Why do you stim?

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first draft for a t-shirt (size edited for use as an avatar)
On the top, cogito ergo stim, on the bottom, either sulum sui generis (each unique unto itself) or sulum mentis sui generis (each mind unique unto itself).
which one?

I must confess, the more I learn about vestibular and other sensory systems, the more I understand about why I stim, and why it took so long for me to get diagnosed. I think that I was an at risk kid and developed some characteristics which were masked by other things including a high iq. As I got older I changed some of my coping strategies (less exercise, more caffeine, then more exercise and more isolation), and when I lost a sufficient number of those then those characteristics I had in childhood re-emerged. As a kid I rocked my legs incessantly, now I rock my whole body. In between there was limited rocking because (I think) I was running marathons, lifting weights and doing step aerobics and yoga. During that time I also discovered ginseng. Before I ran marathons I danced and rode the subway in NYC and also walked miles around the city.
Harder to do this in a rural place, but I think that I can modulate my need for vestibular stimulation and hopefully reduce instances of sensory overload. The chemicals attained via excercise also help the vestibular system (serotonin and, I think, dopamine). The message is clear: when I stim, I probably am not getting enough excercise.

Your results may vary....

Sometimes I stim when I'm physically sick and I don't realise that I'm doing it. I have a the Flu at the moment, and yesterday, I've opened and shut the push petal Waste Basket five times, before I've realised that I was doing it.