[Teddy:)]

I was just curious to find out if anyone here finds rocking back and forwards comforting in stressful situations? Has anyone experienced this? I'm not sure whether it even relates to my BPD, everything I looked at seems to point to autism but I thought I would just ask.

Cause I find that it relaxes me, I usually do it at home when I'm alone, I don't tend to do it in public as much, I try to make it not that obvious anyway if I do. But the other day I found myself having a complete meltdown in my therapist office in which I hid in a corner and rocked. I was so embarrassed but I couldn't stop myself it was either rock in a corner or be overcome with an overwhelming amount of emotion that I feared would kill me

Now I'm not sure if I can ever go back

[technigal]

I rock when I am stressed, it is the reason I have a rocking chair.

Well, I can understand you are embarrassed I am sure your therapist has seen a lot worse.

I dont have BPD and I rock too. I made a thread months ago about it in another section and got no replies so I thought I was just a weirdo - so thankyou for starting this thread.

I used to rock as a small child but tended to grow out of it around 12ish. It popped up again when I was 18 in a secure locked ward, and I have been rocking again ever since.

I rarely do it in front of people, my boyfriend knows and lets me do it if I need to. Its morphed from full on body rocking to rocking just my hips or legs at times. I only tend to full body rock when I am really distressed now days (over 10 years after the locked ward).

It is very comforting to me and I tend to count which keeps me in the moment and not thinking about whatever is distressing me.

[Bubbles&Buttercup]

I feel like it's not mental illness related and just a thing that some people find soothing and some don't, but obviously you're often s lot more stressed if you suffer from a mental illness, so the likelihood of you doing it enough to realise or have it pointed out are higher.

I've done it for years, and I do it in times when I'm feeling pretty calm too, it's just relaxing. I lay in bed and rock myself to sleep and don't even realise I'm doing it anymore.

I've had friends point it out and have a bit of a laugh but they're missing out!

[FlowerChild67]

I do it myself. I do have BPD, but I also have Aspergers so I was told when I was younger that it was from my Aspergers.

[Crazy Hitch]

Hi Teddy -

Yeah I can relate to this as I occassionally do it too.

I guess it's self soothing.

As babies we might have been rocked back and forth by our carers once we were born which is soothing (or, at least then, been rocked in our mother's uterus back and forth).

Just my opinion.

[avlady]

i had friends that rocked, privately or just alone with me, usually when they needed someone to talk to. i even tried it myself on purpouse, and i noticed i actually one time started rocking myself when i was soo upset at a persons death, not on purpouse, maybe a learned reaction, i have to say it was comforting too.

[chasms]

i do it often...like when im feeling overwhelmed especially

[Neurotic 2 the bone]

I do it often

I try not to as much as possible, but sometimes it's involuntary

Im pretty sure I did it during a job interview last week. which is probably just one of the many reasons why i didnt get the job

i find it relaxing as well. But i think it stresses out anyone I'm with. Either that or they just think I'm a psycho or mentally challenged in someway.

I usually only do it alone at home. If I catch myself doing it in public I try to stop myself

[IowaFarmGal]

I do it often when I'm tired or stressed or don't know what to do.

[Teddy:)]

Thanks everyone for your replies I don't feel so alone in doing this now, it's nice to know other can relate! So Thanks

[Teddy:)]

Originally Posted by Supanova

I dont have BPD and I rock too. I made a thread months ago about it in another section and got no replies so I thought I was just a weirdo - so thankyou for starting this thread.

I used to rock as a small child but tended to grow out of it around 12ish. It popped up again when I was 18 in a secure locked ward, and I have been rocking again ever since.

I rarely do it in front of people, my boyfriend knows and lets me do it if I need to. Its morphed from full on body rocking to rocking just my hips or legs at times. I only tend to full body rock when I am really distressed now days (over 10 years after the locked ward).

It is very comforting to me and I tend to count which keeps me in the moment and not thinking about whatever is distressing me.

Your no weirdo! But I know what you mean, I was thinking the same thing when I was writing the thread- its nice to know there are other "rocking" friends out there

[Bubbles&Buttercup]

Oh and I'll add that just becomes someone doesn't do it doesn't mean they're going to think you're super weird for it. I've had two different partners notice I do it while trying to sleep and they ended up spooning and rocking me quite often. Their tempo wasn't as good as mine though ️