#self injurious stimming

[dreamdropsystem]

not all stims are fun and safe

we deal with self injurious stimming. picking, scratching, biting, headbanging, hair pulling, etc, etc. we also deal with other forms of SH.. there's happy stims of course which are awesome but for some autistic hurt themselves when stimming, no matter the emotion.. it's hard but we're trying.. if you do self injurious stims, you are valid and not a bad person for it,, - Shio

[autisticdreamdrop]

shoutout to the autistics that do self injurious stimming

the biting stim especially aauegegehhh

[thesiblingsoftheblackandwhite]

I know that sounds silly, but it's actually really efficient! You're doing great, Wiggly, keep going.

And just in case, there's nothing to feel ashamed about, it happens to everyone to loose control of themselves from time to time.

…Not 200 years old anymore…

He tries again, eventually getting into a rhythm and calming down. With one last exhale, Wiggly lets his body relax, for the most part. Unfortunately, the lack of harmful urges allows him to process the pain he had inflicted earlier. He had not been soft on himself. Y’wrath rubs his scalp lightly.

[ineloquent-tumbling]

Me: Man, I don’t feel so great right now.

Me: *realizes that I’m in the process of putting teeth marks on my thumb*

Me: Ah, I see. I am on the verge of a panic attack.

[quietwingsinthesky]

Drabble 68/366 - Doctor Who

Donna’s hands are on the Doctor’s face, holding his head still. He blinks at her. She looks upset. Something else he’s done wrong?

“What?”

“What?!” Donna echoes.

“I asked first,” he says. “You’re the one squishing my cheeks.”

“You’re the one trying to bash your head against the wall!” A dull ache at the back of his skull corroborates her story. He grimaces.

She’s shone a light on it, and now he can feel the urge for some quick relief from a burst of pain.

“Don’t let me?” he asks. Donna nods, and she doesn’t let go until it’s gone.

[neurodiverse-adulthood]

❤️‍🩹 10 things to cut instead

(instead of yourself or anyone else)

1) Eraser

x x x

2) Soap bar

x x x

3) Meat

x x x

4) Cheese or butter

x x x

5) Fruit or vegetable

x x x

6) Wax

x x x

7) Silicone

x x x

8) Gummies or jelly/jello

x x x

9) Clay or dough

x x x

10) Putty or slime

x x x

Honorable mentions:

Gum

Liquid-filled candy

Foam

Squishies

Lipstick

Sponges

Marshmallows

Soft resin

Leather

Sand

Soil or mud

Pencil or wood

Plastic

a rich person's tires

all ties with your overly critical mom

[balthazarslostlibrary]

This is a post about autism, stimming, and how it can intersect with self-injury, so tw for that.

I want to make this post as a little PSA because lots of people do not know how self-injury might be different in autistic people, including doctors who are trying to treat you, and including autistic people! I only really found this out a few weeks ago, and it has given me a whole new perspective on my experienced.

If you have autism and find yourself doing something that hurts you, especially if you feel overwhelmed at the time, you may be doing a form of self-injurous stimming. I say stimming instead of 'self-harm', because the causes of self-injury can be very different between autistic and allistic (non-autistic) people.

Some reasons why an autistic person might engage in this behaviour that wouldn't normally apply to an allistic person are: Trying to regulate your reactions to sensory input. E.g. the lights and sound of the supermarket are too much, so you pinch or scratch yourself as a form of self-soothing. Not being able to recognise/regulate your own emotions (alexithymia). You might not realise you are distressed, and stim in this way to make yourself feel distressed when you think you should be. Trying to regulate your emotions. You might get really excited about something and bite your wrist or hand hard because you just can't handle being so excited (I used to do this as a child whenever we went to the zoo lol). Similar things for being angry, sad, happy, or any other emotion that can be overwhelming. Changing routines has stressed you out/overwhelmed you. Kind of self-explanatory, but maybe you move houses or start a new job, and the drastic change in your routines is overwhelming, so you might engage in this stimming as a release for stress.

Very common stims in this category include: skin picking hair pulling slapping yourself in the face biting yourself scratching yourself

Important to note here: autistic people are, in general, at a much higher risk of developing mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety which can bring self-harm with them for reasons that allistic people also experience. Being autistic doesn't mean you can't experience the urge to self-harm because of depression for example.

As an autistic person who has struggled with depression and self-harm, and has engaged in self-injurous stimming throughout my life, I always assumed that it was because of depression. While sometimes it was, I now realise that most of the time it was because I was overwhelmed with sensory input, or just overwhelmed by my emotions and wasn't taught how to regulate them in other ways.

If you are autistic and wonder if you are depressed because of self-injurous stimming, or if you relate to some of things I've talked about, try thinking about using other methods to self-regulate. Invest in some stim toys, or invest in some sensory gear like earmuffs and/or sunglasses. Try removing yourself from a situation and do a breathing exercise if you feel yourself wanting to pinch yourself or somesuch.

In saying that, if you do wonder if you're depressed, whether you be autistic or allistic, you should probably also look into that. I cannot say how many people have said to me that they wonder if they're depressed and it turns out that they are lol. Also, knowing more about the reasons for self-harm because of other mental illnesses can help you figure out the best strategies for you.

Hope this was helpful! Idk how many people will even see it, but I thought it was important to write about, since no one ever told me until I looked it up myself.

[fuckyeahstimming]

I stim by picking the skin on my face, chest and shoulders. This creates infections, cuts and scars so I’m really trying to stop doing it but I’m struggling to find an alternative that gives me the same level of satisfaction. Any suggestions?

I've heard that putting a layer of glue on your skin and picking the glue off can work -- make sure the glue is non-toxic, though.

Anyone else have tips?

[halsaph]

Your miiinnd you’re so right that he would not want to “act weird” around Bruce and be masking and suppressing stims but evilly that always leads to more self injurious stims… I just like angst and projection so I’m thinking about Bruce reprimanding him and him and Jason can’t do anything big or loud because Bruce is right there so he just bites himself really hard and puts back on the big green robin gloves to hide the bite marks. Plus Bruce not having any idea how to react and being worried but not knowing how to deal with it so it comes off like he’s ignoring it

Ahhhh yes yes yes yes sorry I don't have anything to add here I'm just sitting here kicking my feet.

B really means well and he was. Significantly more emotionally available when Jason was a kid compared to. After. (Reading Jason's robin run hurts on so many levels. Hgngrhrmgnhrn) but I feel like the fact this is something Jason very very clearly doesn't want him to acknowledge makes him hesitant to actually. Talk to him about it. He doesn't want to cross Jason's boundaries. But like yeah it does end up more feeling like him just turning a blind eye and ignoring it.

[attorney-anon-offtopic]

Crisis & Pain-Seeking Stims

So, I posted a while ago about stim toys for pain-seeking stims. I haven't found anything new, but I wanted to discuss that behavior because some of my NT friends have expressed concern that pain-seeking is a SI behavior.

For me and my autism, there are generally three types of crises that impact my ability to function: I get (what I call, anyway) overstimulated, repulsed, or overwhelmed. They can, and often do, overlap.

I get overstimulated when sensory stimulation reaches a fever pitch; I sort of feel like I'm a staticky balloon and other people (or sometimes animals or things) are pushpins that will pop me if the interact with the static field. When I am overstimulated, the answer is less stimulation, of course, but it is also different stimulation. This is where you might find me rubbing my worry stone on my bottom lip or the side of my thumb. Usually, this will last until I can change my physical state in some noticeable way, such as cooling down fully on a warm day or changing my clothes if I'm wearing a shirt with a high neckline.

I get repulsed when something causes a physical revulsion or rejection reaction in me. I feel sick to my stomach, shaky, and alarmed. When I am repulsed, the answer is to stop doing the thing that led to repulsion. Most often, for me, I get texture-repulsed by my food, and therefore have to stop eating whatever I was eating, or potentially stop eating, full stop. This is the easiest to deal with, but also the most frequent - I am extremely texture-sensitive when it comes to food.

I get overwhelmed when social situations reach a point where I cannot process how to proceed. I feel staticky, again, but not like I'm going to get popped - more like I'm overinflated and will explode. When I am overwhelmed, my go-to response is usually skin picking, especially on my face and arms. What skin picking gives me is a smaller, simpler problem to focus on: the bump I just picked now hurts. However, skin picking is maladaptive (those new sores can get infected, and continually touching one's face is NOT how one reduces hormonal acne, which I still have due to PCOS), and I know that, so I try to practice harm reduction techniques. So, what I do instead is try to find a way to create the smaller, simpler problem to focus on (pain) without the risks - hence, pain-seeking stims.

Right now, I do have a few pain-seeking solutions - I have one of those acupressure rings that looks like a metal scrunchie, a strip of rough velcro, and a little textured gyro spinner from TikTok that has rough spikes on the outside, plus I have a couple rough "calm strips" style stickers. I always want more, though, because I sort of... get used to the texture, a little. Like, it's still rough, but it's a roughness I'm used to, so I don't register the pain the same way. I have to rotate, but sometimes (like this month so far) I need it more often, so rotating doesn't work as well because I only have a few options.

Side note: I also fidget more when I'm overwhelmed, so I also have a bunch of fidget toys to keep my fingers busy.

[felidthing]

headbanging but its just me pummeling the shit out of my skull

[dreamdropsystem]

how do we stop..??

[autisticdreamdrop]

self injurious stims are a bitch

[thesiblingsoftheblackandwhite]

Wiggly, perhaps you should try taking out your frustration in a way other than hitting your head. Maybe you could try a safer form of stimming, like flapping your hands, or rocking back and forth?

I think your brothers are on their way back, they'll be here to help in no time. Hang in there!

Can’t rock. My legs can’t move.

Still breathing heavily, he pulls his hands away from his throbbing head and attempts to flap them. It’s a very aggressive movement. He squeezes his eyes closed and, after continuing the action, eventually slams his hands onto the floor with displeasure. It’s not giving Wiggly the same sort of outlet.

It’s not working.

[regressionworldz]

I think it was about time I drew some CG!Aziraphale and Little!Crowley, I honestly can't get enough of them, especially since Crowley is clearly so baby coded, I can't wait for the next season!

On another note, I know you guys have been wanting me to provide headcanons on some of these characters, so I've decided to compile a small list for them! If you guys enjoy these headcanons, I'll try doing more for other characters.

GOOD OMENS AGERE HEADCANONS!

Aziraphale discovered that Crowley had been a regressor in the last 100, perhaps 200 years, around the 1800s era. Prior to that period, Crowley had been a regressor but kept it a secret, showing little concern for himself.

He unintentionally regressed and faced significant challenges in reclaiming his former self. Aziraphale likely perceived it as a panic attack, a common occurrence for Crowley and a factor that increased the likelihood of his regression.

He becomes extremely sensitive to pain during regression, yet he makes an effort to conceal it. Even a minor injury like pricking his finger prompts tears and shakiness, but he refrains from admitting the pain. This sensitivity stems from the trauma of the angelic fall, where angels experience pain for the first time, and the impact of the descent can leave their bodies broken for hours or even days. While Crowley may have felt pain as a human, the fall marked the first instance he truly felt vulnerable and weak.

Snakes have limited color vision, primarily perceiving shades of blue and green (though there might be some variation). Recognizing this, Aziraphale purchases and knits toys for Crowley within that specific color range.

During regression, Crowley opts for a more concise term, referring to Aziraphale simply as 'angel.' Occasionally, he might use 'papa,' though it occurs less frequently.

When Crowley is happy, he engages in vocal stims, emitting squeals or spontaneous, joyful noises.

Crowley holds a preference for snakes as his favorite animal, yet he appreciates any plushie he receives, with a particular fondness for sheep and goats.

Crowley typically sheds tears either upon waking up or at the onset of regression. Throughout the rest of the time, he makes an effort to suppress his tears. When upset, he opts for deep breaths as a coping mechanism, consciously avoiding crying. However, this emotional suppression can lead to him becoming worked up.

While regressed, Aziraphale assists Crowley in tending to his plants. However, later on, Crowley becomes frustrated with himself for being kind to his plants, expressing displeasure with the unexpected benevolence.

During Crowley's regression, Aziraphale is inclined to prepare warm meals for him. Although Crowley doesn't eat often, he readily indulges in meals provided by Aziraphale.

Crowley has a star mobile above his crib that Aziraphale added, allowing him to gaze at the stars, a simple joy that consistently brings him happiness.

Hope you guys enjoyed some of these papa azi and little crowley headcanons!

[golden-rolling-hills]

More Autistic Pony and Darry Headcanons

these took me a few days but here y’all go

*scatters headcanons likes they’re birdseed and runs away*

Pony has literally no sense of danger, bro ran into a burning church for christ sake he doesn’t understand danger at all. this scares the fuck out of Darry and Soda

Pony is a chewer, he has a chewy necklace that he uses when he’s at home but at school he literally devours the ends of pens like om nom nom

Pony is much more prone to meltdowns than Darry and he can get pretty aggressive during them. his stims when he’s upset are very self-injurious but if Darry or Soda did something to cause him to meltdown he will hit them

Darry was the kind of kid to heavily mask all day at school and break down as soon as he got home

he’s very routine oriented and if his schedule and routine get messed up then he doesn’t know how to cope

his meltdowns look a lot different than Pony’s. Pony’s are much more stereotypical autistic meltdowns but Darry’s are more yelling at people and stomping around. he’ll usually go off to his room alone and let himself cry and stim but he doesn’t let other people see him like that unless he’s so upset that he can’t hold it in

Pony had the worse sensory issues out of the two of them, he hates tags and seams but he especially hates long sleeves, this is why he cuts the sleeves off of all his hand me downs

he actually likes that most of his clothes are hand me downs because that means they’re already soft and broken in

Darry is the most literal thinker in the world, he can’t understand metaphors or analogies or sarcasm like at all, Pony doesn’t struggle with this as much though and it makes Darry lowkey upset

Pony has a really hard time with routine and time management. he needs to be guided through getting ready for school everyday or else he would just show up late and still in his pajamas

Pony has absolutely zero filter. he says every single thought he has out loud. his social skills are so unbelievably non existent. he really struggles with making friends and the only real actual friend he’s ever had is Johnny

Darry has always masked his autism a lot and he was actually pretty popular in school. if he wasn’t so handsome and athletic then his awkwardness probably wouldn’t have been as well received but since he was then people found his quirks charming and endearing

Pony is very particular about food, he likes to eat the same exact things every day and he’d rather starve than try something new

Darry definitely has alexythmia, he has no clue how he’s feeling ever and emotions make no sense to him

Pony and Darry were diagnosed in the same year, pony was 2 and darry was 8. Pony’s pediatrician noticed signs in him early has referred him to a specialist to be diagnosed and after going through the diagnosis process with pony, the Curtis parents were like “wait, hold up a minute. this all sounds like it applies to Darry too.” so they had him assessed too.

after a meltdown, Pony just wants to be cuddled. he loves deep pressure so tight hugs and weighted blankets are his best friends. Soda is always his go to for a good bear hug, not just because he’s his brother but also because Soda is the master of hugs

Pony always has his headphones on, he’s usually listening to music but even when he’s not he doesn’t take them off

Soda is not the token neurotypical sibling though, he canonically had the most textbook case of ADHD that i’ve ever seen, argue with a wall