shaking when excited

[elmo66]

I have an 8 year old daughter that spasms every time she gets excited.  Her fingers stiffen and her face stiffens whenever she is excited about something.  We thought she would grow out of this, she has been doing this since a few months old.  It only occurs when she is excited, Never out of frustration or other emotions.  It looks as though she is having a seizure but if I touch her hands she will stop.  We have discussed trying to stop this behavior but she says that it is a part of her and she doesn't care who sees her do it.  We are worried that she will be made fun of at school.  Right now, she has no social problems but her friends have asked her why she shakes and does that with her hands.  Please advise, as her pediatrician has said that he is not alarmed and that she will most likely grow out of this.  

[Freshkicks51]

I'd just like to leave a response here for all the parents that are concerned. I am 22 years old and have had this my entire life. I will say that it has not gone away I still experience it everyday. However, it has not had an impact on my social life, It only happens when I am alone. I don't think of it as a problem, I think of it as a gift. For me, it lets me connect with the things I'm truly passionate about. I would always experience it when I would draw or make artwork as a child. I would sit there staring at the blank canvas shaking, having little episodes alone in my room. That still happens today. However I will say that it helps me create things with true passion and creativity. I am working on a masters degree in Sports Product Design at the University of Oregon. These "shaking" episodes have helped me create work that is being exhibited around the country. It has helped me channel passion into a drive to succeed. I encourage you parents out there to embrace it, because it is truly a gift.

[SophieKayP]

I am an adult who did this as a child and still sometimes do it very subtlety. I have a genius IQ and am a perfectly normal adult with no issues. Hope this helps calm any concerns.

[higherhz]

Strangely, it has taken me 27 years to realize this is a fairly common but abnormal behavior. Mostly, I just haven't given it much thought as it has always been a part of my 'normal'. I have exhibited some form of this my entire life. When I was a young child, I would clench my fists down at my sides, stand on my tippy toes, usually a slight turn of head and an intense smile that makes me clench my teeth, and shake with excitement. Only excitement or joy brings it on and it only lasts 1-2 secs, possibly slightly longer as a child. Now, as an adult, it has morphed it into more of a clench my hands together at my chest and clench my teeth. I remember being young and having friends ask me about it so it didn't take long for me to start hiding or refraining. Now, I can consciously allow it, minimize it, or not do it but it really does feel good, like a release, so I generally don't interfere with it. Now that I understand how energy works, I would guess that a good portion of those of us experiencing this are empathic in nature or more 'tuned in'/sensitive to the movement of energy. When we are connected with God (unlimited energy source, creative force, whatever you want to call it) and experience joy, we are quite literally overflowing with joy and those around us (who aren't programmed to judge this experience) would be able to feel the joy too. If I walk into a room with an intense/angry vibe I feel it right away, same goes for the opposite, so a naturally developed discernment in that way. I could also call it primary compIex stereotypie, but that's just the medical field term for what is happening in the physical. I now view this connection as a gift and like to think of it as my reminder that I have 24/7 access to unconditional love :)

[Drumstoner]

I am so happy to find this thread! My mother, myself and one out of my 3 kids ALL do this! I didn't think it was odd at all until I was older. I am 45 now, my mom is 65 and we still do it. My mom and I both cross our arms and kinda hug/squeeze ourselves or put our hands together and squeeze/shake. I have to redirect my son because he tends to wiggle his fingers together down by his crotch area with the face contortions, which looks SO bad to an outsider. WE know what he is doing but others don't and it is definitely taken wrong sometimes. Then I have no idea how to explain what it IS. People look at me like I am crazyyyyy. "Well, when we get really happy or self satisfied, or excited we have to squeeze and shake." I started searching to figure out if I could get a diagnosis so I have something to say to people! Can't find one. But I found this so I at least know we are NOT the only people in the whole world who do this! I thought it might be a mild autism thing. Thanks!

[jayandsha]

My daughter is 10 and she too does this.  She has since she was a baby.  She too trys to control herself by squeezing her hands together. I also dont really know how to explain to people what she is doing except that she gets extra excited. Iv worried about her from day one about others making fun of her but so far she has not gotten picked on just a couple people asked her why she does it. She says she does it because her brain tells her to and she likes to do it and make her feel happy. She hasnt let it hold her back either. Shes top in her class and shes got a big heart.

[Jennybens]

I have a 12-month-old daughter who tenses up and shakes when excited and it reminded me of my son who also did that to lesser extent as a toddler as if he was extremely excited and couldn't contain the energy. We recently did genetic testing on my son and it turns out he has a GABA deficiency we are treating him with herbal neurotransmitter supplements and it seems to have helped his hyperness.  GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. I am wondering if this could also be a neurotransmitter issue with my daughter since it is genetic but we haven't done the testing for this.

[Bekah098]

My son is 3 and hes hands been shaken ever since he was a baby. When he would feed himself his hand would shake so much all his food would fall off his spoon.I ask his doctors every time we go for his yearly check up and he said its normal that we will grow out of it. He says hes just developing slower that his brain is trying to tell his hand what to do. At first I kinda thought oh okay I can kinda see that but now that it keeps happening Im thinking its something else. All his teachers at school are  worry about it too. Its gotten alot better that hes gotten older but still worry about it. He gets frustrated when he tries to do stuff when his hands are shaking and he cant.