Body rocking

[Pauledh]

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

[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.