Note, by using the term “restless leg syndrome” I refer casually to the tendency of myself and other ADHD people to have involuntary minor muscle/limb/body part movements unconsciously. There is an actual nervous system disorder which is separate and distinct from what I talk about here.
Ever notice your leg or foot twitching or have someone point it out (perhaps in annoyance)? It’s something that happens to me and has since I was a child. I can stop it once I notice but as I stop paying attention it often starts up again fresh. This is one of those occasional tics that can be very characteristic of ADHD people, and sometimes it can get you in trouble with the girl you’re snuggling quietly with on the couch watching a movie. 
Sometimes I “vibrate” with energy that I can’t explain and often internally or consciously I would describe myself as calm despite appearances. It’s a cue that I’m in a hyperactive state. If this vibration is localized, it can be kind of just a minor restless body part. It happens randomly but more frequently when I am focused on something (a textbook, a movie, a specific task) and not physically moving for a length of time. If your kid studies best laying on the floor with his/her legs flapping in the air behind them idly, let them as long as it works.
“Restless leg syndrome” has been part of the diagnostic process for ADHD since before people really even called it ADD/ADHD. What did they call it before? Some of the same things they still do, such as “your crazy goddamn kid” or “annoying little…” and occasionally complementary terms like “high energy”.
It doesn’t have to be a foot though, it can be a hand or an arm. Sometimes after a while of being completely still I might have an entire arm or leg spasm. The severity may be as mild as a small twitch/flex to as harsh as several inches of “jump” while the rest of me remains still.
I’ve learned to sort of channel, sometimes if I need a physical outlet for some energy (or excitement, or anxiety) I may direct it through a limb that won’t cause a disturbance or be obvious to those around me. If people will see my fingers dancing on the table or my arm jiggling maybe my feet can just shift around a little instead. If you have a kid with Autism or Asperger’s who will compulsively do some physical action to calm him/herself, or to express stress then you might consider that a more extreme and less controllable but similar trait.
While I’m out and about, particularly if I have to wait for a bus or in a line-up I usually feel the need to play with my phone or whatever I have in my pockets. I remember throughout my life being unable to resist touching, moving, or otherwise investigating things on coffee tables or racks at doctors/principals offices and to this day if I am feeling nervous/awkward (such as at a club) I will make good use of the drink in my hand even when it’s empty. I fiddle with those things at movie theatres they build line-ups with too.I wish they’d let me make mazes with them.
On first dates I’ve been known to constantly move when nervous either by changing my position, moving a pillow or idly messing with stuff on the table hopefully without it being noticed much. Consequently I usually pick dates that are more active, or where I will be most comfortable. That kind of thing is conscious, not really like the whole restless body part syndrome but it does demonstrate a need to release excess energy through a physical means. Some of those means are socially acceptable and others not so much. What might be ok at a restaurant may not be in school during a lecture or at home at the dinner table. I spent a lot of time and effort (and frustration) figuring out different ways to either mask or reduce these needs, and they did sometimes lead to negative reinforcement from others either socially or professionally. With no “appropriateness” filter, or even really a conscious mechanism to assess situations to determine what’s appropriate it can be easy to get caught off guard and feel attacked when less than understanding people point things like this out (or make fun).
While I often don’t notice that I’m vibrating the couch by shaking my leg or tapping my foot during study period, or idly clawing/wiggling my fingers in bed I can be made aware of it by others or sometimes catch on myself. I’ve gotten lots better at it over the years, like with many of my ADHD tendencies, time & awareness or even writing about them has helped me a lot. It might not seem like much, but try doing it all the time. Like with many of the things that I do differently it’s often the cumulative effect of repetition that impacts/annoys those around me. If I can make myself consciously aware of the mental state, or an “energized” condition I happen to be in even if I otherwise THINK I’m calm I have been able to find alternatives (like sort of encouraging myself to switch from a leg sway to a finger stretch) or by doing something else like going for a walk around for a moment, or even just managing to calm down and end the behaviour. I don’t think I was always able to do that though, as a kid I was basically unable to do much at all to control myself or my symptoms. Progress! Sometimes, the little things can be used to trigger awareness so that more serious instances can be avoided. It can cue me to take a moment and calm down, or to put more effort into watching what I say for a few minutes, and allow me to force myself to avoid disruptive behaviour while I get back on task.
As I sit here running through situations in a fairly fractured memory my toes on both feet are curling and tapping. When I write about things like this I go through a lot in my head and it causes some anxiety (or at least rambling thoughts). I’m putting myself out there, is this silly to write about, does everything have to be epic and ground-breaking, lots of people have nervous tics so am I saying everyone has ADHD (no), are my toes just jealous of my fingers and mimicking the typing action a little out of solidarity, will people think this is stupid, does it matter, and on and on. Sometimes each thought can lead (simultaneously) down pathways of amusement or distraction and make my blog article take a while to get written. Then the cat walks by, or Facebook blinks, or I remember I was trying to wash dishes, and didn’t I mean to take something out of the freezer? My kitty is just so cute… 10 minute writing break to play with her! Now I can focus better.
This is just one of those everyday things that may or may not regularly cause problems. It just makes me think a little about how different kinds of stimulation (including negative kinds such as stress and anxiety) amplify certain traits. I wasn’t always aware of, let alone able to curtail my outward symptoms (or expressions perhaps is a healthier term) and I think it’s a positive that I can now exert more control. Yay me!
I’ve been reading the book “Always looking up” by Michael J Fox which details his exploration of life with progressing Parkinson’s. His eternal optimism, hope and the way he embraces his new and changing nature is inspiring. A few things related to me and made me think about this, as did a little guidance (by way of pokes and shoves) from someone on a cozy couch that I kept forgetting would vibrate as much as I do. I especially like his attitudes about what other people think, and changing his outlook from “disease management” to one of “self management”. Talk about being wired differently. Get this book, its like $7 now.
If it helps (and it has helped me) any kind of involuntary or unconscious body movement ceases when I’m consciously moving or active. I’m not twitching or building up excess energy when I’m walking around or doing small tasks in different places. Rather than spending all my energy wrestling with myself, it would have really helped me in school to be able to get up and grab a drink or go walk the hallway for a minute to my locker. This freedom to exercise control over myself and release energy by breaking up stationary time is something I now demand (and receive) as an accommodation at post secondary institutions. I discovered while at NAIT that just having that freedom reduced the need to actually use it and I was less prone to restlessly move.
We all have a fuse, or perhaps a timer of some other kind… a container that fills up as time goes on. With help, training, practice, awareness, and support the length of time increases before pressure (energy) builds up with me. When the time comes though, I have to do something about it in a healthy way, or I simply become unproductive, disruptive, agitated, “very ADHD” and whatever I was doing (learning, listening, studying,movie-watching, writing) becomes less valuable or enjoyable. Sometimes even an enjoyable activity (movies, snuggles) has to involve some small physical outlet for energy, like a drain or pressure release that I might not even notice.
Sometimes a bouncing foot is just a bouncing foot, but it’s all connected. It doesn’t have to be a big deal, but that is no reason to ignore it right? Awareness for the purposes of acceptance.
You made it to the end! Here is a cute picture of my cat!
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