flapping

when I was younger I was bullied for flapping my arms and it really got to me. it was to the point where I forced myself to stop even though it caused me anxiety and a little bit of sadness. did anyone stop stimming in major ways, and instead developed extreme anxiety? i’m trying to figure out why anxiety around people developed literally RIGHT after I stopped stimming by flapping my arms. it was to the point where my therapist thought I had selective MUTISM and not ASD. so, did anyone else go through this?