptive Sense: Helps us understand the position and movement of our bodies.
• Vestibular Sense: Governs balance and spatial orientation; this sense is engaged through activities like spinning or jumping to regulate coordination and focus.
• Interoceptive Sense: Involves perceiving internal sensations like hunger, thirst, and heartbeat. Stimming often engages multiple senses, aiming to regulate sensory experiences.

By observing the type of stim, one can gain insights into the sensory regulation being sought.

Types of Stimming

Stimming behaviors usually correspond to the senses and how they are experienced or disrupted in a neurodivergent person.

Physical Stimming:
Involves repetitive movements like hand flapping, rocking, spinning, jumping, pacing, or fidgeting with objects.

Visual Stimming:
Encompasses activities like staring at lights, watching spinning or flickering objects, and observing repetitive patterns.

Auditory Stimming:
Includes behaviors such as humming, making repetitive noises, or echoing words or phrases. These actions can alleviate boredom, manage anxiety, or maintain focus during tasks. Additional behaviors might include listening to the same song repeatedly or mimicking environmental sounds, creating a personal sound environment that can be soothing or engaging.

Tactile Stimming:
Relates to touch sensations, including rubbing or scratching surfaces, exploring textures, or seeking pressure through hugs or squeezes. Individuals with ADHD might exhibit these behaviors more distinctively, such as playing with their hair, grinding their teeth, or biting the inside of their mouth. These actions serve specific purposes, helping to focus their minds and alleviate internal restlessness.

Oral Stimming:
Involves mouth-related activities like chewing objects, sucking on fingers or clothing, biting nails, or creating repetitive mouth movements.

By understanding the type of stim, you can identify which sense the person is trying to stimulate or soothe, highlighting the sensory processing differences in individuals with ADHD and underscoring the importance of these behaviors in their daily coping mechanisms.

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Common ADHD Stimming Behaviors

Stimming behaviors can vary greatly among individuals and may not always be immediately recognized. Here are a few examples:

1. Tapping Fingers or Feet: This common behavior is often done subconsciously and can help release pent-up energy or maintain focus.

2. Twirling Hair: Twirling or playing with hair can be soothing, especially when a person is nervous or deep in thought.

3. Biting or Chewing on Objects: This includes chewing on pens, pencils, or the insides of cheeks, providing sensory input and helping to focus.

4. Blinking Excessively or Rapidly: This less obvious form of stimming can help manage visual sensory input.

5. Repeating Words or Phrases (Verbal Stimming): This encompasses a range of behaviors like humming, clicking the tongue, clearing the throat, and whistling. These actions help minimize boredom, manage anxiety, or maintain focus.

6. Humming or Making Other Noises: These sounds can be soothing and help manage stress.

7. Tracing Patterns or Shapes: This can be done on a surface, in the air, or on one's body, providing a calming effect.

8. Fidgeting with Objects: Common objects include paper clips, jewelry, or stress balls, which can help release nervous energy.

9. Pacing or Walking in a Specific Pattern: This helps expend energy and reduce anxiety.

 

Is it Necessary to Seek Professional Help for Stimming?

Seeking professional help is advisable if stimming is causing significant disruption in your life. It is crucial to consult a neurodivergent-affirming clinician who understands that stimming is a helpful behavior for ADHD and autistic people. These professionals can teach individuals to manage stimming safely without shame.

How Can You Manage Stimming That May Cause Self-Harm in ADHD?

Identify Triggers and Patterns: Understand what triggers stimming.

Substitute with Safer Alternatives: Introduce behaviors that provide similar sensory input but are safer.

Create a Safe Environment: Modify the environment to minimize harm.

Teach Self-Regulation Techniques: Develop skills like deep breathing, mindfulness, and scheduled sensory breaks.

Provide Sensory Tools: Use items like weighted blankets, noise-canceling headphones, and fidget toys.

Seek Professional Support: Involve neurodivergent-informed professionals.

Foster a Supportive Environment: Educate others and promote a supportive community.

Is ADHD Stimming Different from Stimming in Autism?

While stimming is common in many neurodevelopmental disorders, it presents differently in ADHD compared to autism. For instance, individuals with ADHD might stim to expend excess energy or to help them focus more often than autistic individuals. However, stimming usually plays a crucial role in self-regulation and organizing sensory systems for all neurodivergent people.

What Are the Benefits of Stimming?

Stimming is not inherently wrong or something to be discouraged. It helps regulate emotions, attention, and sensory input when overwhelmed or stressed. Simple actions like chewing on the end of a pen can boost concentration and process emotions, often providing relief in moments of sensory overload.

Can Stimming Behaviors Become Disruptive?

While stimming behaviors are usually harmless and can be beneficial, they may become disruptive if they interfere with daily life or social interactions. If stimming becomes excessive or harmful, it’s important to address it by finding suitable replacements and seeking professional help. Managing these behaviors effectively ensures they continue to benefit well-being.

What Is the Relationship Between Stimming and Mental Health?

Many individuals with ADHD find that stimming helps them maintain focus on daily tasks. These behaviors are not only common but also advantageous. Recognizing the benefits of stimming is crucial for understanding how these actions can improve concentration and emotional processing. If stimming behaviors become excessive or harmful, seeking help to explore effective management strategies is beneficial.

Is There a Risk of Misdiagnosing Stimming as OCD?

There can be overlap between stimming and behaviors seen in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Both can involve repetitive behaviors or thoughts, but there are key differences. Stimming is a self-regulating behavior, typically a coping mechanism for managing sensory overload, anxiety, or other overwhelming experiences. In contrast, OCD is characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) performed to mitigate anxiety caused by the obsessions. If repetitive behaviors cause distress or impairment, seeking a professional evaluation is vital.

What Is the Impact of Stimming Stigma and Abuse?

Unfortunately, there is a lot of stigma and misunderstanding surrounding stimming, especially in relation to ADHD and autism. Many people view stimming as "weird" or "abnormal," leading to bullying, discrimination, and even abuse. Advocacy for the rights and well-being of individuals with ADHD and autism is essential. Stimming is not a sign of weakness or abnormality but a valid and vital part of who they are. Recognizing and respecting stimming behaviors is crucial for supporting neurodivergent individuals in managing their sensory and emotional needs effectively.

Kristen McClure: Neurodivergent-Affirming ADHD Therapist and Coach with 30 years experience in North Carolina and South Carolina Offering virtual therapy and coaching services across North Carolina, including Ashville, Raleigh, Durham, Wilmington, Greenville, and more. Also serving major South Carolina cities such as Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, Rock Hill, and more.