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

[Inkdpaws]

Google Search "Maladaptive Daydreaming & Body Rocking"

I am also a maladaptive daydreamer and body rocker.

Good luck rockers.

[inbloom1]

Body rocking has taken over my entire life.I have zero friends,zero interests and the only thing that makes me happy is body rocking as much as i possibly can.This means at least 12 hours/day.I took Gabapentin as i've read it can help me to drop the habit but it isn't working on me.Took 600mg/day but i body rock just as much.I'm 32 and i body rock since forever.I just want to decrease the amount of time i spend on this,not to cut it off completely,but i just can't(i crave it every day)...any help would be more than appreciated.

[MaggieandHopey]

Hey Inbloom, I assume if you are taking meds you are also seeing a doctor. I would recommend getting more to the root of the problem. Pretty much everyone here talks about the rocking being caused by depression, OCD, PTSD....You will need to address these inner issues to feel better and cut back on the rocking. When I was a teen I would rock hours a day and daydream: little by little I got better and stopped rocking and daydreaming. I did it and so can you, but it won't happen over night (as the idea of taking a medication suggests) and it's hard work that takes bravery. I can see you want to get better by the fact that you looked this up and posted. I had to see counselors, do a lot of inner emotional work and it was difficult and often painful (but it is a good, healing pain- not the hopeless pain of despair). You can get better!

[AllBahianGirl]

Inroot I take 600 mg of Gabapentin daily and it works like a charm for me unless I vape or eat marijuana edibles. It seems like the marijuana overrides the Gabapentin and I'm back on that couch with my headphones plugged into my ipod rocking while fantasizing and listening to music. My personal life is in a slump so I'm fantasizing about being in a relationship with a member of a 70's funk group. I fantasize about this man as he was a knockout in his 20's not as the indescript older man he is now. I wonder if other maladaptive daydreamers create fantasy relationships when they have zero relationships or prospects in the real world.

[Dhi11]

Hi Sophia,

Were you able to beat the addiction? I'm in a similar position -- I just turned 26, and I realized that body-rocking has taken up too much time in my life.  It is very much like an addiction for me as well, or rather, an unhealthy coping mechanism (I crave it when I'm bored, stressed, or want to escape from reality, all of which occur often).  It has wreaked havoc on my real relationships and life goals because it usually satisfies any need for human interaction (even though it is all in my head) and eats away at my hours.  

I'm not sure how to stop, because it's such a big part of my life.

Any advice/help would be appreciated!

~Dhi

[Sophia_83]

Hi Dhi,

I apologize for the delay response.
I was actually able to abstain from body-rocking for about 1.5 year, without any prescription. Personally I am against any medicine.  

The first time I tried to stop was really difficult and I only managed to abstain for 5 days.

The second time (1.5 year of abstinence) what I did is that every time I had the need to do it I substitute it with something that provided similar soothing effects to me. So I started watching Gilmore Girls which is one of my favorite shows and then when I had “cravings” I would try to go for a walk, call a friend, journal about it. It was really helpful to build a supportive network.

Though I struggled at the beginning, those 18 months were great. I felt the energy in my body, had time to take care of myself and my basic needs, see friends etc.

Then I realized that what I had done was that I substituted body-rocking with workholism, so when my computer crushed at home, gradually I returned to it.
Today is not that bad but it’s still here.
After a personal research I realized that my body-rocking had to do a lot with the fact that I was neglected a lot as a baby/toddler/child/teenager and I had to find I way to soothe all the disturbing feelings I lived through my childhood.
What I am doing at the moment is that I joined the 12-step program “Adult children of Alcoholic/ Dysfunctional families” (http://www.adultchildren.org/member-PhysicalandTraumaRecovery)
and I am pretty sure that as I let my inner child grieve her lost childhood, feel my feelings and start loving myself, body-rocking will go away. I don’t want to deny or stuff my feelings anymore neither do I want to dissociate through body-rocking and day-dreaming.

I am also thinking about starting EMDR therapy to address my PTSD.

You are not alone!
Sophia

[Joshuabenjoseph]

Hello,my friend,have only just found this thread after a whole lifetime of being afflicted by this thing.I am much older than you and would implore you to try to be strong enough to stop this thing.I know how hard it is,i learned the hard way.Good luck,josh

[Joshuabenjoseph]

I don't believe it is JUST caused by stress.It is highly physically addictive,i assure you.

[Trulyfe]

I have been doing this for years. I always have had a normal life but when I get in a room by myself I love to put in my headphones get into bed with my music and just rock back and forth. Sometimes I get so into it I close my eyes and rock as if I'm in a trance. My mom just caught me doing this but every blue moon they will walk in on me while I'm doing this, and all I can do is stare at them stupidily extremely mortified and embarrassed that I was caught. My mom doesn't understand it, she thinks I'm so immature and retarded because of it. She looks at me and shakes her head or just ***** her teeth at me with a frustrated look on her face. And it always makes me feel so bad and embarrassed.I hate she makes me feel this way but she just doesn't understand it or why I do it...Noone does. They all think I'm just slow or something.

[inbloom1]

just hide it.i remember when my mom and brother looked at me like i am retarded,even though my brother does it as well.i just hide it from everyone.