Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) stimming or “self-stimulation” refers to repetitive, unconscious movements or sounds to self-soothe. Stimming can take many different forms, such as rocking back and forth or chewing the inside of your cheeks. Used as a coping mechanism, it reduces stress levels by stimulating the part of the brain that controls the central nervous system.1
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Do People With ADHD Stim?
Although stimming is a common symptom of ADHD, not all people with the condition do so. It can be an effective way for neurodivergent individuals to deal with stress, anxiety, or overwhelm. Stimming is an activity that can help someone manage their symptoms as a response to stimuli in a way that does not disrupt their daily life as much as other types of treatment can. Further, it can help someone with ADHD focus on the task in front of them instead of getting distracted by thoughts about other things they need to do.
What Is ADHD Stimming?
It’s important to understand stimming behavior in ADHD as a form of self-stimulation activity, commonly used to help people feel more in control of their emotions, thoughts, and moods. Stimming also helps regulate emotions when someone may be feeling overwhelmed, bored, or distracted, so that they don’t use other negative behaviors, like getting angry out of frustration. People with ADHD might stim because it feels good or calming. While stimming is often associated with children, it’s also common in adult ADHD .
If you or a loved one have ADHD and are wondering if you stim, these are some indicators:
- You repeat actions that may seem “weird”
- You notice patterns in your behavior (like rubbing your fingers together)
Types of Stimming
Stimming can be verbal, physical or mental. Generally speaking, stimming activity is not considered harmful and can be done in public without judgment.
Some examples of stimming include:
- Visual: Visual stimming involves the eyes or eyesight. Examples include staring at objects, repetitive blinking, or drawing
- Verbal: Verbal stimming usually involves speaking, such as using one’s mouth, lips, or vocal chords audibly. Examples include repeating familiar words or song lyrics, giggling, or making random noises.
- Tactile: This type of stimming engages a person’s sense of touch. Examples include skin rubbing, hair twirling or pulling, hand movements, or chewing the inside of your cheeks.
- Vestibular: Vestibular stimming uses a person’s sense of balance to stim, such as rocking back and forth, spinning, or jumping.
- Other: Other examples of stimming in ADHD could be “doom scrolling” or writing words over and over.
Tics vs. Stimming
Tics and stimming both commonly occur in neurodivergent populations and may seem similar, but are very different. Tics are a semi-voluntary or voluntary response to an involuntary sensation, sometimes described as an urge or “an itch that needs to be scratched,” followed by the tic and then relief.
Stimming, on the other hand, is a repetitive behavior that serves the purpose of soothing or comforting people in response to overwhelming stimuli in their environment. Stimming happens when a person is stressed, anxious, or otherwise overstimulated. Tics are usually involuntary and harder to control. These may include an unexpected movement of body parts, such as flapping hands, repeating words, rocking, and blinking. However, tics can be motor, vocal, or both.2
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Common ADHD Stims
Self-stimulation is a way for people with ADHD to calm down or stay alert and focused. Those with ADHD may have difficulty regulating their emotions due to an imbalance in certain chemicals in the brain. They may seek out activities that provide them with a sense of comfort or pleasure, like stimming, in order to balance out their moods or manage stress.3
Below are some examples of common ADHD stims:
- Humming
- Biting or picking at fingernails
- Jiggling your foot
- Drumming or tapping fingertips
- Twirling your hair
- Rocking back and forth
Why Do People With ADHD Stim?
People with ADHD stim to feel calm, more alert, or focused in environments that are overwhelming to them.
Here are some of the reasons why someone with ADHD might stim:
- Restlessness: Those with ADHD may have a hard time sitting still and deal with hyperactivity, even if they can’t be doing something immediately. This can lead to restlessness, which can result in stimming behavior to manage feelings of being out of control.
- Sensory processing differences: It’s common for neurodivergent people to become overstimulated easily or experience sensory overload. This sensory overload can lead someone to stim to regulate their emotions.4
- Under stimulating environments: Stimming may also be used if someone with ADHD is feeling under stimulated, bored, distracted, or otherwise unable to pay attention to the task at hand. Stimming can help them focus on the task that needs completing or their current environment
- Controlling impulsivity: Stimming can also help those who struggle with impulse control by helping them feel more grounded and calm, and therefore able to carry out actions with more thought.
Triggers for ADHD Stimming
People who have ADHD stim when they feel over or understimulated in their environment.
Someone with ADHD might begin stimming when they are confronted by:
- Boredom
- Distraction
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Sensory overload
- Overwhelm
- Nervousness
Stimming as a Habit
Self-stimulation is a way for people with ADHD to engage in self-care and regulate their emotions. It can help neurodivergent people feel calmer, more connected with their peers, less stressed, more focused, and better able to express their emotions. Neurotypical people stim as well, but those with ADHD stim more frequently. If stimming is not disruptive to everyday life, it can be integrated into one’s routine to become a positive habit.
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When Does Stimming Need Mitigation?
Stimming needs to be managed if it interferes with work, school, or completing activities of daily living. It’s important to discuss a higher level of management of your stimming behavior with your care team so you can make the best and most appropriate decisions for your treatment. If your stimming is self-injurious to the point where it could be dangerous, harmful to another person, or is excessively time consuming, it could be time to speak with your doctor.
How to Manage ADHD Stimming
There is nothing wrong with stimming behavior, but there are some situations in which it may require management. Slowing down and paying attention to stimming behavior can help someone understand why they are stimming in the first place. If stimming continues to interfere with someone’s life significantly, here are a few ways to manage it.
Medication
ADHD medication is an effective intervention for managing stimming. Medication will help a person with ADHD reduce their impulsivity and hyperactivity and have better control of their behaviors. ADHD medication includes stimulants, non-stimulants, a combination of both, or through off label medications. Your medication prescriber will work with you to choose the best option for your situation.
Therapy
Therapy along with medication can be very effective in managing ADHD symptoms, including stimming. CBT for ADHD is a common intervention for managing stimming. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at how a person’s unwanted thoughts influence their behaviors, and helps them construct new, more helpful thoughts to create behavioral changes. CBT for stimming can help someone develop deeper self-awareness and learn new skills for emotional regulation.
Lifestyle Changes
You can also consider making lifestyle changes to manage your stimming. A more structured environment could help control stimming. Try writing down a schedule everyday so that you can stay on task or work in small blocks so that it is less overwhelming. Exercising is another way to manage stimming, as it decreases restlessness and creates a healthy distraction. Other examples could be taking regular breaks to manage stress, having creative outlets (like reading or journaling), or going to a quiet place when feeling overwhelmed.
Self-Advocacy
If stimming interferes with your work or school, it’s important to speak up so that you can receive the support you need to manage your workload. At work, you can ask for accommodations if you need a different environment or more time to complete tasks. At school, you or your family can advocate for an individual education plan (IEP) to modify work or environment for additional support. Although it can be difficult to speak up about stimming for a variety of reasons, remember that people in your life care about you and want you to be successful. They cannot do this if they don’t understand you’re struggling.
Final Thoughts
Stimming is a common symptom in those with ADHD used to regulate emotions in situations where they feel overwhelmed, stressed, or distracted. Stimming behaviors help people with ADHD feel calm and focused. Stimming in ADHD is normal, but if it becomes disruptive to everyday living, it can be managed in multiple effective ways including medication, therapy, or lifestyle changes.
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