Dictionary

destim en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

Clipping of destimulate. Equivalent to de- + stim.

Meanings

1. (qualifier:autism, slang) To intentionally block out overwhelming stimuli in order to avoid sensory overload.
   • I got overwhelmed by the loud music and had to go into another room to destim.
   • Actually, the lesson is to teach your child to recognize when they're overstimulated and teach them how to actively destim and regulate in the moment. 2022 December 19, u/Inevitable_Librarian, “Got a new fude nib today!”, in Reddit, r/fountainpens, archived from the original on 03 Feb 2024:
   • Of course once the window was shut and I spent a few moments destimming with headphones, I was able to move forward. But I think it's such a good example of what we mean by overstimulation and how it can be a cumulative unseen process as well as an instant one. 2020 July 16, @littlehux, Twitter, archived from the original on 03 Feb 2024:
   • Okay, I am home, have ate,^([sic]) destimmed a bit, & cried a lot. It's been rough today and I truly haven't seen anything happening on the internet in the last 48 hours because I've been stuck in a revolving door of bad news. 2023 February 16, @ChaiCiLatte, Twitter, archived from the original on 03 Feb 2024:

Forms

Relateds

overstimulation