Body rocking

Hi,

I wonder if anyone could help me figure out something... Up until about 4 years ago I would body-rock. Im now 34, from the age of I realy dont know when... since my memory started at the age of say 2 i would body rock. I'd lie on the floor and rock for between a few minutes up to 6 hours or more. I'd rock on the floor and day dream and it seems that the rocking motion would help me day dream and I'd end up in almost in a trance. It completly messed up my education... instead of studying I'd body rock and dream whenever possible.... I mean I was totaly addicted to it, it may seam strange but it got worse from childhood. Im my teens and twenties i spent most of my spare time doing this, once I got to the age to start listening to music I'd body rock with music playing, with the different type of music depending one what i wanded to dream about or vice versa. It could be for the whole weekend and I've lost so much my life doing this.... You would'nt believe. I don't believe I'm autistic... i dont seem to show any other signs... I have a good career now and live a happy life but I'd like to understand what happened to me for all those years.

I'm not entirely sure this is the right forum, maybe it should be mental health but if anyone could help me understand I would much appreciatre your thoughts! If not i will try the other forums. Thanks for your time

[SuzeeCueZee]

Hi,
   Oh my god, I had the EXACT same thing! (And I still don't understand it either. Sorry.) I'm a 49 year old woman, and I "rocked" my youth away, just like you're describing! There are probably millions of us out there, but we don't know about each other, because we like to do our body rocking in private. (I always made sure I locked my bedroom door, because it was mortifying to "get caught" rocking!) Yep, I know exactly what you're talking about: the lost time, the trance like state, the different kinds of music to "dream" or "fantasize" to, the hours and days on end spent rocking back and forth to music. My favorite method was standing up, although when I'd get sore after hours of furiously rocking back and forth, I'd switch to rocking in a chair for a while (NOT a rocking chair, though. I like to be able to control the force of the rocking, which is easier in a regular chair), or lying facedown and rocking by banging my head against the pillow. And guess what? I STILL rock back and forth even now as a middle-aged woman, although it is more of an occasional thing these days, when I'm especially stimulated by either happy excitement or a bout of anxiety. But I rarely ever missed a day of rocking for about the first 35 years of my life. I don't know this for sure, but it's possible that my rocking behavior developed in response to all of the chaos and anxiety producing "stuff" that transpired in my childhood, and then it became a permanent part of me. All I know is that my rocking used to be an overwhelming need that was like a type of hunger or thirst. Thanks to the internet, people can now discover that none of us is as unique as we thought we were (a fact which is both comforting and irritating at the same time. After all, we want to know that we're not total freaks, yet on the other hand, we kind of liked knowing that we had this bizarre behavior which was all our own!) Take care, Pauledh!

[mandyisme]

I have OCD and when I was very young I use to shake my hands in a certain way that was really weird.  I would do it out of excitement and it sort of just carried me away.  When I was little I didn't even realize I was doing it and someone would make fun of me and then I realized what I was doing.  As I grew older, I remember a few more odd behaviors I liked to do to sort of ease my mind.  Continually shaking something back and forth, always using the same item.  As I got older, I either grew out of it or decided it was best not to do and now no longer have the desire.  

[mishymoto]

Your stories about body-rocking are exactly like mine.  To the letter.  I could have written them.  In fact I had to check twice to see if the first one WAS mine!  Identical.  Body rocking to music as long as I can remember up until the age of 31.  I am 43 now and would LOVE to know what the term for this would be.  There are a lot more people out there that do this than I thought!  I would like to have a web-site for this one day.  It was like the best natural high in the world.  It was what I needed to get through a day.  I listened to music and was in a trance-like state and the hours would FLY by!  Amazing.  I would love to hear more...

[leggrm12]

I currently do the same thing. I am 26 and listen to music. It makes you dream about everything that you want to be in your life. I have been doing it since before I could remember. I do it in the car too. My mom said the crib would move around the room. Anyway, now my head shakes acutely all the time. So I probably should get that checked out.

[lagrande]

I have the exact same problem as well. I am 27 years old, and it seems to be a genetic thing in my family. My grandmother rocked in her crib, my father rocks standing up and I rock sitting down while listening to music. My 2 siblings also rocked or what we called "bounced", until they were both about 8 or 9 years old. I have never stopped and I wish I could!
I too feel like I've wasted SO much of my life and did not do very well in college because of it. My mother always thought it was a meditative, nice thing for me (she's very liberal), so she didn't discourage it but I find it to be an isolating, destructive behavior. I'd like to know how PauledH, or others have stopped rocking. I've tried everything. The only thing that has seemed to decrease the frequency is just keeping extremely busy or surrounding myself with people that I would be embarressed to rock around. (the older I get, the more uncomfortable I become rocking around people. I used to be fine around family and close friends but now that's even becoming uncomfortable.)
I want to stop!!! Please help with suggestions or stories!

[lagrande]

Also, coming from a very bohemian house hold where there were not many rules or very much discipline, I wonder if this acceptance and "loose-ness" encouraged my rocking habit.
My question to other rockers: do you think that if my parents had enforced more discipline in my life that I wouldn't be doing it this until the age of 27?
Do any of you come from similar backgrounds such as mine?
I also, like  SuzeeCueZee, felt a certain chaos in my environment that I needed to escape from.

I would also like to know if any of you "body-rockers" out there have tried hypnosis to stop.
How did you; mishymoto, and Pauledh, stop?

[petra2010]

Hi, Yes I used to do the same thing body rock to music on the couch and then go into a trance and image my life differently. I did this up to the age of like 20. It so ruined my schooling although I still got by, but still could have done so much better. My parents knew about it and they just let me - I wish they helped me to stop as a child. As far as I am concerned I am perfectly healthy mentally and so, so I dont understand still what it was. I am now 37 married with 3 children. Once I married and moved out of home I then stopped rocking, dont know how but I did. Its weird cause the only time I would rock was at home, never anywhere else where I lived. My youngest son at a year I noticed signs of him rocking, and immediately I would stop him. Scared that he would end up like me, I would distract him and get angry at him. I know it sounds harsh but it is for his best. Sometimes now when times get tough I would go to bed early and tell everyone I am tired and I would just listen to music and go into a trance but without the rocking. It helps me take the pressure of everyday life. Please if anyone knows this condition please write. Its great to know I wasnt the only one, I used to think I was the only one in the world with this. But thanks for writing everyone - and knowing that I am not alone. Thanks

[Nativepridegirl]

I am 38 and I have rocked as long as I can remember. My mother said I did it in my crib. When I was a child I used to do it really bad in the car. I mean we are talking I would bring my head down to my knees and slam myself against the car seat over and over again. It was so bad my grandmother refused to take me anywhere in the car.  I still rock in the car today. Even when i am driving. people look at me like I'm nuts.. It drives my husband crazy.  When I became a teenager and got a headset I started rocking to music.  I still do this today. I have a chair on my back porch and I sit out there several times a day and rock for at least 15 minutes each time. I have worn a groove into the wall and permanently injured my back and my sciatic nerve  from rocking. I have brusies on my back all of the time.. I dont like anyone to see me rock.  It is a private thing.. It is definitely a compulsive behavior.   I have never tried to stop.  My shrink says it is a symptom of an anxiety disorder. My sons have been diagnosed with various disorders  within the Autism spectrum although neither of the rock.  Since Autism spectrum disorders are often hereditary I wonder if my rocking is a symptom of a disorder within that spectrum.. I am also glad that I am not the only one who does this..

[Nativepridegirl]

I am 38 and I have rocked as long as I can remember. My mother said I did it in my crib. When I was a child I used to do it really bad in the car. I mean we are talking I would bring my head down to my knees and slam myself against the car seat over and over again. It was so bad my grandmother refused to take me anywhere in the car.  I still rock in the car today. Even when i am driving. people look at me like I'm nuts.. It drives my husband crazy.  When I became a teenager and got a headset I started rocking to music.  I still do this today. I have a chair on my back porch and I sit out there several times a day and rock for at least 15 minutes each time. I have worn a groove into the wall and permanently injured my back and my sciatic nerve  from rocking. I have brusies on my back all of the time.. I dont like anyone to see me rock.  It is a private thing.. It is definitely a compulsive behavior.   I have never tried to stop.  My shrink says it is a symptom of an anxiety disorder. My sons have been diagnosed with various disorders  within the Autism spectrum although neither of the rock.  Since Autism spectrum disorders are often hereditary I wonder if my rocking is a symptom of a disorder within that spectrum.. I am also glad that I am not the only one who does this..

[ninawarm]

And I thought I was the only one in the entire world who did this. I rocked from a young (elementary school) age up until I was engaged (age 26), when I spent so much time with my fiance that I didn't have time to do it. I would look forward to it all day - get home, put on some music, pillow on the floor, and rock and daydream the evening away. Truthfully, there are days now (I'm 55) that I wish I could still do it - it was so relaxing, and so wonderful to be caught up in that romantic world of my fantasies where all was wonderful and I had no anxieties, fears, or negative thoughts. the down side is that none of my real life ever matched up to those "rocking" fantasies, and I missed out on so much of learning what real life should be about.

[Nativepridegirl]

I am going to try an experiment, I am going to start a rocking diary, I am going to keep track of how many hours I spend doing this in one week. Also do any of you feel this behavior is having a negative impact on your life? If so why? In my case I have been up since 8 this morning and the time I have spent rocking  so far :45 minutes. I could have accomplished alot in that 45 minutes. Other negative effects for me include, back problems and constant bruising on my back. I would like to hear from all of you :) How long do you spend rocking each day?

[AllBahianGirl]

OMG I have the exact same thing that you have. I am a 50 year old African American woman and have bounced my entire life. I remember when my cousins and I would all line up on the couch and bounce together to Nancy Wilson records. So far I have had no negative side effects physically from bouncing but I feel like I have bounced my childhood,adolescence and young adulthood away. Now that I am middle-aged I see no point in giving up this bouncing because I feel like the best years of my life are over now and there is no going back. I love bouncing,listening to music and retreating into my fantasy world where I can be whoever I want to be and with whoever I want to be. Sometimes my real life is so hellish I consider bouncing a safe haven for me. Personally I often wondered why my mother didn't do something about my bouncing when she saw me ruining my childhood and teenage years spending hours and weekends alone in my room just bouncing and listening to music. Could other people with this bouncing tell we if and what their parents did to make them stop or did they have a parent like mine that refused to admit there was a problem and looked the other way. I have been to mental health professionals but not about my bouncing. I think bouncing is a coping mechanism for me as I grew up an abused child of a single,angry mother.

[mudpies]

I am 46 and have rocked my entire life. My mother hated it but could not stop me. I now spend several hours a day rocking to music and reading. If I don't have this time to rock, read, and listen to music I will have the mother of all anxiety attacks.
My rocking is due to several things, lack of affection of any kind from other humans. Neither of my parents were affectionate people. We were not hugged or comforted as children regardless of the circumstances. Even as an adult I go years without being touched in any way by another person if I can. But everyone needs some form of comfort. The rocking is my comfort for the lack of affection and human interaction. I also use it as a coping mechanism for anxiety. Lastly it is hereditary. I understand that the man who fathered me also use to rock.

[AllBahianGirl]

My aunt was telling me that children in war torn Afghanistan bounce due to a lack of love. I personally don't know what to do about my bouncing and it's gotten worst since I've been on disability from my job. Now I have all day to bounce and I notice that my social contacts except for my sister are non-existent. I don't think there is any cure for this and I have accepted the fact that I'm going to continue the rest of my life bouncing and living in a fantasy world. It's kind of creepy thinking that all I did with my life was bounce and I'll be bouncing until Gabriel blows on his horn. What a wasted life.

[Nativepridegirl]

Mudpies, I would have to agree with your thought on this being hereditary. I am 38 and I did not meet my biological father until last year.  I had always assumed that my rocking was a form of Add or OCD. These tendencies run in my mom's family and there were many relatives with OCD type tendencies  on my mom's side. Well then I met my Dad and he has 2 other Daughters. I found out recently that one of my sister's on my dad's side had also rocked in exactly the same way I have all of her life.  Allbahain Girl, I too had a VERY traumatic childhood with abusive parents. My mom was mentally ill and a drug addict throughout my childhood.  My sister (although we have different mothers ) had a very abusive childhood as well and she had similar experiences with her mother.  The fact that my sister who  had never met also rocks is a serious indication that this is definitely something hereditary. However the fact that we were both raised by drug addicted mentally ill mothers has to be taken into account as well. So is this behavior hereditary or is it a coping mechanism  that we developed from being brought up in such a traumatic environment?      In my case (since according to my mother  my rocking started in my infancy and from what I can gather from other family members this was a  relatively  happy time for us)  I think its a little of both..  I get extremely anxious and suffer from anxiety attacks if I go to long without my time to  rock.

[cookies1091]

I thought I was the only one! For the longest, I thought I was crazy and I still think I kinda am! I'm 19 and I can't remember not ever doing it! It takes over my life! I want to be normal for once! Growing up ppl thought I was retired! My family was ashamed of me! I got beat up constantly for rocking! When I rock, it relieve stress, I go into my own world (Day-dreaming)! I become very irritated when I can't not do it! I believe it is a form of OCD!! Plus on top of that I have anxiety disorder! So yes I'm all messed up! From the outside I'm a normal person but really ppl don't have no idea

[AllBahianGirl]

At 50 years old I don't think I will EVER stop bouncing. I feel like why stop now since I messed up my childhood,teenage years,early adulthood and now middle age bouncing?  I feel like I may as well continue to bounce until the Second Coming of Christ. Can anyone else tell me on this message board if their parents were aware of their bouncing and were any measures taken to stop this bouncing? My mother knew I had issues as a child but she was so strange herself that she probably felt like my bouncing was "normal". I feel like if maybe something had been done about this bouncing when I was younger I might have stopped and not become addicted to bouncing up to 7 hours a day like I do now. Even when I went to Brazil in 2003 I still had to go back to my hotel room and bounce for a couple of hours. Even when I'm doing other things I'm still thinking about going home and bouncing listening to music on my Ipod. I LOVE the fantasy world that I can retreat into while bouncing cause my own life is HELLISH!!!

[cookies1091]

Now I think about, my mother never tired to stop my habit! WIRED! Reading everyone else made me realize my own story! I believe my mother ignored it..she simply did not talk about! She ignored all problems! She still ignores my anxiety disorder,and that started at the age of 5 and now 19! Guess she will always be in denial...

[AllBahianGirl]

I never understood parents who see their children have problems and never try to intervene. Surely a parent can see a child sitting on the couch bouncing for hours has a problem. I know if I was a parent and had a child that did nothing but sit on the couch and bounce for hours that I would have to take that child for a psychiatric evaluation. I know a man who is severely autistic but for some reason his parents refuse to accept the fact that there is something wrong with him although his disability is readily apparent to other people. The man is now 40 years old and there's no hope for him at this point because his parents stayed in denial during his formative years when maybe something could have been done for him. As a 50 year old bouncer I feel like it's too late to break the habit because I've been doing this for half a century now and it is deeply ingrained.

[petra2011]

Hi, its called Maladaptive Daydreaming. Check it out it doesnt seem as bad as we all think our condition is. Finally I know what its called and that i am not alone. Thanks everyone for being honest.

[Frustratedmom68]

I am very concerned by the comments made about bouncing because of no love or human interaction. I have an 11 year old boy who has rocked/bounced on the couch, in the car, etc. and I am constantly pouring love on him. I am the mushiest mom ever. Probably too soft, I'll admit. I 'love' more than I 'discipline'. He started bouncing at 9 months old and at that time I just thought it was a 'baby' rocking thing, but it progressed into a self-soothing mechanism. He wasn't very cuddly and affection as a baby, even though I nursed and cuddled him. He just didn't like to be held much. He also doesn't like covers on him when he sleeps. He became violent and out of control at age 5 and I have taken him to psychiatrists, counselors, doctors, but they all say to let him do it. They say he will grow out of it and if he doesn't do this, he'll do something else, possibly more destructive. I have talked to him about it and he sometimes says he wants to try to stop doing it, but when I bring it to his attention as he's bouncing, he feels attacked. Sometimes we just distract him with other things, but he will sometimes just outright say, "Mom, I just want to go bounce." He HAS to bounce to music before bed, so I've switched his music to softer, classical music. That worked for about a day. He said he hates it and wants his rock/pop music to bounce to. He has been put on Abilify for his mood disorder so his rage episodes have diminished dramatically, but he still bounces to calm himself and to 'escape', like many of you have said. So, I am asking you fellow adult bouncers this...How should I handle it , what would be a good way to help him stop so he is not humiliated as an adult.

[dnice1986]

I never thought rocking was as wide spread as it seems to be. It makes me feel a little better personally, know that I know I am not the only one who spends time doing this ackward behaviour.

I am 24 and I have been rocking for as long as I can remember, and I remember doing it even when I was about 2 years old.
I have had quite a tumultuous childhood, being molested, neglected, placed in a variety of foster homes ect, the list goes on. After about age 5, my life took on some normality and I was given a stable home, with people I concider my family. I used to rock on our family couch around my family, not caring that anyone saw, and my mother would yell at me to stop, trying to discourage this behaviour, telling me I looked slow when I did it and that people would think there was something wrong with me if they saw me do it.
It didn't take me long to become ashamed of my rocking, and ever since I was about 6, I did and continue to do it in private. I notice a lot of people wrote about rocking while listening to music and 'daydreaming', I too do this. I don't always daydream, but sometimes I do. I was in a 3 year relationship with a man that I lived with, and he never once saw me rock, or was aware I has this secret behaviour, and the same goes with the man I am with now, also a 3 year relationship. Noone in my family knows I still do this either. It is a total secret and I like it that way. Although I am ashamed of my rocking, I continue to do it because, one, its become a 20 year HABIT, and two, I find it brings me an amazing sense of comfort, a comfort I have known since I was very young. It relaxes me greatly, almost to an extent of the way yoga or meditation would for someone else.

I am a very intelligent woman and I do not have any other form of 'different' behaviour, such as OCD, Autisum or Tourettes. I do know if I will ever stop rocking, or if I will ever tell anyone in my life that I do. It does not interfere with my daily activites, such as cooking, cleaning, working, sex life, being a mother or anything else. It is something I do in my spare time and ONLY when I have time alone. I can go days without doing it if I have NO other choice, but I would perfer to do it. It is not causing any form of harm to my body (maybe my knees over time, because I sit like an "Indian", with my legs crossed while rocking, sometimes rocking until the point of pain) But when I owned a rocking chair I would rock in that instead, and be able to feel comfortable doing so in front of people.

I would like to read on, and see if it is a habit that people were successful stopping due to will power....

[AllBahianGirl]

I'd like to know if there is a "cure" for this maladaptive daydreaming". I've gone to several psychiatrists and psychologists in the past and none were able to help me with this body rocking and maladaptive daydreaming. Of course for some reason I was too ashamed to bring it up because I thought I was the only one that did this. I feel like it is too late for me since I am 50 years old and have been bouncing since childhood. Has anyone ever been cured of this and how?

[paulhorn31]

I remember how I started rocking: it was on the couch in my parents' house. I was about eight or so, and I was sitting on the couch and grabbed hold of either side of the cushion and starting rocking back and forth and said, "This is FUN!" I've been doing it ever since. My dad used to tease me about it (he was very cruel and abusive). I even broke springs and wore holes in the back of the couch because of it. I would do it while listening to music, also. And while standing, talking on the phone, or just standing in the middle of a room, thinking. (Although always alone). I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety, dysthymia, social anxiety, and PTSD. Now my therapist thinks I might have Adult ADD as well, what do you know. I've taken citalopram and buspirone for depression and anxiety. As I said, my dad was both physically and emotionally abusive with me when I was a child. I'm 31 now and still do it, but only while I'm alone. My boyfriend doesn't know I do it, although sometimes he rocks while holding me when we go to sleep (very sweet). I'm rocking now as I do this! I need to get a rocker/recliner so I can rock openly without looking like a freak. My theories, based on what I've read, is that it is a comfort/coping mechanism, and helps me deal with the inner tension and anxiety I feel on almost a continual basis. I also meditate and study Buddhism and have very vivid dreams. I think I am a very inward person, with a vivid imagination, but also worry excessively. I often feel like I have this intense internal energy and I just have to MOVE. I'm very restless. Maybe I do have ADD. My psychiatrist is looking into it. But I was delighted and laughing to read all these posts!

[Weecho]

I've found you!! So glad to know there so many of us who rock and daydream.  I was lucky in that I have 2 first cousins who rock excessively, so I figured (knew) I had a messed-up, dysfunctional family.  We never hid it.  My dad was always trying to make me stop but of course, I couldn't.  I'm now 49 and still rock myself to sleep while telling myself a story EVERY night.  It's often the same story and sexual in nature (yeah, I'm a guy). I'm happily married and have 3 children, one of whom still sleeps in our family bed.  I've rocked every night of my 21 years of marriage and fortunately for me, no one complains. My wife says it stops when I fall asleep, so we're talking 20-30 minutes at night. I don't rock in public anymore (unless I'm in a rocker). It's funny but when I go into someone's home I make a bee line for the rocking chair.  My wife will sometimes find it first and suggest I sit there.  I'm sorry, but if someone wants to share my bed, they better not get seasick. If people can put up with snorers, they can put up with rockers. I have suffered from depression my entire life and have been on Zoloft for about 15 years.  I noticed when I started taking this medicine that my rocking during the day and obsessive thinking disappeared.  I'm ADHD and have been taking Vyvance for almost a year.  The quality of my life has improved drastically. I can focus and be more organized.  My responsibilities at work got to be too much.  I fought taking more medicines but alas.  My mother, a life long depressive, was just diagnosed OCD and as I read about ADHD, OCD and Sensory Integration Disorder, I notice a lot of shared symptoms.  My psychiatrist says these conditions (which include bipolar) are part of the same family of disorders. I am grateful to be able to afford good healthcare, to live in a time where these medicines are available (I think of what hell my ancestors must have lived.) and to be able to find kinship with people like me through the internet. If variety is the spice of life, then we give it rythm and dance into the dream world.  Godspeed.    

[Rocknstar888]

Wow...I decided to see if there was a name or reason for this. I have done this all my life I am 36 and have been ashamed of it although I find it funny in a way. I was loved by my parents. My Mother did know something was wrong she spoke with my school and asked if there was any way to help me. But she was frustrated and no one helped me because I did not remember what had happened. The mind will bring you to a place where you are safe and will never make you go back. My father tried to stop me as a child. He was made fun of as a kid and did not want me to be. I was ashamed of it and always did it in private. They tried everything they could and I know I was loved. It was a secret that I shared with a very few people.

Come to find out, I had repressed memory of a childhood violent rape and molestation from a neighbor that happened more than once very young. I wiped it out and my fantasy world was a much more pleasant place to reside. I know this in itself is sad but I have found great happiness in my life and still do this. It annoys me and wish I could control the compulsion. I feel from some car accidents it irritates my neck and is probably not good for it.

I felt crazy so I asked a mental health professional about it when dealing with grief and loss of two loved ones in my 20's and he said not to worry about it and if it made me feel better there was nothing wrong with it.

Reading all these posts made me laugh and brought a light-heart and joy to me to know I am not the only one. PTSD is connected with it as well as Autism and OCD...so I think different things trigger it but no one has suggestions to fix it? I would like to grow out of this into the happy life I am creating and have more time to paint, draw, really meditate and make my vivid dreams into creative reality. I would like to heal this. There are several cultures that do a form of meditation that uses this action to get into trance. I feel there may be a intuitive nature to be drawn to heal ourselves as well as comfort...I was able to meditate and have very vivid images and revelations from what I worked out in the sessions of meditation it was helpful. But the action continues and often in a un meditative way...lol...my best to all of you and much love. Thank you all for your honesty and for sharing. There is strength in numbers. ROCK ON!!! Or not...if we could not be such rock stars it would probably do our private world better...;)

[NAChuck]

I am 66 years old and have rocked (bounced) all my life. My mother told me that I started as soon as I gained control of my body as a baby. I have gone through all the stages, criticism, embarrassment, attempted control, research, meditation, and medication. Nothing has relieved this compulsion. Now as I get older it has become a welcome friend at those times when I am alone. Instead of using meditation to stop I use the comfort of rocking to meditate when sitting. I found this site while looking one more time for answers. The truth is I am relieved to know that it still remains a mystery. There is comfort, at my age, in not caring what others think of this life time compulsion.
Chuck

[kendz]

Hi, I’m 18 and ever since i was 8 i would rocking back and forth. My parents encouraged me to stop, but every time i went to bed it seemed i had to! It’s like it sooths me and i fall asleep faster. The problem for me is i would listen to music and rock myself asleep, but id rock for HOURS…maybe 2- 3 hours. The next morning id wake up and rock back and forth some more. When i was done I’d have messy hair and it would be hard to brush out and it would damage my hair. I had my boyfriend walk in on me rocking, and i felt so embarrassed. I’m always afraid of getting caught, and I’m afraid this rocking will affect me in the future. I have tried to stop by making people sleep over, which would make me too embarrassed to rock. I’d also put and source of music away like iPods, my cellphone, and I would even hide my earphones so I wouldn’t be tempted. It seemed to work but when I do have those things around me I end up doing it. I’m so glad there are others out there experiencing the same thing!

[boncon301]

My twin and I have always body rocked just like most of you described. Sometimes we would analyze the reason why we started as babies. Perhaps with twins, a 2,4 and 10 year old our mother was overwhlemed and we needed to find a self soothing technique.  We wished we were stopped by our parents before the habit began as we also felt that we wasted many years of our lives rocking "alone" instead of studying, or doing many other productive actitivies.  After having children, I eventually stopped since due to lack of time alone.  I may still rock a little to fall asleep but no where near spending hours in a trance.  In order to stop, you will have to find something else to do, preferably with family or friend (so your not alone and prone to rock) that is also enjoyable but a habit takes a long time to break. My twin and I always jokes that a body rocker must have invented the rocking chair!  So we figured the behavior was "normal" or why else would adults like sitting in rocking chairs?  

[Matcherbeck]

Thought I'd add to this.  Since infancy, I'd bang my head against the pillow, and as a child I'd stand in front of the family stereo and rock.  Music then began to accompany this behavior, and as I got older, I was embarrassed of it, and I closed my door and sat down in a chair and rocked, listening to music.  I was born with mild Cerebral Palsy, although I don't know if this contributes to the behavior.

It's very therapeutic for me, and although it's still a private action, I have no intention of trying to find a "cure" for this.  As a published writer of strange stories, rocking to music has always allowed my mind to wander beautifully in boundless directions that are not achieved without the rocking.  Some of my best ideas have occurred to me while rocking to music.

I like to imagine that it stretches my mind; it's certainly a reboot.

[dsteamy]

im really afraid of this because i have been rocking in a chair from the age of four to now. Yes, im nineteen and i would always rock. if i dont i would get constant headaches and im scared because i dont know if this is harming my health so please can someone help me.

[Leanna33]

I run around/bounce/rock to music too (I can go into that deep trance-like imagination whenever I'm 'in motion', such as when I'm riding my bike, sitting in a car moving car, or jogging) - but I wouldn't change that for the world. I'm one of those people that see it as a gift. "Rocking" is something I thoroughly enjoy and won't be giving up any time soon. I was always able to put it aside when necessary though, and always did incredibly well in school (straight A's) and in my other hobbies.

Sometimes when I'm busy all week, I look forward to "rocking" during the weekend - it unwinds me and I believe it's how I relieve my tension and use up the internalized energy that I store (due to social anxiety). It's actually been productive and helpful to me.

For parents that are concerned about it being unproductive and dangerous for their children - perhaps consider putting your child in a regular activity that will involve a lot of movement+emotion, such as a sport, dancing, or drama/acting. Jogging/riding my bike/acting always gets it out of my system for a while.

Also, don't be impatient with your kids - it might very well be a coping mechanism and trying to "shame" your kid out of that behavior might do more harm than good. Encourage your kid to use it responsibly or if applicable, help them resolve (or work towards getting better with) the issue in their life that is making them want to escape reality into vivid imagination to that excessive degree or expel their energy in that way (or whatever way she/he approaches it - it will depend on the person).

[tanbos]

Hi  dsteamy
and Everyone!
Wow just came across this site!
Thought I was unique too. I have not rocked now for 20 years but I am still curious why this behviours came into my life and the purpose it served.
I am yet to read all posts on the rocking. I've just started to write about my experience with this addiction, as I am not convinced that western medicine has an explanation on this particular OCD. Other cultures describe it as a doorway… interesting.
I had it for more than 20 years same/similar stories on the couch with cousins, and then kept it going as a secret into my adulthood till I was 23.
To psteamy don't despair - I suspect it's one of the more easier OCD to resolve and to come to terms with... and to anyone who has found it debilitating I strongly suggest a psychiatrist who specialises in behavioural conditions. Apart from taking up too much time in ones life... it will not hurt your physical health. But it does take over..  I was in therapy for a year and part of that time on anti-depressents which were extremely helpful. They stopped it immediately! Then when they stopped working and I lapsed  so she took me off them. This was shattering as I thought this was the answer. It was an incredible process..she was very responsible with the medication and mentioned that it was also ME that had to do the work and that in the end only I would be able to stop it controlling me. The drugs were temporary and after some serious digging, with the right therapist, and ritual work I was able to walk away from it.  I have so much more to write about the journey to stopping this. Don;t keep it a secret if it's controlling your life. Get the right help and support, it's out there!

warm regards
Tania

[xio7child]

I am no doctor (I use to body rock too) but I think it has to do with the fact that it's physical nerves. Drama class helped me use breathing and meditation to relax nerves in my body. As for the fantasies, we are all born with an incredible imagination. People tend to shut it down over the years. I say write out the fantasies in a diary too. But for rocking, I think you are releasing tension in your body. Try meditation, yoga, or physical activity. Sometimes the physical body gets bored that we need to move hardcore. Only an opinion, no doctor.

[poppy776]

Oh my gosh, I thought I was alone in this.  I'm 17 and sit up in my room and rock for hours.  It's gotten especially bad since I started high school and classes began to get harder.   remember when I was five I'd bounce on the couch and my parents eventually enrolled me in dance classes to get any extra energy out.  I stopped until I was eleven and went through that rough middle school transition, where I'd sit on the couch and go into a trance like state.  My dad would make fun of me and tell me to stop, so I incorporated music in the mix to block them out.  I was incredibly ashamed when my mom would mention it casually to her friends, "oh yeah, that sagging spot in our couch, that's where she rocks." and her friends would look at her like, "she ... what?"  I stopped the fall of sophomore year but quickly picked it back up last august, this time in the security of my locked room.  It's embarassing for me, because it's not something people usually do.  And I was made fun of in elementary and middle school for teetering back and forth when I was nervous.  Really, nothing beats that feeling when you can shut everything else out and create something better in your head.  I definitely think it's a coping mechanism for me.  It's exacerbated by any stressful situaton, and I often use it to forget about my problems.

[rebel3]

I believe I started rocking at age 4 it was a learned behavior for me I saw my mother and sisters do it while listening to music. I'm a 34 year old African american woman with two beautiful kids 12 and 14 who also rock and listen to music my son who is 14 was diagnosed with autism at 3 and I was diagnosed with bi-polar at 27 but I think of rocking as soothing and a form of meditation it helps me sleep at nite and it clears my mind it'd rather rock then do something more harmful like drugs or alcohol to help relieve stress

[dotted]

its such a relief to find this forum and to know others do this as well!  i have been doing it since i was a baby and i am 37 now.  if i cant do it for a few days, i get really edgy and i actually prefer to stay at home and listen to music in the dark and do this and get happily lost inside my own mind. i had a pretty traumatic childhood, i think it soothed me then, and i grew to like it so much i never stopped.  the only time i ever think there is anything wrong with it is when i think about having to live with someone else and hide/or explain it.  imagining trying to explain it to anyone is terrifying, because i have always felt ashamed of it, even though i know it is harmless, just that others probably wouldnt understand it. it is a Huge part of my life and does kind of stop me getting close to people, which i dont think is too healthy.  i have a very good job and people seem to like me and i dont really have any problems with my rocking apart from i do prefer it to hanging out with other people, which makes people think i am this mysterious person .....but if they could see what im doing... haha!  i dont ever even think about trying to stop.  it is too much a part of me.

[mishymoto]

would love for you all to look at my new blog bodyrockers anonymous!  A great forum for us all! I really am overwhelmed that there are so many of us out there!  Such similar stories....made me feel like a "freak" for so many years!!!!!

[Spring10]

I'm very glad I found this forum.  I too have thought I am alone.  A couple of the posts here have spoken about health concerns of the rocking.  I've been looking for someone who has anything like my experience.  I am 54 and rocked obsessively from the age of 13 to 17 when it stopped suddenly as a result of what seems to have been a stroke -- aphasia, pronounced right sided weakness which lasted for weeks and significant lessening  of verbal and writing skills, which over the years I slowly learned to "relearn" but still live with some of the deficits.   I always rocked in some fashion.  When I was very young on all fours, face down with my head on a pillow on the bed.  And then up until I was 12 I rocked occasionally - at that point lying on my left side in bed and rocking my entire body back and forth.  I  didn't do it a lot -- minutes a day and often to put me to sleep.  But then puberty hit and my emotional life took a dive.  I rocked long and hard all the time, often not going to school as a result.  I rocked 4 to 8 hours a day - just as many here have said -- to music and daydreaming worlds in which I was saving lives and impressing people -- even traveling through time and seeing the creation of lands.   The left side of my head started to ache after a few years but still I rocked.  When I was angry or scared or depressed.  Sometimes I would rock very hard so that my head would hit rock furiously back and forth.   Eventually the pain in my head would make me stop for a while, and then I'd start up again.  One morning I woke up and the world was very different and scary and it has never been the same since.   In spite of the apparent stroke and the pain that rocking now instantly causes my head, I still occasionally wake up rocking even after all these years.   Thank you all for posting your experiences.  It really helps knowing my behavior is not unique.

[Spring10]

Hi mishymoto,

I couldn't find your blog when I Googled it.  Have you started it and if so what is the address?   Thanks.

[Malloryd90]

I'm 21 years old and have rocked ever since I can remember. Just like some of you, I will rock for hours on end listening to music in a trance like state. The only way my story differs from what I've read is, I most prefer to do it in complete darkness. Weird I know! I have no clue why I rock. Rocking to me is like a security blanket/comforter/time sync all in one. I read in one post  that it was like a "natural high" and I couldn't agree more. If I don't get to rock, I feel anxious and sometimes get irritated like somebody addicted to cigarets. I'm not sure on the heredity part, but one of my aunts rocks in a car (while I rock in a chair).

[Veronica232]

Well I am also glad I came across this site!

Amazing how we all thought we were so alone in this.

It seems a lot of us came from traumatic backgrounds and I was raised by an angry, single Mother who had undiagnosed Bipolar disorder.

I have rocked to the point of injuries as well.

I can really relate to AllBahianGirl's feeling that she's wasted her life-I feel that too, and I am 50 yrs. old.

It did indeed take up a lot of my time, and it had an addictive quality to it.


So what is wrong with doing this? Well, for me, it's that it seems to rob me of my motivation to improve my life. After all, when I'm daydreaming, I am already "experiencing" my ideal life, right? So why change?

I think it's possible to stop this habit, but I'll have to replace it with other ways to calm myself.

Have you ever seen a caged big cat in a zoo pace back and forth, back and forth? I think it's a similar, ritualistic behaviour, an adaptation to stress.

But the other thing about it is the fact that it's done alone, so I'm not connected to anyone else. All of our ancestors used to dance around the fire, but that was a collective experience...I don't know.

I notice I only really feel like rocking whenever something good happens and that part is a mystery to me.

Thanks to everyone out there for having the guts to talk about this; we are not so alone anymore.

[JGF25]

I'm just going to throw my opinion out here.  Suffering from OCD myself, I know about compulsions and irrational thoughts.  As a child I rocked.  I rocked so hard my bed would move.  It drove my sisters crazy.  At some point I stopped but I can't remember when.  

This can be treated by a psychologist.  I think that if you are spending much of your waking hours rocking, then it is time to visit a professional.  Like any other compulsion related to OCD, it is treatable.  While it does help with anxiety I'm sure, it has also become a habit.  So please try to get some help and see where you end up.  You never know until you try.  

Also, for those new to this, I believe this post will stay up but at some point will be blocked from posting more questions.  Did you notice the hourglass next to the post?  Maybe someone might want to start a new post.  

[Nivakon]

Wow. I finally decided to see if there was a term for my addiction to rocking. Mostly because recently I’ve been doing it more and more often.

I've been rocking since I was a baby. My biological mother was a meth-addict, I was born addicted to meth, and then later I was neglected in foster care. My parents now and I always thought that's why I rocked. Since the time I was adopted, and probably before then I'd rock. Especially at night, even in my sleep, where I'd hit my head against the pillow. The first time I stayed with my grandmother she thought I was seizing when I was just rocking. Sometimes it was so loud, because I'd do it so vigorously my parents would come in my room to stop me. I've broken a couple couches as well. My parents even bought rocking chairs because they were tired of me breaking the couch. When I can't get my fix from a rocking chair, I lay down and rock. Sometimes when I get anxious, or upset about something I do it. Also, especially when I was younger I would do it in the car for long drives. And until I was like 15 if I didn’t rock on a drive longer than 30 minutes, I would get physically sick. I’d get car sick, and I found that if I rocked I wouldn’t throw up on long drives. If I stopped, I’d usually vomit shortly after. My parents encouraged me to rock in the car because car-sickness was a problem for me (field trips, bus rides, etc etc I’d always get sick) and it seemed that rocking helped. Not sure if anyone else had this problem. Now I don’t get car sick, rocking or not. And due to my insecurities I only rock in the car with my family members.

It wasn't until I was maybe 4 or 5 that I started imagining, and fantasizing about things when rocking. I still rock, either to music, or no music. I'm always day-dreaming now when I rock. My day-dreams are usually fantastical in nature, and I suppose adventurous. I’ve never admitted the day-dreaming thing to anyone though.

When I was a baby I was diagnosed as autistic, and physically challenged. However, the doctor's diagnosis was incorrect because in foster care I had been severely neglected and only appeared to be those things. (Due to starvation, and just general neglect. Didn’t learn to walk/talk till I was 2 and a half because I was neglected.) I'm pretty normal aside from the rocking now. I always did well in school, and was placed in advanced classes. Socially I’ve not had any serious problems. I was bullied a lot in high school, and I had a hard time keeping friends. However I’ve been in a relationship with a man for three years now, and I’m pretty sure any social problems I had in high school was due to be more mature and uninterested in drugs/alcohol and other teenage ideas of fun. Admittedly I avoided sleeping at people's houses because of it, and because I was afraid of what people would say.

It's a wonder none of us have severe head trauma.

Anyways it's seems pretty collective that we've all felt shame, or insecure about body-rocking because all of us seemed to think we were alone in it. I often found myself wondering if anyone did the same thing. I haven’t met anyone in real life who does, or even seen children doing it. And I really don't often admit this addiction to people. My family teased me about it, but never really in a mean way. More like…they were in awe that I could rock for hours on end. Some nights I don’t sleep, I just go into that rocking trance, and then snap out of it and it’s time to get up for work or class or whatever. And I agree with everyone who said it's like a high. I know I've been irritable, anxious, or upset if I don't get at least an hour of rocking.

Over a year ago I was diagnosed with liver disease which I was born with. I’ve been on chemo since June for it. And until recently, since I’ve started chemo, I haven’t really felt like rocking was a waste. But now, since I’ve taken leave from work it’s pretty much all I do in my free time unless I’m in my college classes. I don’t know if it’s the medication and a possible side effect of depression, but I’ve even avoided social interaction with the couple friends I have and my boyfriend to rock. I don’t do my homework for school. I don’t go out to eat, to movies, to the park; I don’t even swim in my pool anymore in the backyard. I no longer engage in writing, or drawing which for years of my life were my hobbies. I rarely talk to my boyfriend for long periods of time anymore on the phone (he’s in the military now so we only see each other every other weekend).

I don’t really have a problem with it, but now I find I really cannot stop myself from doing it. I find myself saying just five more minutes all the time. Then it’s five hours later. And it is somewhat hindering my relationships with my friends, and significant other.  However, like I’ve mentioned this could be related to depression caused by my chemo drugs.

I’m certainly glad I am not alone in this. I feel a little more secure about it now, and I may even consider going to talk to a professional to see if there are similar cases and what it could be related to. I have to say there is very little information on the matter aside from personal testimonies.
Anyways, if anyone would like to IM me or email me in regards to this feel free to any time. I’d love to talk to a fellow body-rocker!

My email is: ***@****

[Nivakon]

Well, my email didn't post. And I'd like to add the only real information on something that is like what we've all described is:

"A stereotypy (pronounced /ˈstɛriː.ɵtaɪpi/) is a repetitive or ritualistic movement, posture, or utterance, found in people with mental retardation, autism spectrum disorders, tardive dyskinesia and stereotypic movement disorder. "

Anyways, cheers.

[Spring10]

I second your statement on there is very little information readily available about rocking.  This bodyrocking thread is a wonderful find for me as it makes me feel much less bizarre and alone and sort of highlights the "needs" I was meeting when I rocked - as those same feelings are mentioned by nearly everyone here.  In some people's experience the rocking doesn't seem to be disruptive or excessive, but in many instances - like mine - it does.  

Additionally in my case and a couple of others, the rocking has been physically harmful.  

I'd like to ask that if anyone finds a doctor or clinic (on-line or in person) who has a number of patients who rocked or if you find web site that has information about the reasons for and effects of bodyrocking, please share it with us.  I'd also like to encourage us to talk "with" one another to further the sense of community here. So many of us have felt alone and "bad" for our habit for a long time.      Regards to all

[suesue231]

I'm 46 and I have been rocking my whole life. My mother said it started when I was a toddler. She called it 'bouncing", I would just sit on the couch and bounce for hours. if I was in a rocking chair, I would rock back and forth for hours. She did take me to a doctor, and he said it was due to a ringing in my ears. Well I never had a ringing in my ears. It was just his way of trying to diagnose something that he had never heard of before. As a child I would do it with family members around because they were so use to it.  But as an adult, I would only do it when by myself, listening to music or watching TV. For me it was a release from stress and excess energy. It also gave me an outlet to daydream into a whole other world. I decided to go online and see if anyone else was dealing with the same habit. I can't believe how many people there are out there that bounce. I never thought it was weird, because it was part of my life, but I know that none of my friends would understand it, and my family would think that I should have out grown it by now. So it only happens when I'm alone, but I find it comforting and a stress reliever.  It never really interfered with my daily activities. As long as I was active, and doing something, I didn't have to bounce. Apparently, it can be a boredom thing for me as well. I never bothered to find out why I do it, because I don't really care.  As long as I can control it around other people, I don't consider it a problem.  I do however, fidget and rock my leg back and forth if I have to sit still too long. That can drive people crazy!  

[easy_rockin]

I am  almost 50 and rock daily. I have been doing so since i was too young to remember. I use it as a form of meditation. It never interfers with my daily life. It is a great stress reliever. When i was young i was told i was slow or mentally challenged. Today i am a mother of 4, none of which are rockers. I am very successful in my career and actually think its is because i used this form of meditation to help me focus on what i would like for myself in my future. I have always been told if you can see it you can achieve it! I was married for 20 years and my husband never knew. This is something i do for myself in private. I am so happy to see others who dont view this as a problem but as a form of meditation. I was loved by both of my parents and disciplined fairly so i dont believe there are any concerns for me in that respect. I plan to continue as long as i am alive. It just plain soothes me and helps me figure things out in peace and quiet...

[binx0matic]

Oh my god, I am 23 years old and have been doing this since I have been able to sit up. On the couch, in the car, on the floor. Once I got older I started listening to music, sitting on my bed and body rock sitting up. I do this for at least 3 hours a day, sometimes more. This is a recreational thing for me, equivalent to how tv or video games are to other people. This is how I spend my down time. Not even my most closest friends know I do this. I too close my door and do it in private. I don't like to be caught doing it but sometimes my younger sister or mom walks in. I've never thought to look up information on this because I seriously thought I was the only person on the planet who did this. I have been dating a boy for two years and I am nervous about moving in with him because I don't think I'd be able to explain this behavior... I am so amazed (and happy) that I was able to read these posts and see other people who do the same thing that I do...

[JGF25]

This is really not a problem unless it interferes with your daily life.  I don't think it is something you should be ashamed of either.  Just tell your boyfriend that you do this to relax just like somebody that practices meditation to relax.  You will hardly ever find me in a sitting position without my legs cross and one of them going back and forth.  I even find myself swaying when I stand up especially in places like church.  Be who you are.  Your boyfriend loves YOU...and I'm sure could care less about whether you rock.  

[hannahdanii]

Hello!
Good lord, I honestly thought I was the only one!! I'm 16 now and have been rocking my way through life ever since I could sit up.
I find that now I only do it when there is music playing, but I used to do it all the time, in the privacy of my room or an empty house...my mum always used to say it was childish and I'd grow out of it. I enjoy doing it apart from when I do it too much and pay the price with awful neck and back pains! I found it a welcome distraction when I went through a depressive phase of self-harm, it helped whisk me away to my dreams and keep me from harming a lot of the time!
I find it so addicting now though, I can't stay at people's houses or go on holiday with my family because I get bored so easily that I just do it and feel uncomfortable when people are around. I'm going to seek help for it now because I've just started college and it's getting in the way a bit...always late, never studying etc.

[JGF25]

In your case, it is interfering with your day-to-day life so it is best to seek treatment.  Also, since you suffered from self-harming yourself at some point in your life, it would be good to also have that addressed as well.  When you talk to the doctor, make sure you tell him/her everything that is going on in your life.  They need to know so that they can treat all of you and not just the parts that you feel like sharing.  Trust me, they have heard it all before and there is nothing to be embarassed about.  

[softgreenlight]

38, done this since a child, on the couch "bouncing" as a little baby, and at night to sleep rocking back and forth often even in sleep.  My brother also does this. In addition I have several nervous issues with my right hand, which I can keep under control.

I figured there were others out there, but realize that it is compulsive behavior that most people would consider odd and/or shameful in some way.

I understand the trance part, and I think that is what makes it so addictive and feeds the compulsion. I was able to stop for years while in a long relationship and also due to drinking alcohol.

seems there are quite a few of us.

[Chairbreaker]

I am 15 and still rock. I have rocked since I was 3 or 4. Either on a rocking horse or in a rocking chair. My rocking habit does not effect my daily life. Although my parents are frustrated that I have broken several family room rocking chairs. Most of the time I rock in my chair but if my chair is not availible, I will rock on the floor or in a staightback chair. I also daydream or visualize myself in a different life. The main time I rock is when I am stressed and need to relax.

[DY1985]

Wow, I did know so many people dealt with this, my husband rocks himself to sleep some nights, it wakes me up when he does it, he hums when he does it, so that is why it wakes me up.  I tell him to stop or just hug him or nudge him to stop.  I believe it has to do with his childhood.  His mother is a very depressed woman and I think she has some disorder that has not been diagnosed. My husband does not rock as much now.  He also stutters when he gets nervous, but he does not do that as much as when I first met him.  I believe he is really comfortable around me so a lot of that has stopped.  I believe that he was not loved on very much because he was not very touchy feelly until he met me.  We have 3 child and 2 of them have had speech problems, apraxia, none of them rock, they know they are loved.   D.

[JustAGirl27]

Hi all,

I hope most of you have found the answers that you're looking for but if not. The activity that we are referring to (I assume and in my own experience) is called 'self soothing', a form or head banging, head rocking (side to side), body rocking and repetitive body movements. According to finding in Atlas of Epilepsies By C. P. Panayiotopoulos around 60% of children do this activity, some will eventually grow out of it and do not grow to have mental health issues. Although it should be noted that some children who do this, do have forms of mental health disorders, such as autism. This is just a small extract from the book about 'rhythmic movements' in children not necessarily epileptic movements, for those of you who may panic given the books title. Anyway there are many studies on it, once you key in the right term for it (it took me a while). I was interested because I do this too, and always have for as long as I can remember.

I am 22 and can fully relate to the examples given above about music listening/ fantasizing and the dream like states that rocking can cause/achieve. My elder brother and I both rocked as children, possibly infants too (mine may have been a result of me mimicking his behaviour?). Although I can say in my experience it is limited to only when I go to sleep, like it is a sleep aid, or when I feel like it, I have control over doing it and it doesn't interfere with or has detrimentally affected any other elements in my life such as education or similar. I do however agree with the points on social interactions and how rocking is avoided in public. For me I think my ability to control my rocking was achieved as a result of realising at around ages 10 or 11 pre-camping and sleeping over at friends houses that it might be seen as 'strange'. So I just didn't do it and learned how to sleep without needing to rock. Also my family were and are fine with it, I was never forced to stop or discouraged from doing it, and I haven't experienced any trauma, as far as I know.

To summarize, from what I've read, for those who as children didn't experience a trauma or have any underlying medical/mental health conditions the behaviour/activity seems perfectly normal, and in those who did experience something along those lines it may have been what stimulated the behaviour in the first place. However I suppose self soothing in all it's forms (body/head rocking, head/body banging) may in moderation, i.e. without causing self-harm and with professional help where it is needed, be a healthy, normal activity.

[Mustangkenny]

Im 19 and I've rocked ever since I was about 5 I think. At least I think it's rocking except I do it in the car and while I lay down in bed at night it helps me think really clearly exept it's giving me horrible neck pains and also wearing the driver seat out in my car it's really embarrassing because people see me doing this I've only seen one other person that did it I really wish I knew what this was.

[EricJK]

Im 31 years old and I rock. I also have ADHD and I am a musician. My mother said that I used to break cribs due to my rocking. Or that I would rock as a baby and then fall flat on my face and go to sleep.  In addition to rocking I tap on everything, drum on any and everything.
On rocking, I used to listen to music and pretend for hours on end. I actually don't consider it a waste though because I am an artist and a writer and I used to "write" myself into television shows.
Any time my mother or father would turn on the vacuum cleaner or the washing machine, I would rock.  Recently, (within the last year) the water company opened up the hydrant across the street and the white noise that ensued prompted me to pull the computer chair out on the porch and just rock....I was also waiting on a package and it was a subconscious decision to go outside, but when my mother found me she started laughing because she immediately knew why hahaha.  When she would ask me why I would rock to the vacuum and washer or dishwasher I would always tell her that I heard rhythms in it.

My sister told me that she read that rocking is a sign of maternal neglect.

There have also been times where I have found that it is almost as if I am in a meditative state. I rock in front of the fan alot and listen to the changes of the sounds (phasing) that are changing as I move and it really helps me to clear my mind.  I don't find it a waste of time at all I find it to be almost theraputic.

I also come from a musical family and have rocked my entire life, since before I can remember.

[EricJK]

Subsequently, I need to post that I discovered this thread because I was curious if this rocking has any vestibular side-effects (causing dizziness or vertigo or making one more sensitive to changes.)  I have always gotten motion sick when riding in cars but not driving, and I do feel like I have become more sensitive to certain types of movements.

[localdrummerjd3]

this is so awesome! I would love to know if anyone knows what it is really called lol I have grown up around bouncing my entire life, not to mention my family, but I think I only do it because of my older brother does it and when I was little I would do it with him

What I do is listen to music on my ipod and sit in a chair and bounce/rock back and forth - I feel so out of place if I haven't done it on a day

My dad did it when he was a kid, and on my moms side her sister used to do it so that's 2 different people who never met each other before hand and they did it!

I have seen some people do it in cars when I drive around

if you have any info please email me at ***@****

GOD BLESS!

-JAKE

[AllBahianGirl]

I am a 51 year old African American woman and both me and my identical twin sister 'bounce' for hours at a time. I feel personally that 'bouncing' is an isolating,destructive behavior and you feel this more as you get older. Of course like poster NA Chuck said "the truth is I am relieved to know that it still remains a mystery". I've been in therapy for years because I knew I had a 'problem' but I never considered my bouncing a problem so I never brought it up to my therapists. The truth is I really don't want to stop bouncing and feel that at 51 years old there really is no key to this door so what other choice do us bouncers have as nobody seems to have any answers.

[AllBahianGirl]

@NAChuck. Thank you for your post. I'm a 51 year old African American woman for who rocking(bouncing) has been a life time compulsion too. I just recently found out the name of my demon called "Maladaptive Daydreaming" but most websites I go to give you the demon's name but now how to exorcise him. You're 66 years old and still haven't found the key to the door out of this or even if there is a door. Due to this bouncing I wasted my life,never married,had kids,worked a job beneath my potential,etc. I would very much like to stop this bouncing and live in the real world instead of retreating into a fantasy world. Oh this fantasy world is nice but at the end of one's life what do you have to show for living in this fantasy world and I doubt if if any of my fantasy friends no matter how wonderful will attend my funeral. I don't think a lot of posters to this site see the real seriousness of the problem especially the younger ones. Maybe they'll see it when they're my age and the doors that are open to them now are closed and they'll look back with a lot of regrets and see the time they spent in this world was used bouncing. After all we have so little time in this world as it is so why waste it bouncing and retreating into fantasy?  I also joined a Yahoo Group 'Maladaptive Daydreaming' and this group doesn't give any real solutions to stop this bouncing either.

[pat414816]

I am a woman in her 50's who has had OCD for 20 years. I have obsessive thoughts and want to know if there are other woman my age who want to talk about this problem. would like to here from you

[AllBahianGirl]

Hello Pat I am a 51 year old African American who like poster ChuckNA 'body rocking' or 'bouncing' has been a life long compulsion for me. I can never remember a time when I didn't bounce to music. I started off bouncing with my cousins all of us lined up on the couch listening to my aunt's Nancy Wilson records so you know how long I've been doing this. If Chuck NA gets the gold medal for longest bouncer on this message board then definitely I get the silver medal for second longest bouncer. I always felt that I was the only person that did this bouncing now I find out that there are others and some of them middle aged just like I am.

Truth be told I don't know how to stop this lifelong compulsion and wouldn't know what to do with my free time if I did. I retired last year at the age of 50 and the bouncing has gotten worst because now I have more free time to bounce. It's really a shame that I bounced my childhood,teenage years and young adulthood away. My mother was aware of my bouncing cause I did it on the living room couch but for some reason she never tried to get me help for my bouncing. One poster stated that bouncing has it's roots in 'maternal neglect'. Don't know if it does or doesn't but my mother ignored my bouncing and all other problems as well. She was an educated woman with a Masters in Education but I don't know even though I was well-fed and clothed emotionally my mother was never 'there' for me.

Yet I choose to forgive the past because we can't go back and change it and it really hasn't been proven that bouncing is due to maternal neglect because this disorder called "Maladaptive Daydreaming" is just now coming to the forefront on the mental health horizon. I've been in therapy off and on for many years yet never thought to bring this bouncing up to my therapist because I just assumed it was my 'dirty little secret' something I spent a lot of time doing and was ashamed of but it gave me so much pleasure I really didn't want to give it up. Sometimes this board moves slowly so if you want you can hit me up at my email address ***@**** for further dialogue.

[Wooshtastic]

This is my first time searching for any information on 'rocking' or 'bouncing'. I am 29, female and have been rocking my upper body while I sit ever since I can remember--sometimes at about a rock per second, sometimes MUCH faster. I recall a mention of my aunt rocking herself, but have never met anyone else who's ever done it or talked to her about it.

I come from a very unhappy family. Fairly sure my mother is borderline and my father was depressed. In general they seemed ok with my rocking or "bouncing" as my mother called it. There were a handful of times where she discouraged it in restaurants but I rarely listened. On the bus at school I'd do it but not during class. But I did in theaters, on city buses, even at work. I have friends who have jokingly tried to join me only to get exhausted. I've had my share of mocking--strangers call me crazy sometimes, people occasionally think my chair squeaks. I draw for a living and in the past few years have been able to draw while doing it.  I'm rocking right now! I too do not think I could get thru a day without doing it.

I was shocked to read here that almost everyone is feeling like this has ruined their lives. My initial reaction was actually to smile. It felt like someone was somehow making this up specifically for my benefit. It was describing my physical symptoms to the T but described absolutely the opposite state of my emotions.

I am so comfortable with it at this point in my life that I feel like I can offer advice if people want it. Maybe I don't completely understand all scenarios--like I said, my rocking is simply upper body. Floor rocking probably takes a lot more effort and is likely harder to do in public. What I can say though is, I have integrated my rocking into my daily life. My husband and friends are very accepting of it and I have little trouble exhibiting it to strangers. This isn't to say it never comes to mind. If there are times I need to stay quiet or if I'm in an uncomfortable chair I'm able to hold myself... but its just like sucking in my gut when I'm wearing a tight shirt. I was teased for all sorts of crap going thru school--the LEAST of which was for rocking.

If I'm offending anyone via my attempt to claim this lifestyle is 'easy' or that I'm somehow diminishing it, I just want to say that's not my intent. I really, truly just am in shock right now. It never even occurred to me to look at this as such a life-crippling challenge and what I'm writing now is just a direct emotional response. I'm shocked that so many of you are in such pain over this. I am going to keep reading and thinking on the subject after I submit this.

  

[kastnspells]

Body Rocking I am a 51 year old woman who started this body rocking about 5 years ago.  I would catch myself rocking myself every now and then and just thought it was my body's way of dealing with pain.  As the years went by my body rocking increased greatly and more fierce.  Most times I am not even aware I am doing it till i catch someone watching me or sometimes they even start rocking in time with me.  I am not able to stop myself from rocking sometimes and find myself getting more and more embarrassed all the time  I catch myself rocking all the time any more.  what is this and why can i not stop doing this.  

[AllBahianGirl]

At the advice of one poster here I discovered that this 'bouncing' was termed by Eli Somer,Ph.d. as "Maladaptive Daydreaming". Just look it up on Wkipedia and it will go into detail about this maladaptive daydreaming which describes what most of us posters are going bouncing and rocking while listening to music which puts us in this trance-like state where the daydreaming occurs. Some people put this Maladaptive Disorder in a catergory with other compulsions like OCD and state that they have even taken medication prescribed for people with OCD like fluoxamine that made the daydreaming easier to control. Like you I'm 51 years old but for me this MD has been a lifelong compulson something that started in childhood and followed me through the years. My parents never did anything about it thinking I would outgrow it but I never did. I bounced my way through childhood,my teenage years,my young adult years and unless help is on the way I'll be bouncing until Gabriel blows on His horn. So far I haven't been able to stop whereas for some people their crack pipe or bottle of alcohol is their addiction for me it's my ipod,CD player and headphones plus a couch or chair to rock on. It's a hard compulsion to break and for me since I've done it all of my life I can't imagine life without it and truth be told I get a lot of pleasure from it. I've been trying to find the key to the door out of this along with other posters but I don't think there is one. I kind of feel locked in. Hopefully the younger posters will find the key to the door and at least at the end of their lives have a "real life" instead of a fantasy one.

[katrinepa]

I have rocked since I was a young child, and found comfort in the rocking. I was sexually abused as a very young child,and I wonder if that has anything to do with it.  As an adult, others around me will see me rocking like crazy, and it's usually in reaction to some stressor, but I do not even know I am doing it until it is pointed out to me.

[tg12345]

I'm 39 years old and I rock myself to sleep every night.  I've done that as long as I can remember.  I lie on my back, clasp my hands together, and go back and forth for between 5 to 30 minutes, depending on how much I need to wind down from the day.

When I was very young, I used to listen to music on my parent's big Telefunken wooden stereo and rock from the living room all the way down the hall until my head touched the baseboard at the far end.  Then I'd get up, walk back to the stereo, flip or change records, put my feet against the TELEFUNKEN lettering and go again.  I don't remember when I stopped rocking as a recreational thing to do during the day...

So far I've had 1 girlfriend, 1 university roommate, and my lovely wife who've all accepted my rocking as a weird thing I do to help me fall asleep.  My parents never mentioned my rocking to me negatively, and if they talked to a doctor they never told me.  I imagine they did, since their best friend in our small town growing up was a doctor.

I was VERY surprised to find this site and read everyone's stories.  I guess my case of whatever we have is a mild one.  I've suffered from panic attacks on occasion and took Paxil for a few months.  I've always felt like I have a touch of OCD (I can't read a digital clock without performing mathematical gymnastics on the numbers) and ADHD (more than one teacher mentioned Ritalin to my parents).  I'd label myself as having an addictive personality and I've had to quit smoking (9 years quit now) and gambling.  Currently I drink too much, but that's something I'm going to work on this year.  I have trouble moderating with anything I do.

Thanks for letting me spit this all out.  Happy New Year everyone and good luck if you're struggling with this...

[Lisa_75]

Wow i have searched for others that rock like this and have never known anyone other than my son who does this,he started as soon as he could sit he would rock against the sofa,i never thought anything strange as i thought it was just a baby thing he would grow out of. But this rocking became more frequent and more aggressive especially if upset. He rocked only in the house the car and at grandparents houses. He then started to chant with this rocking and at times his rocking looked extreme  incorporating rocking his head side to side whilst banging back and forth in a rythmic motion. I took him to a doctor at 3 yrs of age when it became quite severe who told me he would grow out of it,i was concerned as he would not sleep in his own bed but preferred to rock himself to sleep on the sofa,even when asleep he would stir and in a half awake state would  continue rocking till he went back to sleep. It took me till he was 5 to get him into a bed,he continued to rock with his favourite blanket till he was 9 then suddenly started to stop,but he still rocks in the car if there is music on and now rocks his head side to side in bed quite abruptly till he sleeps. Apart from this he has aggressive behaviour and has been diagnosed ADHD  has conduct disorder with learning difficulties and is finding school very difficult. He is now 11 and only just getting a statement of special needs for school.

[Veronica232]

Hey Eric,

You sound like a really talented individual, frankly. You hear rhythms in white noise, I mean this is cool.

I'm musical too and I wonder if people are more likely to do this if they're musically inclined, because music makes one want to move rhythmically to the sound.

People go on rides at the fair because it makes them feel high. A young child will spin around to get the same effect. However, I've become addicted to the rocking, and in my case, it's taken the place of activities the same way a drug would.

As for the dizzyness, the only thing I know is that repeatedly moving the head/neck forward and backward can cause dizzyness due to mild whiplash.

[AllBahianGirl]

I am 51 years old and for me bouncing to music has been a life long compulsion. My parents probably made the mistake of thinking I would 'outgrow' my bouncing and they would probably be surprised if I told them that I NEVER outgrew my bouncing and am still bouncing 51 years later.

[AllBahianGirl]

Last Friday my doctor prescribed 20 mg. of Fluoxetine for me. So far since being on this medication I haven't bounced. Maybe this Fluoxetine is the answer for my body rocking because this is the first time in 51 years that I haven't body rocked to music.

[Carmen2]

This is called stereotypic movement disorder. Try searching it on yahoo or google.

[Lizzy888]

I think you should do some research on self-hypnosis, I'm having difficulties in getting into a trance, but you do it naturally.  In self-hypnosis, you need to learn to get into a trance state in order to achieve your goals, give yourself positive suggestions.  You're already half way there, make good use of your ability (not a handicap) of going into trance naturally, and then learn to give yourself positive suggestions like feeling confident, being able to succeed in life and school, if you have an intent, you will succeed.  Go and learn self hypnosis from Igor, he's good.  http://powerselfhypnosis.com/

[sunnpuppy]

wow... this has been my secret of 45yrs... the only thing I can do to stop myself from killing myself some times is to get in my rocking chair... I could live under a bridge as long as I had a rocking chair. It's my entire life... I can't keep jobs because sometimes the only way I can think is when I rock... I am lost....

[missclairol]

I am 51 and still rocking too!  I did it often as a child to music and  zoned out too.  I am an adult with add and was told it is a healthy way to release the need to move and about as close as people with add can get to meditating!  My dr. said, as long as it does not get in the way of your life :GO FOR IT!  Look how many hours people spend on the computer etc.   It still makes me feel so much better knowing how many people really are rocking! lol

[missclairol]

I have been rocking to music on and of for 50 years.  Recently diagnosed with adult add. My dr. said it was a great way for people with add to move and relax.  It is about as close to meditating as I will ever get.  I usually try to stop after an hour. On a rainy or bad day between 1 and 2 hours max.  It has in no way ruined my life.  Look at how much time people spend on the computer, video games or just staring at a t.v.   So glad to see how many other people rock! :-)

[indy1984]

Well i am a 47 male and have 'bed' rocked all my life. I have no other issues at all in my life. I found from a very early age rocking completely relaxed me in bed. (only occurs in Bed) normally 5-10-15 mins at a time it completely relaxes me and i then go to sleep motionless. when i wake up a may start again. Why i do this i dont know. my parents were concerned i continued doing this in my very early years..I dont have a problem with it but would like to know why i do it!!.. I find if i cant do it in  bed ie i am not alone! i cant relax . I have always thought that if you hooked me up to a monitor you would see my heart beat lower and overall stress level reduce greatly whilst rocking.

[dddreamer]

This is so interesting to me, my son is 8. Sometimes, he closes his eyes and shakes his head from side to side. It mostly happens when he eats or sometimes while riding in the car. One day I asked him, why he does this and he responded that he's dreaming (in his head). Is there a term for this? I don't discourage him from doing this, well maybe if we are out to dinner. Any thoughts?

[JGF25]

It could be maladaptive daydreaming.  The best thing to do is to have your son evaluated by a child psychologist.  This way you can get an official diagnosis of what is going on and some treatment options.  I think it is something you would want to get a handle on early before it becomes something that he does all the time in liu of what he is supposed to be doing.  

Take care.

[dddreamer]

Thank you for your insight, I was given contact information for a Neuro-Physiological Psychologist. In the meantime I will read up on maladaptive dreaming, as this is something I've never heard of.

Thank you again!

[Krm1584]

I'm almost 21 and my mother has told me I have done this since I was in the crib. Anytime I am away from home and can't do my "Rocking" it seems like I am more easily irritated or feel like I don't belong in a sense. No one in my family does this. My mother would take me to every doctor and they would tell her it was nothing or look at her like she was crazy. I used to do it in the car when I was younger, but now I do it alone in my room while listening to music rocking side to side. It would also put me in a different world sort of speak. My family has always laughed at it, or made fun of me and ask why I do it. I never had an answer of why and still don't have any idea what caused it. It has done a huge negative factor in my life and still does. I don't have many friends because I never want to leave home. I can't hold a job because if something happens I get upset with my self and end up forgetting everything and have an urge to go home and rock. As for school I didn't finish. Doing everything you should like a normal person (Cleaning, taking care of my pets, finishing school, holding a job, and living life with friends and family) is becoming so tough now and I don't drive. I have a fiance and he knows about my issue and is very helpful because I don't feel like I have to hide it anymore. It does put a strain our or relationship, because I spend more time doing that then with him. I want to stop doing it and make my life normal. I want to finish school and make a life for myself. The rocking does help me get away from reality, but I want to find a way to deal with it. I don't want to be held captive in my own house anymore. Also I am mostly afraid of what its doing to my body (Brain, neck, lungs etc.), or if I decide to bare a child later on I don't want it to affect the baby. If anyone has anything I can try to help me stop please let me know.

[payne2012]

I am 20 , i was told that i been rocking since i was 2 years of age.  back and forth on the couch in indian position , my hands under my legs and knees, banging my head on the pillows(not hard). and when i slept in bed in bed with my parents they would tell me to stop so ill rock my legs. i been through alot of trauma in my childhood days . at school i would do alot of day dreaming or zoned out , i dont remember anything teachers were discussion i would be in LA-LA Land. i struggled through school and if my teachers didnt like me so much and let me do extra credit i dont know how i would of graduated high school , well now i am in college and for the past few years i been going to a doctor and i believe i have a case of ADHD my mother has it and when i sneaked her medication ADDERALL (adderrall) , i finally didnt have this urge to Rock Anymore after 20 years i believed i found this wonder drug and its an *** to persuade this doctors and nurses that i may have ADHD when this Case of Rocking is like a new thing and alot of people are in denial or scared to talk about it ,

i am finally in relief because i am not the only one in the world that does this . i rock when i read, and also when i am driving people think im NUTS!!!  sometimes when i have spare time i drive into a random neighboorhood and bump my head and read or LISTEN TO MUCH . its like a natural high , but i believe that over the years it may have cause PSYCHOLOGICAL effects in my brain , or as a baby i was a drug baby . my family is so secretive about their preganancy and young life i would never know , i have social anxiety and dont like to be socially around people i like to do my rocking in private and alone

[AllBahianGirl]

Since January 13th my doctor prescribed 20 mg. of Fluoxetine for me and since then I haven't bounced or rocked to music like I have for the past 51 years. Since I've been doing this 30 years longer than you have what do you have to lose by seeing a doctor and bringing materials with you on Maladaptive Daydreaming? Maladaptive Daydreaming is kind of a form of OCD because I used to do it a lot when I got stressed out and 95% of my waking hours was spent MD'ing. I don't do too much now but lay in bed and watch the telly but at least I'm not OD'ing. If possible try to find a mental health professional who is skilled at working with clients with OCD because more mental health professionals have heard of OCD versus Maladaptive Daydreaming which is a term coined by an Israeli psychologist Eli Somer within the last 10 years.

[BeHappi]

I can't believe that there are so many of us out there.  I used to rock from side to side when listening to music in a trance like state in my bedroom on the bed or on the floor. It would be therapeutic for me if I had a bad day or I would daydream about my life. My mum said I used to rock when I was a baby and I did up until my early twenties.  I would only do it when the house was empty or shut my bedroom door but would only do it at home and nowhere else.  I'm now 29 and have not done it since leaving home & getting married.  I guess I grew out of it as I had more things going on in my life & no time to do it.  I would get very embarrassed when my family mention it as I'd always feel I was the only one that did this sort of thing.  It's good to know that I wasn't the only one.

[Xochiquetzak]

Wow I do the same, listen to music and rock. It makes me feel calm if not I'm anxious feel like I should be doing something instead I'm rocking to music. I sit rock and think of all the things I want to do. I would get embarrassed if my family caught me while I lived at home. Now I'm 31 and a roommate caught me I felt so embarrassed. She thought I was exercising well it's one of my vices to help me through some of life's problems. It never affected my schooling or studying. Just one of those things I do for comfort. It is extremely addicting and I can spend hours doing it. Glad I'm not the only one.

[HelloMotto]

I have the same problem as everyone else here, and it's good to know I'm not a freak. I enjoy rocking a lot, but I want to be more productive. It's so embarrassing, yet I still feel the need to do it even when I have to leave or get something done.
I also think I might have undiagnosed OCD or anxiety, as I also feel a constant need to crack all the joints in my body, sometimes until the point of pain. I believe my mother has anxiety issues, and I've seen my brother rock back and forth while sitting.  None of us are close, so we don't talk about any of these things, but I wouldn't be surprised if rocking is at least partially connected to OCD or anxiety issues.
How I cope: keeping busy. The more I think about it, the more I want to do it. By remove temptation (by not being home) or busying my mind with other things I feel I can control it a little.
If I start I can't stop, so I try to not start (through will-power), which sometimes does or doesn't work.

[HeyPeople]

Wow is crazy how most of the people on this do the same thing . When I watch tv I rock back and toward , and if I try to stop I feel uncomfortable . My mom said I been rocking back in forward since I was a baby , she said I was bang my head against the pillow , when i was in the crib

[bwest88]

I too rock, but only at night to help put myself to sleep. It clears my mind and makes me soooo sleepy. I've never rocked to music to daydream, or spent hours doing it, but I'm 23 and my parents said I've done it since I was a baby. They had to take the wheels off my crib because it would bang against the wall. I don't do it very often anymore since I got married 2 years ago, but everyone once in a while I feel the urge to do it to get myself to sleep. My parents nicknamed me "Scooter" as a baby. I wonder if mine is just a self-soothing technique since I was the youngest of 3 childen, all under the age of 4. I'm so interested to read all of these posts. I thought I was a nut lol!

[breathpeace]

I think you should see someone I believe there is help. I would guess you didn't get all your nurturing needs met as a child and didn't feel safe. Rocking gives you comfort and security that you lacked getting as an infant/toddler. I wonder if you have some abandonment issues going on, like maybe you have really been alone in life. Sorry you have to go through this, believe you will get better & talk to someone!

[breathpeace]

I have heard that it often has to do with lack of nurture as an infant/toddler, some type of abandonment that a child experiences in their informative (early) years. Lack of stimuli while being left alone, not getting the touch and comfort babies need can be a type of abandonment. Maybe a care giver was disconnected, dealing with their own issues of trauma, and unintentionally neglected the infants needs. Maybe the child was adopted or separated from a parent/care giver. Rocking gives comfort it makes you feel safe. Talking to a professional that deals with trauma and neglect might give resolution and understanding.

[EI71]

What an interesting discussing to find online! Our daughter has bounced on the couch or in the car since she could sit up! When she stands, she rocks from side to side. She is now 3.5 and is otherwise a happy, well adjusted little girl. But, I do think about how this will affect her once she starts kindergarten next year. She's very intelligent, but I do wonder I'd this falls into the aspergers, OCD or anxiety categories. My husband used to suffer from anxiety and I wonder if this is somehow inherited. I don't want to ignore it, but I also don't want her to feel ashamed. Any advice is appreciated!

[michrich]

I am 62 years old and have rocked as long as I can remember. I have had a traumatic life with more deaths than I could handle, lived in East Timor for four years during the upheaval and fighting. I am not crying "poor little me" - I would be very naive to think I had more problems than the majority of the world but now I can have a rocker recliner chair, rocking office chair and find that is now a great source of comfort to me.
I have other problems to be managed but on the whole I am still thankful to be a survivor and am now content with my life.

[rusty59]

Yes I to rocked on oll 4's with my head on a pillow. I can remember when I was really little I would rock through fear of the dark or strange noises outside the house at night. Sometimes the rocking would last all night.  I would get belted by my father for rocking which made the situation worse. This rocking continued until I was about 16 whre I used ro rock to music, it was like an escape from my miserable life. My family was extremely disfunctional, my mother suffered from depression, and my father never spoke me other to abuse or hit me. He hated me, and even into adulthood he never spoke to me. Although it is years now since I have rocked, I do suffer from severe knee pain and joint damage.  

[rufus26]

Like a lot of you I have rocked for as long as I can remember and thought I was the only one. When I was younger I would do it on the sofa and in the car and I had no problem with doing it infront of my family. Then as soon as I became a teenager and embarrassment kicked in, I have done it in secret. I am now 23 and the rocking is worse than ever. I'm in my last year at uni and am failing because instead of doing my work I body rock to music and once I start it's like I physically can't stop. I miss dinners because I don't even want to stop to eat. I had a bit of a breakdown a couple of months ago and finally decided to look my habit up and I found this forum...I was so shocked that there were this many people who have been through the same thing! Reading some of the previous posts was like reading about my life. I went to the doctor who has put me on anti-depressants to specifically target OCD but so far nothings changed. I was just wondering if anyone who's been in a similar situation could give me any advice....I really don't want to fail my degree because of this thing! Thanks to everyone.

[JGF25]

Hi there.  It doesn't sound as if your medication is working for you.  Did you get it prescribed by a psychiatrist or a general practitioner?  Not every medication works well for every person so if one isn't working then the dosage needs to be look at or a different medication all together can be tried.  I went through a few before I found one that work for my particular brand of OCD (it is not body rocking) although I did do that as a child to go to sleep.  Drove my sisters crazy.  I swear the bed used to move back and forth on the floor.  In any case, for some reason that went away for me...only to be replaced by something else.  Please talk to your doctor and convey that the medication is not helping you so that you can pursue something else that will work.    

Take care.

[Dassah]

I do this too and I'm starting too feel pain now from doing it all my life, I'm 19 now and I have skipped school just to do it. No one knows why and my family has put up with the squeaks from the sofas. I thought I was the only one till I noticed my cousin doing it as well. My childhood was great, my family is fine but I don't know what this is and why I do it. When my mom catches me doing it she tells me to stop and I get so upset sometimes because she doesn't understand how I feel when I do it. I only do it when I have music though so I can daydream. They should have a show about people like us so we can get help.

[MrsMurph]

My stepson does this on a regular basis...while listening to music, watching TV, in the car, by the campfire...you name it. When we're driving and it's actually jarring the van, we ask him if he could stop and he says that his mom says he can do it because it's what he does and he's done it since he was a baby in his car seat. I don't know what to say to that. He does it when other people are sitting on the couch with him so its disruptive to other family members. I know a lot of people in this forum have said they limit it to private times, but my stepson does not. I don't know how to help him with this while at the same time being sensitive to the other children we have in the house. Any advice would be appreciated.  Thanks!

[AllBahianGirl]

I have recently started seeing a new Russian psychiatrist who I call "Dr.O". She has me on 10 mg. of Prozac though I still think she doesn't know what Maladaptive Daydreaming is. The Prozax stops me from bouncing and listening to music but now that I don't bounce 95% of my waking hours  I like in bed like a zombie and watch television all day. It seems like I traded one evil for another. I still don't like going out socializing with people unless forced to do so.

[JWBouncer]

I am thrilled to find this thread, too. I am 40 years old, and I have been doing it my entire life. My mom tells me I started rocking back and forth in my crib as soon as I could get up on all fours.

My parents used to try to get me to stop by bribing me. I didn't really stop doing it, I just learned to do it at more socially acceptable times (at home alone, no longer in the car, never at school). I remember arguing with my mom about it being an addiction - I tried to explain to her it was the same thing as my grandma's need to smoke cigarettes. Even at 10 I felt the compulsion and I would get SO anxious if I couldn't find a time to sneak away and do it. Because I started as such a young age, I cannot imagine it was a coping mechanism for any trauma I felt. And it certainly wasn't the lack of physical contact - my mom held me all the time :)

As for your daughter, I think it is important to gauge her anxiety level. I think I came out of the womb anxious. My mom has also always been a very anxious person and I believe I picked upon on that as well. I was always in the gifted program at school and had plenty of friends. I always got straight As, but I now realize I was motivated by the anxiety of getting anything less than that. Even though I had many friends and had a really good time in high school, there were plenty Friday nights I chose to go home instead of going out, knowing I would have the house to myself to listen to music and "boink" as my parents called it. And yes, I daydreamed just like many others described. I also figured out many problems, though, just by repeating the same things over and over until I was able to come up with a different result. My friends always joked "you think too much" but I now realize it was actually obsessing.

The only lasting problems I can see is my back and neck sometimes hurt and I often wonder if it is caused from my rocking. I'm also giggling as I type this because I am rocking in my glider while doing it. It is just a very comforting thing for me to do.

Nice to know there are others out there - I figured I couldn't possibly be the only one.

[JWBouncer]

Just trying to figure out how to join this community - I have to post to do so?

[EI71]

Thanks for the advice. I'm not an axious person, but as I mentioned her dad used to suffer from anxiety (he doesn't anymore by cutting out caffeine) but he also has an addictive personality. I joke that she inherited this from him!  It seems that when she's busy playing or had a specific activity, she doesn't bounce or rock...but even in between time at our neighborhhod pool, she would get out and rock from side to side, even if only for 5 seconds. It's very automatic, it seems. She has her annual well visit in a few months and I plan to ask her pediatrician whatshe thinks...but I'm wondering if there is anything they can really do? I won't put her on medication this young. I guess time will tell. Thanks for all the input; I'll keep you posted.

[AJice1980]

I am 32 year old and have been rocking for as long as I can remember.  It is something that has gotten a lot worse as I've gotten older.  It is the only way I can listen to music, watch TV, and play video games.  It's gotten so bad that I even do it when I'm eating sometimes.  I've never officially been diagnosed, but I'm sure I suffer from anxiety, especially social anxiety and maybe autism as well.  I blame my mother for not getting my the help I needed when I was younger.  She was the only one who I would rock in front of.  Had I received the help I needed years ago I probably wouldn't have all the problems I have now.  Unlike most people, who seem to be subconcsiously unaware that they're doing in front of other people, I'm actually very aware and only do it when I'm alone.  The problems even worsened when I started experimenting with drugs (weed and pills).  I would go deep into a trance like state completely unaware of my surroundings.  I really want to stop, but I'm unemployed and don't have medical insurance.  I'm actually having a hard time because I just wanna go  back in my recliner and start rocking again.  Please for all you younger people out there, GET HELP IMMEDIATELY!!  It may get worse as you get older, and it's probably something that can be fixed with a light dosage of medication.  Good luck all!

[Imogenp]

It's crazy to hear all these stories! I didn't think I was the only person to rock my head but I did think I was the only one to do it while listening to music and day dream for hours! So I'm amazed to see there are many out there like me. I've been doing it since I was a baby my mother said I used even hit my head of the crib sometimes. When I was 14 till around 17 years of age it was the most I used to rock my head day dreaming about things I wanted in life how I wanted my life to be. But luckily I never let it take over my life it was just like a hobby when I'd come home instead of reading a magazine I'd rock my head and dream. the only other person in my family who does it too is my uncle . I shared a room with my sister and she used to wake me up in the middle of the night telling me I was even doing it in my sleep. I never did it in anyone else's house just seemed to be at my own home. I'm 19 now and I still rock my head when I'm bored or stressed or have free time. I find if I don't rock my head for a day or two I get Moody and stressed really I think it's just a habit especially for people who love to dream I'm a pices so I'm a big dreamer! I think I could stop if I wanted to but it makes me happy even though I know I shouldn't be dreaming about what I want in life the hours I waste dreaming I should be making it a reality.