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

[AllBahianGirl]

Have you tried medication? I am 53 years old and have been body rocking for the last 52 years until my doctor prescribed 600 mg. of Gabapentin or Neurontin for me. I advise you to tell your parents about this body rocking as it seems to be a form of OCD. I wish I had known about medication but I'm a child of the 60's and 70's and this 'body rocking' has only recently been studied. Don't end up like me rocking your way through life and when middle-aged have nothing to show for it. I try to help when I can and I'm telling you medication has stopped the body rocking for me. The only thing though is once problems are discovered and corrected later in life there's more of a history of a negative pattern that is harder to overcome. Contact me and I can give you my personal email address if you want further info or your parents want to know how to help you. My mother was clueless about how to stop my body rocking so this condition kind of ruined my youth. Don't want to see the same thing happen to you as this body rocking is more serious than appears on the surface.

[gabby066]

I understand your concerns for you son to stop rocking when he is in bed but this may be a way for him to deal with what ever trauma he may have sustained before being placed in your care. This coping  strategy is not harmful to him in any way its just a form of release in his mind. He can close his eyes and imagine wonderful thoughts when doing this. As JGF25 mentioned that we are not medical professionals but we are ppl who have experienced this all our lives, its not detrimental at all to his (our) health its just away of feeling good inside. I strongly urge you not to be stern with him as he may not have any other way to feel good within him self. Please seek professional advice to help if you really need to. Please dont make this child feel that what he is doing is wrong....because its not wrong it can be quiet soothing.

[kk1967]

I have a 6 yr old who does a full body rocking motion when he goes to bed. He puts his left hand under his head and rolls to the right in a violent motion and back and forth he goes sometimes for hours. He was placed with us through CPS and he has always done this since he was brought here 2 years ago. Sometimes I have to get stern with him to make him stop so he will sleep. He has visitation with his mother for the weekend but he seem exhausted when he comes back and full of anxiety. I have been wondering if he is Autistic for a while. He has been in play therapy and has a psychologist who treats him for anxiety. He also has a hard time identifying when someone is sad or hurt does not seem to have empathy for them....Anything you can tell me would help. Thanks ***@****

[gabby066]

Wow! I thought I was the only person apart from my siblings who did this!. Im 46 years old and rocked back and forth from as far as I can remember. I must admit I came from a very abusive family (constantly beaten on a daily basis) I found rocking back and fourth to music as a way of escape. I would imagine I lived somewhere else or let my mind float of into a happier place. Its great to read that other people did/do this. Thank you for sharing your story.

[JGF25]

Well said!  It is only a problem if it interferes with your daily life, i.e., if you would rather rock than go out with friends, etc.  Take care all you body rockers!  

[mfmfmfm]

I'm a 34-year old who just told her boyfriend of almost 4 years that she was a 'body rocker'. Like many of you, I was really ashamed of this 'disorder' or 'compulsion'. He decided to look it up online and found this site. I'm amazed at how many people do this! I started rocking in my crib (on all fours, bouncing up and down), in cars, swinging my body front and back, and in bed, rocking side to side, generally before going to bed, but often in the middle of the day.  I also twirl my hair about 30% of the time. I think these behaviors are all related...
I don't know how or exactly when it happened but I stopped body rocking at about 27 years old. I didn't try to stop or really wanted to. My rocking wasn't interfering with my life, it brought a sense of relaxing/dreaming to my daily life. I used to start rocking in the middle of my sleep, without even knowing! Now I never do it and I don't feel different.

I think that, if body rocking isn't interfering with your life, you shouldn't worry about it and you shouldn't take medicine for it. Who is to say what is considered as normal? If your spouse or partner doesn't accept what you do, then maybe this person isn't right for you.