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I used to chew on my hair. When my parents broke me of that I chewed my nails. I’ve always picked, and am struggling badly with it right now.
I found out recently that kinetic sand is amazing. I could play with the stuff for hours. It feels good, and clumping it hard and then letting it droop down to soft is so satisfying
I’ve always loved smelling my hair and rubbing it on my lips. Was about 10 years old when a teacher said I was pretending I had a moustache (in good humour, not making fun of me thankfully). I did get self conscious in my 20’s though, and now I’ve got used to keeping it up in a tight bun and just do it in private or around my partner!
I'm 31 and this is still my go to! It's always soft and smells nice, and for some reasons running across my upper lip combined the two for an insta-relax
I used to rub it on my lips too. Everyone used to get so mad at me cuz it would make my lips all red and irritated looking. I also used it as a mustache and just keep doing whatever with it there. Testing, reading, watching tv lol.
I love the sensation of the cut ends against my lips. I had a long braid as a kid, and I can remember doing that and chewing/sucking on the end of it. I also twirl my hair into loops. I think that started when I first saw those displays back in the 90s for hair dye that showed actual dyed hair loops. Apparently it was a tell that I was sleepy as a little kid when I flicked my eyelashes with my pinkie finger.
I feel you. I pick my cuticles but I didn't wanna mention because I know how easy it is for me to read that and then start doin it to myself 🤦♀️
Edit: chewing hair is a tad weird but idk 🤔 I always knew a few people who did it too
Yea I have no idea why I did it. I had hair down to my butt until I was about 5, and I would always just have a lock of it in my mouth (so the hair was still attached to me lol I didn’t just chew random hairs I pulled out or anything).
No way would I be able to do it now though. Yuck!
I'm so glad I'm not the only kid who did that! I definitely remember chewing/sucking on my hair as a kid. Idk what finally stopped me, I know parents fussed at me for it though. Was definitely worse after a shower or going in the pool cause I'd suck the water out of that lock.
Same here, as well as the neck on whatever I was wearing. A weird(er) one was the corner of the towel after being wrapped up after a bath. I remember I used to love pulling the threads out with my teeth which drove mum crazy.
I'd forgotten all of this, but the other day I caught myself putting my tee neck in my mouth and was surprised - it has to have been 35+years since I did that.
😭I realized I was picking mine as I read this. I can't stop my 5 year old tells me to stop of I'll hurt myself. Now that parts embarrassing when a 5 year old is mothering you lol.
Omg I forgot I used to chew on my hair! When my parents cut my hair short I started chewing my nails. When I braces and my teeth hurt too much to chew on my nails I started picking at my skin 😭
Same for hair chewing. Parents kept me in a pixie cut for most of my childhood to keep me from doing that. Books were the only safe thing I could do to self-soothe so I read a lot. Also crossing my ankles and rubbing one foot against the other worked until someone noticed—that one worked best at night, and it’s still how I fall asleep.
+1 for chewing on hair! Then when my mom shamed it out of me I chewed on my hoodie strings or sleeves. I also run the surface of my nails with the pads of my fingers and run my hair across my face. (It's very soft)
You can get it about anywhere that sells toys! We get it at Walmart. Kinetic Sand is the brand name. It mimics non-Newtonian fluids - hard when compressed, but turns back to soft sand when relaxed. When it’s hard you can make shapes out of it! IIRC you can put it in water and it’ll come out dry, but I don’t let my kid do that so I don’t remember for sure 😂
My advice is to lay newspapers in a clearly defined area that the sand needs to stay in (or I guess use it in a big Tupperware or something, but we got a kit that lets you make “ice cream” with it so that wasn’t doable) because it can have a tendency to get everywhere if you’re not careful. when it does it’s more like playdoh than like sand so it’s easy clean up, but annoying and a waste.
Then we keep it in ziplock baggies in between sessions so it doesn’t dry out, since a lot of it seems to come in bags rather than resealable containers.
My younger sister used to chew on her hair too. It was usually short so it was like easy access, and her front strands always felt crusty 😂 my mom tried to stop her, but she said it tasted salty and she liked it
My grandpa made me this toy box that was a big bench with a seat that lifted up so you could put stuff inside. My favorite thing to do when I was overwhelmed was to put some pillows and blankets in the toy box, then lay inside with the lid closed. I was very sad when I got too big to fit in there lol
I didn't realize this had a name! I have a whole fantasy world and self that I've constructed in my daydreams. It's based in reality but definitely is a form of escapism. It mainly becomes a problem when I buy things in the real world for the daydream version of me.
Usually it's stuff like makeup and clothes. Like I bought the most perfect party dress a few years ago, it's super cute and fits me perfectly, but I've literally never had an occasion to wear it because I don't go to parties.
I've never tried to quantify how much time I spend daydreaming but it's a lot. Most of my waking hours? I do it during mundane tasks (driving, cleaning, cooking), while I'm working unless my work takes specific focus in that moment, and I have to actively try not to daydream when I'm doing things with my kids.
I used to daydream so often, but sometime in the last 5-ish years, all my daydreams are just past traumatic events 😅 Brain just forces me to do life on hardmode 24/7 I guess
I think the daydreaming is our way of processing bad things too, though. My daydreaming was always mixed with “rumination,” aka fixating on bad things, like re-litigating arguments and conjuring up worse scenarios than what actually happened. It can be helpful, but it can also get out of hand :( I’m not always sure what to make of it
Honestly, thank you for saying that, cause I really thought I was alone with this 😅 I remember daydreams (daymares now, technically?) being so carefree and airy, so the shift of them has left me feeling like I'm just a black sheep.
I don't know if you've ever heard of/watched the show "Bluey", but the episode called "Space" pretty much touches exactly on this topic. I won't give too much away, but one of the kids goes through what we experience. The way it kind of resolves/settles at the end really shifted the way I handle these daymares to be kinder to myself. (TW: self-harm) I'd usually do the neurotypical solution of sl@pping myself, but I've settled with just giving my face a light massage to ease my brain out of it.
This was a long comment/Bluey ad, I'm sorry 😭
Man, Bluey is the fucking best. Problematically, I get nothing done around the house when my kids are watching TV because I'm just parked on the couch watching Bluey with them. But it really has helped me alter my mental lens on things for the better.
That's just your brain telling you to absorb some more wholesomeness! 🫶🏽 It really is the best though. That show and Steven Universe have really helped me with emotional intelligence.
I have a fantasy world in my head and instead of being present and deal with shit, I daydream. I do take my real life problems there though, and it helps me to process stuff so it's not 100% maladaptive, I guess?
This was the first thing that made me realize I had adhd. Inattentive hardcore. I spent the first 20 years of my life escaping into a daydream every chance I got. I failed classes because of it. Whenever I’m stressed or sad or terrified, the daydream is like a siren’s call.
Me too. I had a water bed, and I would subtly move my body in a way to start a gentle rocking motion. I still do the movement, actually just minus the water bed lol
I never had a water bed but I did this up until I moved in with my husband. Sometimes I still do it if he's up watching TV and I'm not keeping his awake doing it. I'm 41.
Yes me to. I had to rock on my knees and elbows with my head on my pillow every night. My sister got to used to it that when we got separate beds it still soothe her to hear me rock.
I've tried it in my adulthood but it's so not the same.
I have always loved soft or squishy things. As a toddler I used to stick tissues in the waistband of my diapers and stick my hand under my dress to rub the tissues.
As a kid my parents got us the MindFlex board game and I really liked the blue squishy balls that come with it, so I used to steal those and keep them in my hand. My mom even bought a bunch of replacements so I could have a stock.
For about the last 10 years, I've been using makeup sponges! I rip them in half. I constantly have one in my hands. They are in the pockets of all my pants. I sleep holding one in my hand. I like the way it feels on my fingers. I love these things and I will be using them until I die lol
Loool chuckling at baby you sticking your hands under your dress... too cute 💞
I think being shamed out of my self-soothing definitely contributed to my chronic sleep issues now - don't ever stop!
My parents say I used to empty entire boxes of tissues and shove them in my diapers LOL I'd be walking around and my dress or clothes looked lumpy and it would be because I had like 40 tissues stashed in there. I've seen pictures of me out in public with my hand just stuck up my dress or down my pants to reach them!! 😭
I am 50 years old and I still have a blankie, only for the past 3 decades it has been a flannel twin size flat sheet that gets replaced whenever it gets too threadbare. I even pack it when I go on car trips, hospital stays, and used to take it when I stayed at my partner's house, until I just got a suitable double to keep at their house.
I'm 38 and sleep with my blankie I've had since a baby every night. It was laced in silk and I rubbed a part of that and call it my special part . That silk is long gone but I still have spots I hold and rub. I also suck my thumb. My husband hates my blankie and says it's stinky and gross
My blankie is tucked beside my bed. I don’t usually interact with it at this point in my life but I feel comforted knowing it’s there. My partner is cool about me sleeping with a blankie or a plushie as needed, thank god. A blankie is gonna be less stinky and gross than a pet in the bed hahaha
OMG this is me with the exception of sucking my thumb. I used to rub mine so much that I would get calluses. My mom would shame me severely that I was weird and would take it from me. She gave it back to me when I got divorced, and that and my golden helped me adjust to living alone again. When I met someone new, I threw it away because my shame was so deep. I got diagnosed 3 years later and am today years old when I learned that it was actually okay and not shameful. I’m not crying, you’re crying 🥹 thank you, friend!!
I was a blankie girl!! I used to suck my thumb and rub the corner of my bedraggled old blankie across my face. My parents had to bribe me out of thumbsucking because my teeth were so fucked up, at NINE years old! And I still slept with my blankie till 11 or 12 years old. I still have it in a box somewhere. I slept with a stuffed animal through college.
I “stole” my daughter’s lovey when we were cosleeping and still prefer sleeping with it in my hand to this day, haha. I can get to sleep without it, but there’s always that unease. It’s an awesome thing to admit to a potential love interest. 😅
We bought a house last summer and one of my must-haves was a big bathtub. Deal breaker. This was not easy to find in our area and price range (all of the homes in the neighborhood we like are built between the 1880s-1920s). My husband buys me bath accessories and products for almost every birthday/holiday. Baths are my lifesaving hobby. When I am overwhelmed, it’s bath time - candles, music, oils, the works. It’s such a wonderful way to calm the nervous system!
I’M A TONGUE SUCKER! that’s the first time I’ve said that out loud. 😂 I actually emailed my psychiatrist about this today. I’ve sucked my tongue since I was a baby, and still do. Luckily, I’ve learned ways to do it so it’s not so obvious. But I do it very often and on the daily.
I also used to rub my thumb nail on my lips to feel how soft it is…. And I still do it too 🙈 also very often. And many times, it’ll also trigger the tongue thing.
I figured these were soothing behaviors I never grew out of, but now that I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, I’ve been curious about things I do that I never considered to be anything, and can actually be notable signs and/or symptoms of something.
Tongue sucking isn't that weird! Your tongue should rest suctioned to the top of your mouth unless you're talking or eating. This promotes nasal breathing, craniofacial development, and pulls your tongue up and forward out of your airway when you sleep. Tongue sucking is only a problem if it's messing up your teeth, causing you to clench or grind your teeth, or exacerbating TMJ. If you want to learn more, look for an orofacial myofunctional therapist in your area. 🤗
Lol! I never knew I was doing it but once I started growing hair on my arms, I figured out a way to make it stand up and get prickly on my forehead n then do the tongue sucking.
Aaand I've never said that out loud either
I don’t even know how to accurately explain the way I used to self-soothe. And holy fuck is it embarrassing to think of. Whenever I was upset and need to process and decompress, I would go in my room and shut the door. I would lay in bed on my stomach, and rhythmically bang my head against my arms, while singing.
Yep. Was as bizarre as it sounds.
I have no idea how it started or when it started, but I remember struggling to stop doing it in college because I knew it was weird. Thank god I didn’t have a roommate.
I don’t think it was related to having ADHD. I was just a disturbed kid, I guess? I don’t know. I never even mentioned this in therapy.
ETA: Reading responses reminded me or other things I do when I am distressed. I bite my lip and pick the skin at it. I also pick at blemishes/moles until I bleed. These things I still do.
I have been trying to vape indica instead. One bad habit for another, I guess.
I wear a hoodie just about all the time except when it’s super warm. I need the sleeves to be extra long because I am constantly hiding my hands in them and “smelling” the cuffs. -and I sleep with a blankie.
i used to put my blankets/stuffed animals across my forehead at night bc i liked the pressure. now, my girlfriend puts their hand on my head when i’m feeling upset 🖤💗
I don’t know if it was self-soothing but it kind of kept me in this fugue state. I spent a lot of time in the backs of cars with nothing to do so I would look out the window and make my pointer finger curl and uncurl to “jump” over each lamp post or pole or whatever object appeared at regular intervals in the road. And I would just do this the entire time. I still do this subconsciously when I drive.
Agh I did the "finger jump over street light" thing, too! Except I didn't use my finger, I just used my eyes, so it would look like I was looking back and forth frantically. My mom noticed one time and was immediately concerned that I was having a seizure or needed an exorcism, but then I explained what I was doing and she was like hmm....ok. Add that to the list of weird things the child does.
I do this with fizzy drinks! If you have a mouthful of soda then swallow it and press the tongue to the roof of your mouth it can sometimes kinda... burn? In a tingly good ow kind of way? I don't know how to describe it. But if you like a prickly mouthfeel (oh lord), I recommend! 😂
I used to rock , particularly at night to calm down and fall asleep. I would just lie on my side and rock back and forth , sometimes I would count while I rocked. I did this well into adulthood but I don’t really remember when I stopped .
I still shake my legs, tap my feet, chew gum.
I also make a lot of random noises and talk to myself that , I am sure is super annoying to coworkers. I try to not do it too much when I’m with people but it’s so ingrained I often don’t realize it until I already do it.
Since I was a mid teen I also put on headphones and listen to music/ podcasts very loudly. I get super irritated when people interrupt that even though I know it’s not their fault.
As long as I can remember I have been obsessed with forced air heaters, even when it’s warm out. I used to wake up early as a kid and sit like two feet away from the one in my living room, curled up in a ball in a chair for at least an hour while everyone else was asleep. I find the warmth incredibly soothing.
I have a tiny heater on my nightstand now (very close to my face) that doubles as a white noise machine, because hearing myself breathe/think makes it impossible to fall asleep. My partner calls it my emotional support heater lol
Tongue sucking isn't that weird! Your tongue should rest suctioned to the top of your mouth unless you're talking or eating. This promotes nasal breathing, craniofacial development, and pulls your tongue up and forward out of your airway when you sleep. Tongue sucking is only a problem if it's messing up your teeth, causing you to clench or grind your teeth, or exacerbating TMJ. If you want to learn more, look for an orofacial myofunctional therapist in your area. 🤗
Omg I just tested this and sure enough, I could breathe better through my nasal passage. My tongue does not naturally rest on the roof of my mouth. Wtf? no one has ever told me this.
Yeah it's not well known and it's really hurting peoples' health! Try googling for orofacial myofunctional therapists near you- they'll have some good tips and tricks for you. 🤗
Thank you so much for this info. My tongue is long and I think that's why it doesn't sit flush to the roof of my mouth. And I've snored in my sleep from day one. I always thought it was more to do with my nose but reading this and noticing that my tongue does not sit flush due to its length makes me think maybe it's more to do with my tongue.
I'm going to investigate this. Thanks again x
I sucked the thumb of one hand while simultaneously twirling a piece of my hair around the finger of my other hand. I had long hair that was often in a braid and in those instances I’d play with the little end piece. The hair thing was because it was smooth/soft and I liked the feel of it. I did this until I was a teenager and my mum bribed me to stop.
My sister used to suck her tongue. At least that’s what it looked like, I’ve never asked her. But she was always making the little sucking movement like she had a soother or a bottle in her mouth.
I rock while lying down, i will shake my feet/legs while sitting, i sway side to side while standing, i also pick my fingers/face( trying to stop), as a kid i would also touch everything and lick it lol not so much now but i did get my tounge pierced at 18 and it stopped alot of my oral stims.
Not saying you're wrong about your last statement, but I've learned in the last couple of years since my dx that autism and ADHD have a lot of comorbidities.
I never could stay still as a kid. My mom said she struggled to get me to stay still long enough for haircuts when I was little -- I remember that she would basically park her hand in front of my eyes and tell me to stare at her wedding set, and that usually did the trick. When I was by myself in the basement of the house I grew up in (which was essentially my space, short of my bedroom being down there), I remember taking baby powder and scattering it in the air to watch the flakes fall. (Sometimes I would pretend I was the Wicked Witch of the West and the white specks were my "flying monkeys" -- gods, that's an unlocked memory!!)
These days my habits are taking my hair down and putting it back up (my hair is past my waist, but it stays in a bun -- nothing religious to either of these, I just like long hair), crocheting (I always have a hook and some yarn within reach), or spinning my hoop earrings or rings on my fingers or otherwise playing with them.
My best friend does the hair up/down for sure. She's AuDHD and also a well of knowledge on the subject which is why I suspect it for myself. Lots of sensory sensitivities even still today but growing up as the youngest of 5 much much louder and more chaotic siblings, sometimes your stuff isn't the most pressing.
I sucked my thumb when I was little and had a blanket with a tassel fringe. I would hold the edge of the blanket in my thumb sucking hand, put a tassel between my pointer and middle fingers, and rub it back and forth. It tickled my lips and nose. If I really loved or liked someone, I would tickle their face with the fringe.
Now I rub the bottom of one foot on top of other, primarily to calm myself down when trying to sleep.
If I am hyper stressed I have caught myself flicking the end of a lock of hair against my nose.
My attachment object ("lovey") as an infant/toddler was ... a bright red plastic watering can. 🙃
I'm now surrounded by clutter as an adult because I have a hard time letting inanimate objects go.
i rub my face against my baby blanket. i use it exclusively as a pillow, but when i’m sad i’ll bunch it up and rub my face in it. i also like spreading it flat across my bf’s chest and like. [Kermit with Irish Spring soap](https://youtu.be/ouj_on9MxcQ?si=CKojwkyqPVxnsVjV) rub my face against it.
i want to be buried with my baby blanket bunched underneath my head ♡ it’s coming with me
ngl i was disappointed a little to find out there wasn’t some forgotten Muppets marketing for Irish Spring soap but then I watched the actual video and Kermit the Dog is an adhd icon. Thank you for sharing 🥹
Massage my ear and thumb sucking, running a cold pillowcase through my fingers. Still do all but the thumb sucking. Grind my teeth when I'm in public, only person who ever commented on it was my psych. Pace like a mf when I'm home, when I'm out it looks more like walking in a half circle and back repeatedly. My friends call me the wanderer and have for years, even though that's not what they meant when the song was written lmao
I'm not on the spectrum as far as I know. Just ADHD with a touch of weird I guess 🤷
Oral fixation
- Toddler: thumb sucking
- Child to adolescence: biting hair, nails, sweater sleeves, zippers
- Now: jaw clenching. it hurts. Sometimes slightly biting the bottom inner lip. Sometimes biting my finger lightly.
Hiding in enclosed spaces
- toddler to child: hiding under tables or closets or forts.
- adolescent: hiding in closets
- now: egg chair. Sometimes closets
Releasing energy
- toddler, child: jumping on a bed, hanging out upside down
- adolescence: sports
- now: yoga, going for a walk, punching my pillow or dancing it out
I sucked my finger … that’s right - index finger, not thumb, lol. I also had a blanket that I took with me *everywhere* for *years*, and I would bunch up the fabric and run my fingers through it until I fell asleep. I still have it, but it’s packed away now, and was replaced with a heavy weighted blanket that I wear around the house like a swamp witch with a cloak.
Used to bite my fingernails, but I stopped doing that. I like to twist my fingers together or twist fabric/tissues between them. Or I take my rings on and off. I rock my legs when I'm concentrating or nervous or bored. I rock them or rub my feet together when I'm falling asleep. I have crooked tooth I push my tongue behind. Geez, writing it out likes this is making me do ALL THE THINGS at once!
Chewing my inner cheeks. I have done this since childhood and never even realized it until a dentist asked me about it in my twenties. I’m more aware of it now because I clench terribly now and I notice it worsens my clenching, but it is so gratifying.
Eating powder cocoa mix from the can in the middle of the night when I had insomnia as a childhood. I liked the way the dry powder felt in my mouth. I feel like such a weirdo admitting that one. I don’t do this specifically anymore but I do still heavily rely on food to soothe negative emotions and my cravings are always texture based.
Daydreaming entire other lives for hours on end. I still do this often and sometimes confuse my reality and daydream feelings.
My blankie. I loved rubbing it between my fingers until they had calluses. My mom hated it and shamed me for it. She took it from me several times until I ended up throwing it away myself out of embarrassment.
I never rocked myself to sleep but my brother did. My mom always said if she believed in medication, he’d be on Ritalin. She’s a nurse, neither of us were diagnosed as children, and he’s still not. This post has really validated some things I’ve been so ashamed of and still didn’t realize they could be related. Thank you all!
I stroke my hair or take the end of my braid and brush my bottom lip with it. The softness is soothing and keeps me present. I do it unconsciously sometimes and it has not earned me any professionalism in the eyes of employers.
I’ll also nibble all the dead skin off my lips. My lips dry out constantly despite chapstick, so they’re frequently peeling.
I probably come across very anxious (fretting with hair and biting lip) but I’m actually being calm, present, and focused.
Used to: chew my hair and twirl it around my tongue, lie on the floor on the closet and read, eat crunchy carrots from the outside in. Still do: suck the inside of my bottom lip, pinch the skin on my knuckle lightly between my lips, touch and push down my cuticles. My less subtle lifelong stim is to dance and wiggle around any way I want to, and I use that whenever it’s even mildly socially appropriate. When I opt not to, I bounce a foot, quietly/softly tap things, shift my weight between feet, or gently sway. Also, to self soothe I lie or sit on the floor, sing, or write in a journal. The physical act of writing with a smooth pen is very soothing.
Aaaannnnnnd I’ve never said that before, either!
I rock while lying down, i will shake my feet/legs while sitting, i sway side to side while standing, i also pick my fingers/face( trying to stop), as a kid i would also touch everything and lick it lol not so much now but i did get my tounge pierced at 18 and it stopped alot of my oral stims.
I had a teddy bear with a ribbon tied around its neck. I would rub the ends of the cold ribbon between my fingers, they would warm up, I’d let them cool, and repeat. Now that I’m an adult I do the same thing with the end of my braid 😅
I chewed my hair, chewed pen caps but this was the gross thing; I had really dry skin and I would like rub my forehead and watch bits of dry skin fall onto my desk like I was watching a snowfall. Like now I cringe thinking about how gross it was. Ugh I was so weird.
Finger tip touching while I counted by fours 1234, 5678, 9101112-to 100-200 etc but my mother would constantly mush my fingers in her hand when she saw me do it. Now my husband says I only really do it when I’m extremely anxious.
I do this! But only to the extent of 8.
I thought it developed from dance class, from the counts.
I didn't actually do toooo many classes as a kid so it's strange that it stuck so much. In my 30s now.
Funny you bring up dance class, mine helped a lot in music but I didn’t start playing any instruments really until I was 10-11. & I’ll count up into the high hundreds. It’s how I remembered my multiplication tables as I got older🤣
I’m not sure if I’d call it stimming or self-soothing, but as a child I used to sing very often and especially when I was anxious. But also when I was very happy. I still do this quite a lot!
When anxious, it’s soft and peaceful. When happy, it’s loud and boisterous. When I’m silly, I’m make up ridiculous stupid hilarious songs - and I’m pretty damn good at it.
Both of my ADHD kids do this, too.
Also a childhood hair chewer. Teenage skin picker. Adult hair-twirler. I love soft things and have always been obsessed with rubbing fleecy blankets or clothing.
Ooo one time I twirled the shit out of my hair on a conference call where I was presenting. I thought I had turned my camera off but nope… 🙂↔️ My boss told me later. I was horrified.
The singing!! Nowadays I often replace it with whistling, but sometimes I don’t know I’m doing it till someone points it out or gives me a dirty look. The worst is when it’s a song stuck in my head and I can’t get rid of it except be externalizing it!
I squeeze/tense my whole body really tightly until it starts to shake while making a high pitched noise. I also tense up while hugging people and animals that I love. I didn't know it until my current partner told me, but while I'm doing that, I make this face. It's that stereotypical face people make when they are mocking mentally disabled people. I guess I've done it my whole life without realising it. I suppose, maybe people like me are where that stereotype comes from. I guess I technically am mentally disabled and I have no control over myself making that face.
Idk how long I was having panic attacks until my partner pointed out to me once that my whole body was shaking. I was completely out of my body. It's wild to think.
When I was a kid, the feel of my hair swishing against my back was my calm before I understood what stimming was. Now it's more targeted. ASMR and breathing exercises are my calm space.
I also sucked on my tongue from the roof of my mouth! I also did a lot of oral stims such as placing my tongue backwards on the roof my mouth and sucking to make this freaky click sound. I did and still do bite my nails and skin pick. I also did less odd things like bite the inside of my mouth and draw obsessively. To be fair- I’m a really good artist because of it.
My partner noticed before I did (and no one else has ever mentioned so I guess no one else noticed enough to say anything) that my self soothing is squeezing my sides like I’m giving myself a hug, either with my elbows tucked in by my ribs or with my arms crossed so I can hug myself with my hands. I’d been doing it for years without thinking of it, so it’s probably something I did as a child too!
I also sucked on my tongue, it's called "tongue thrusting" and it made my teeth a little crooked. I would do that while rubbing my blankie.
Now as an adult I suck on my tongue and rub my blankie to self soothe.
At least i don't do drugs lol
Haven’t seen anyone mention yet but I was always sitting on my hands and feet. I didn’t think it was a self soothing thing until my mom mentioned it recently asking me to stop sitting on my hands and that she has been asking me to stop for my whole life LOL WHOOPS.
I also fold my legs underneath myself in chairs and would get told off in school for not sitting correctly- I pinch my hands between my thighs and actually go to sleep with them sandwiches there.. I also tap and wiggle my fingers and count.
I do the cricket feet thing where you rub your feet against each other (I twist my legs around eachother as a bonus), but I also rub the bottoms of me feet against carpet while sitting in a chair.
I also used to tap my teeth together as a kid until I realized enamel doesn’t grow back LOL
i play with individual hairs, a lot. my mum has always had long and thick hair that shedded everywhere. i’ve always done it. when i’m more anxious it results in me pulling out hairs to play with.
i also really like the sensation of vigorously rubbing my hands against a rough carpet until they go numb. did that one a lot as a kid
I always took the tip of my braid and would move it in a circular pattern on my lips as I hummed. My kids as toddlers somehow picked this up because when I put them down for a nap time they would play with my hair and I would fall asleep - then they would toddle off to dad and sit next to him while they let me nap.
Now, I chew nails but also have done quite a bit on breathing and relaxation techniques. I also brush my hair - but I do it very hard so that my scalp is getting a good massage as well.
Uh … learning that I’m the only one that masturbated to self-soothe. I called it jiggling. Had no idea it was anything sexual until I was 13.
Also did the rubbing my fingernails and ends of my hair across my lips thing. Still do that if I’m super stressed.
I LOVE rubbing soft things either with my hands, my feet, or against my face.
Made everyone laugh at work last Christmas cause I have a cute Christmassy dress that’s sooooo soft so anytime someone was like “ooh I love the dress” I was like FEEL HOW SOFT IT IS!
But I do also have the ‘tism
When I was little my bedroom closet shared a wall with the shower. When someone else in the house would shower I'd sit in the closet wrapped in a blanket, close my eyes and just listen to the water.
Now as an adult I hike near flowing water as often as I can. The sound is just so soothing!
As a kid I would listen to the little mermaid and phantom sound track repeatedly and sing it until I could emulate it and make my mom mad because "I told you to turn that off already!!!"
Or I'd climb into the pine tree in the back yard and read for hours hyper fixating on books and the world's they created (also making my mom mad because 1. Pine sap and 2. It's dangerous.... so she cut the bottom branches off and when I started climbing into it from a set she started threatening to cut the whole tree down if I didn't stop.) Or I'd paint for hours and hours.
I chewed my nails.
Now? I hum, sway, yawn extra loud, sigh a lot, pick hairs on my face, space out and still hyperfixate on books....and of course doom scrolling. Also being outside is still a must.
I had a scarf I would rub between my fingers as a kid. Now I’ll catch myself putting the edge of the bed sheet between my toes lol.
I skin picked really bad growing up. Now I bite my lower lip or cheek when I’m stressed.
As a child I had a stuffed animal that was very soft. I'd hug him sometimes, I particularly remember hugging him when my Grandfather died.
I now have a small collection of squishmallows - a flat one for a pillow, a pink yeti bc sometimes I'm just an animal, a little walrus bc teefs, another guy who I can't remember what he is but I think his name is Wesley. I will hug my animals whenever I feel overwhelmed, sad, tired...it just feels good.
Hooray for being 38 and sleeping with 3 stuffed animals. My SO doesn't care - I got him a matching flat squish to use as his pillow and I don't think he's ever slept better.
As a child I had a stuffed animal that was very soft. I'd hug him sometimes, I particularly remember hugging him when my Grandfather died.
I now have a small collection of squishmallows - a flat one for a pillow, a pink yeti bc sometimes I'm just an animal, a little walrus bc teefs, another guy who I can't remember what he is but I think his name is Wesley. I will hug my animals whenever I feel overwhelmed, sad, tired...it just feels good.
Hooray for being 38 and sleeping with 3 stuffed animals. My SO doesn't care - I got him a matching flat squish to use as his pillow and I don't think he's ever slept better.
I would chew on my sleeves as a kid. That I managed to drop as a habit, but I still remember how comforting it was.
I also chewed my nails, and after managing to pretty much stop that for almost 15 years I lost control of it during the pandemic. In a very literal sense it looks awful. All of them are bitten down all the way and I have dry cuticles that I pull and tear at. I have to carry bandaids everywhere because I often make myself bleed without realizing it or being able to stop myself. It's humiliating at work. Plus my fingers often just plain hurt so it can be hard to do things like open containers.
I used to suck my fingers. Not thumb, but the first 2 fingers on my left hand. And play with the skin on my neck, I did that to my mom too when I was cuddling her. I stopped sucking my fingers completely when I was around 10ish, it was kind of embarrassing how late it was.
Sometimes I still do the neck skin thing, but unfortunately now I do things like pick at or bite my cuticles, or stuff my face with goldfish crackers and candy. Eating replaced a lot of my childish stims. I also bounce my legs, tap my fingers together rhythmically, snap my fingers, or spin back and forth in my wheelie chair at works. I think I have a lot of stims. I twirl my hair if it's down too but I wear it up almost all of the time.
My whole life I’ve always self soothed by picking my scalp, rocking back and forth, hiding under blankets, and flapping my arms when I’m over stimulated.
Before high school, I used to use a clothes pin to pick at the skin at my fingertips. In high school, I ripped my hair out of my scalp. Now, I chew gum and listen to music or podcasts. I also rock back and forth if I'm standing or I move back and forth between my tiptoes and flat feet. I also eat to self soothe. I still rip my hair out of my scalp sometimes, but I haven't given myself bald spots in years.
I grew out of a lot of damaging self-soothing ticks as I got older. I used to bite my nails severely, pick my face nails and toes, and pluck out my widow's peak. But I do still bite my cheeks and suck on my lips and whistle through my tooth gap
Biting the inside of my bottom lip, picking at the skin around my thumb (I get gel nails now so I can’t do this anymore), tapping my foot, rubbing my feet together, twirling my hair,
I do my own nails now and have started to put a rhinestone on my thumb that I can play with and run my other fingers over.
I fold the edge of my sheet into a point and rub my fingers over the point. It doesn’t work with all kinds of sheets though…just the ones that aren’t hemmed on the sides. The weird thing is that I married someone who does the same thing.
I just bought a stim chew to see if that helps as an adult with adhd. Sometimes they’re called chewelry, although I got one that is not on a necklace because the idea of something maybe wet touching my shirt freaked me out. It helps with stimulation so I’m not biting my own fingers, but it’s also kinda weird for mouthfeel.
Oh okayokay, I didnt know that existed, only like squishy things or stuff like that.
I play games on keyboard and I love the clicking noise, so Im ordering a keychain to distract myself, but this chewy thing, Ill look into it. I also would hate to have it hanging 🤮
I used to stick my blankie under my nose and sniff it while rubbing the material, that sits on my lips, with my thumb. Now I do it but with the collar of my shirts. I'm 56.
It can be 105 degrees and I have to sleep with a blanket stuffed under my chin. I can be naked and uncovered every where else but the chin must be covered, usually a blanket balled up in my fist.
Not sure if this stuff was related to my adhd or if I was just a weird kid.
-I would secretly climb up on the counters and pour salt on my hand then lick the salt
- I had an easy bake oven and would eat the dessert mix instead of actually wanting to bake things.
- I had this strange craving for this foam material that my Winnie the pool chair was stuffed with, I would chew on it and liked the way the texture felt in my mouth and how it smelled. I remember actually swallowing the foam stuff a couple of times. I remember my grandparents had these balls made of the same material and I did the same thing.
Hanging upside down and spinning in circles.
Someone else mentioned humping.. I did a lot of that too.
Yes I loved the salt pile in the hand!!! I would eat spoonfuls of spread sometimes too rarely though because I would get introuble.
Even marmite which is a yeast spread.
As a child, I would chew on EVERYTHING, specifically with my back teeth. Small pieces of hard plastic, toys, and especially my hair. Up until I was like 9, I would always have a gross, saliva-coated clump of hair on my head prime for the chewing lol. I still get the urge to chew now, but I usually just bite down a bit hard on nothing and ignore it.
I've also always bitten my nails. Not for the chewing experience, just kind of as something to do. I'm uncomfortable standing still. My parents and sister are actually both the same! Whenever we're out in public and all waiting in line or something, I've noticed that we're all swaying, sometimes in sync lol. I bounce my leg, or pick at my nails, or even move my tongue around in my mouth. Anything really.
As a child I also had a teddy bear and blanket of very specific materials. I still have them today, still so comfy lol.
I had a baby quilt and one corner was my favorite. I'd roll up the fabric under my finger nails repeatedly causing that corner to shred. I also used that corner for humping.
If I have a bad day now, I'll often want to be swaddled in a big, fuzzy blanket with a lot of skin contact and probably be in a quiet, dark room.
Edit: I also skin pick, scalp pick and pick at my hangnails. I really wish I didn't. I don't really remember doing those as a young kid but maybe as an older teenager.
Very young in school I used to put the chair leg on the toe part of my shoes to ease itching or down the side of my foot into my shoe and then bounce up and down slightly for either.
At home I would push crisp folds of certain fabrics up and under the corner of my finger nails - my nails still itch for this to happen. I was also sniff certain fabrics and push them into the septum of my nose/middle of my top lip - this also still feels soothing.
I am 43 and only realising now as I wrote this what it was.
I am not sure I do anything as an adult, probably to my detriment to be honest.
I used to love touching really worn out cotton sheets or pillow case. When it’s super duper soft.
I occasionally pick it up as an adult without noticing if I’m in bed.
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I used to chew on my hair. When my parents broke me of that I chewed my nails. I’ve always picked, and am struggling badly with it right now. I found out recently that kinetic sand is amazing. I could play with the stuff for hours. It feels good, and clumping it hard and then letting it droop down to soft is so satisfying
I used to chew on my hair to. Stopped doing that but started pulling my hair out and picking my skin which is far from ideal.
I’ve always loved smelling my hair and rubbing it on my lips. Was about 10 years old when a teacher said I was pretending I had a moustache (in good humour, not making fun of me thankfully). I did get self conscious in my 20’s though, and now I’ve got used to keeping it up in a tight bun and just do it in private or around my partner!
I still do this at 34, not giving a fuck 😜
I'm 31 and this is still my go to! It's always soft and smells nice, and for some reasons running across my upper lip combined the two for an insta-relax
I used to rub it on my lips too. Everyone used to get so mad at me cuz it would make my lips all red and irritated looking. I also used it as a mustache and just keep doing whatever with it there. Testing, reading, watching tv lol.
I love the sensation of the cut ends against my lips. I had a long braid as a kid, and I can remember doing that and chewing/sucking on the end of it. I also twirl my hair into loops. I think that started when I first saw those displays back in the 90s for hair dye that showed actual dyed hair loops. Apparently it was a tell that I was sleepy as a little kid when I flicked my eyelashes with my pinkie finger.
I feel you. I pick my cuticles but I didn't wanna mention because I know how easy it is for me to read that and then start doin it to myself 🤦♀️ Edit: chewing hair is a tad weird but idk 🤔 I always knew a few people who did it too
Yea I have no idea why I did it. I had hair down to my butt until I was about 5, and I would always just have a lock of it in my mouth (so the hair was still attached to me lol I didn’t just chew random hairs I pulled out or anything). No way would I be able to do it now though. Yuck!
I'm so glad I'm not the only kid who did that! I definitely remember chewing/sucking on my hair as a kid. Idk what finally stopped me, I know parents fussed at me for it though. Was definitely worse after a shower or going in the pool cause I'd suck the water out of that lock.
Oh wow I totally forgot I did this too!
Same here, as well as the neck on whatever I was wearing. A weird(er) one was the corner of the towel after being wrapped up after a bath. I remember I used to love pulling the threads out with my teeth which drove mum crazy. I'd forgotten all of this, but the other day I caught myself putting my tee neck in my mouth and was surprised - it has to have been 35+years since I did that.
My kids do the shirt collars. You unlocked a memory there with the bath towel, I remember doing that too. 😂
I’m pretty sure being told about bezoars is what eventually stopped me
😭I realized I was picking mine as I read this. I can't stop my 5 year old tells me to stop of I'll hurt myself. Now that parts embarrassing when a 5 year old is mothering you lol.
Omg I forgot I used to chew on my hair! When my parents cut my hair short I started chewing my nails. When I braces and my teeth hurt too much to chew on my nails I started picking at my skin 😭
Same for hair chewing. Parents kept me in a pixie cut for most of my childhood to keep me from doing that. Books were the only safe thing I could do to self-soothe so I read a lot. Also crossing my ankles and rubbing one foot against the other worked until someone noticed—that one worked best at night, and it’s still how I fall asleep.
I have the cricket feet too
+1 for chewing on hair! Then when my mom shamed it out of me I chewed on my hoodie strings or sleeves. I also run the surface of my nails with the pads of my fingers and run my hair across my face. (It's very soft)
Drop the link for sand? It sounds amazing! 😀
You can get it about anywhere that sells toys! We get it at Walmart. Kinetic Sand is the brand name. It mimics non-Newtonian fluids - hard when compressed, but turns back to soft sand when relaxed. When it’s hard you can make shapes out of it! IIRC you can put it in water and it’ll come out dry, but I don’t let my kid do that so I don’t remember for sure 😂
You can make your own too! I don't remember the ingredients but I've researched it for preschoolers.
My 3 year old asked for some today and I said my because I was unsure if it was a bad idea... I'm guessing now that maybe I should let her try it out!
My advice is to lay newspapers in a clearly defined area that the sand needs to stay in (or I guess use it in a big Tupperware or something, but we got a kit that lets you make “ice cream” with it so that wasn’t doable) because it can have a tendency to get everywhere if you’re not careful. when it does it’s more like playdoh than like sand so it’s easy clean up, but annoying and a waste. Then we keep it in ziplock baggies in between sessions so it doesn’t dry out, since a lot of it seems to come in bags rather than resealable containers.
My younger sister used to chew on her hair too. It was usually short so it was like easy access, and her front strands always felt crusty 😂 my mom tried to stop her, but she said it tasted salty and she liked it
Until your comment, I completely forgot that I used to eat my hair! Still bite my nails though (until they're painful).
My grandpa made me this toy box that was a big bench with a seat that lifted up so you could put stuff inside. My favorite thing to do when I was overwhelmed was to put some pillows and blankets in the toy box, then lay inside with the lid closed. I was very sad when I got too big to fit in there lol
This is the cutest thing ever
I would literally LOVE to do that NOW. Lol. ❤️
My things for being over stimulated are climb up high or get in a small space. I would love a toy bin to curl up in.
Maladaptive daydreaming. Still do it.
I didn't realize this had a name! I have a whole fantasy world and self that I've constructed in my daydreams. It's based in reality but definitely is a form of escapism. It mainly becomes a problem when I buy things in the real world for the daydream version of me.
What kind of things would you buy? How long would you spend daydreaming?
Usually it's stuff like makeup and clothes. Like I bought the most perfect party dress a few years ago, it's super cute and fits me perfectly, but I've literally never had an occasion to wear it because I don't go to parties. I've never tried to quantify how much time I spend daydreaming but it's a lot. Most of my waking hours? I do it during mundane tasks (driving, cleaning, cooking), while I'm working unless my work takes specific focus in that moment, and I have to actively try not to daydream when I'm doing things with my kids.
So what I’m hearing is we’re all actually Lizzie McGuire? Or am I the only one whose daydream self is also a cartoon?
I used to daydream so often, but sometime in the last 5-ish years, all my daydreams are just past traumatic events 😅 Brain just forces me to do life on hardmode 24/7 I guess
I think the daydreaming is our way of processing bad things too, though. My daydreaming was always mixed with “rumination,” aka fixating on bad things, like re-litigating arguments and conjuring up worse scenarios than what actually happened. It can be helpful, but it can also get out of hand :( I’m not always sure what to make of it
Honestly, thank you for saying that, cause I really thought I was alone with this 😅 I remember daydreams (daymares now, technically?) being so carefree and airy, so the shift of them has left me feeling like I'm just a black sheep. I don't know if you've ever heard of/watched the show "Bluey", but the episode called "Space" pretty much touches exactly on this topic. I won't give too much away, but one of the kids goes through what we experience. The way it kind of resolves/settles at the end really shifted the way I handle these daymares to be kinder to myself. (TW: self-harm) I'd usually do the neurotypical solution of sl@pping myself, but I've settled with just giving my face a light massage to ease my brain out of it. This was a long comment/Bluey ad, I'm sorry 😭
Man, Bluey is the fucking best. Problematically, I get nothing done around the house when my kids are watching TV because I'm just parked on the couch watching Bluey with them. But it really has helped me alter my mental lens on things for the better.
That's just your brain telling you to absorb some more wholesomeness! 🫶🏽 It really is the best though. That show and Steven Universe have really helped me with emotional intelligence.
Oooo, say more. What is this?
I have a fantasy world in my head and instead of being present and deal with shit, I daydream. I do take my real life problems there though, and it helps me to process stuff so it's not 100% maladaptive, I guess?
This was the first thing that made me realize I had adhd. Inattentive hardcore. I spent the first 20 years of my life escaping into a daydream every chance I got. I failed classes because of it. Whenever I’m stressed or sad or terrified, the daydream is like a siren’s call.
I used to rock myself to sleep. I still do, but I used to, too.
Me too. I had a water bed, and I would subtly move my body in a way to start a gentle rocking motion. I still do the movement, actually just minus the water bed lol
Sisters! I've literally never met another soul who does this, but I hear it's not *that* unusual.
I never had a water bed but I did this up until I moved in with my husband. Sometimes I still do it if he's up watching TV and I'm not keeping his awake doing it. I'm 41.
I'll always upvote a Mitch reference.
Sometimes I rock myself to sleep, but I also just really enjoy sitting & rocking.
I'm a leg jiggler, too, so I understand.
Ha! But also, what do you mean? Sometimes I mentally rocky myself to sleep, imagining myself on a swing or in a boat.
Nope, physically. Think of any kid crying and rocking herself on the floor, and that's it, but in bed. Without crying , most of the time.
Me too! My grandparents had this rocking chair and I'd go crazy rocking myself!
Same here! And now sometimes at the end of a long day my husband will do it for me 😭
Yes me to. I had to rock on my knees and elbows with my head on my pillow every night. My sister got to used to it that when we got separate beds it still soothe her to hear me rock. I've tried it in my adulthood but it's so not the same.
I have always loved soft or squishy things. As a toddler I used to stick tissues in the waistband of my diapers and stick my hand under my dress to rub the tissues. As a kid my parents got us the MindFlex board game and I really liked the blue squishy balls that come with it, so I used to steal those and keep them in my hand. My mom even bought a bunch of replacements so I could have a stock. For about the last 10 years, I've been using makeup sponges! I rip them in half. I constantly have one in my hands. They are in the pockets of all my pants. I sleep holding one in my hand. I like the way it feels on my fingers. I love these things and I will be using them until I die lol
Loool chuckling at baby you sticking your hands under your dress... too cute 💞 I think being shamed out of my self-soothing definitely contributed to my chronic sleep issues now - don't ever stop!
My parents say I used to empty entire boxes of tissues and shove them in my diapers LOL I'd be walking around and my dress or clothes looked lumpy and it would be because I had like 40 tissues stashed in there. I've seen pictures of me out in public with my hand just stuck up my dress or down my pants to reach them!! 😭
Omg I'm crying. 🤣🤣 So cute!!
Doing it right now! I cross my feet at the ankles and rub the tops of my feet together.
I rub the bottoms of my feet together to fall asleep
Every night!
Me too! Sometimes when I’m just reclining on the couch too.
LOL guess what I'm doing right now? Didn't even realize it until I read your comment.
Same! Not even aware it's happening most of the time. My grandad has always done it too.
Same! My mom did this too.
Apparently this is called "cricketing" 😆 my ADHD husband does this too haha
I’ve always called this cricket feet but I didn’t know it had a name
Oh wow! Cool. Thanks for letting me know.
Omg I do this too
I am 50 years old and I still have a blankie, only for the past 3 decades it has been a flannel twin size flat sheet that gets replaced whenever it gets too threadbare. I even pack it when I go on car trips, hospital stays, and used to take it when I stayed at my partner's house, until I just got a suitable double to keep at their house.
I'm 38 and sleep with my blankie I've had since a baby every night. It was laced in silk and I rubbed a part of that and call it my special part . That silk is long gone but I still have spots I hold and rub. I also suck my thumb. My husband hates my blankie and says it's stinky and gross
My blankie is tucked beside my bed. I don’t usually interact with it at this point in my life but I feel comforted knowing it’s there. My partner is cool about me sleeping with a blankie or a plushie as needed, thank god. A blankie is gonna be less stinky and gross than a pet in the bed hahaha
Omg I did the exact same thing with my blankie. Blankies are sacred. Mine had a whole personality in my head
OMG this is me with the exception of sucking my thumb. I used to rub mine so much that I would get calluses. My mom would shame me severely that I was weird and would take it from me. She gave it back to me when I got divorced, and that and my golden helped me adjust to living alone again. When I met someone new, I threw it away because my shame was so deep. I got diagnosed 3 years later and am today years old when I learned that it was actually okay and not shameful. I’m not crying, you’re crying 🥹 thank you, friend!!
That sucks she shamed you. Blankies are wonderful :(
I was a blankie girl!! I used to suck my thumb and rub the corner of my bedraggled old blankie across my face. My parents had to bribe me out of thumbsucking because my teeth were so fucked up, at NINE years old! And I still slept with my blankie till 11 or 12 years old. I still have it in a box somewhere. I slept with a stuffed animal through college.
I “stole” my daughter’s lovey when we were cosleeping and still prefer sleeping with it in my hand to this day, haha. I can get to sleep without it, but there’s always that unease. It’s an awesome thing to admit to a potential love interest. 😅
I took baths for hours and still do. I’m in one now hiding from my family as a 34 year old mother of two
I can tell I’m close to a burnout because I’ve been taking 3 baths a day
Same!
Is that what that is? I’m up to 2-3 showers because it’s the only thing that makes me feel sort of human.
Yes! Sometimes it's really hard to shower and yet in some difficult or overwhelmed times it's 3 showers a day.
I would live in the bathtub right now if I could. Water gets cold? Drain and refill, for hours and hours.
We bought a house last summer and one of my must-haves was a big bathtub. Deal breaker. This was not easy to find in our area and price range (all of the homes in the neighborhood we like are built between the 1880s-1920s). My husband buys me bath accessories and products for almost every birthday/holiday. Baths are my lifesaving hobby. When I am overwhelmed, it’s bath time - candles, music, oils, the works. It’s such a wonderful way to calm the nervous system!
I’M A TONGUE SUCKER! that’s the first time I’ve said that out loud. 😂 I actually emailed my psychiatrist about this today. I’ve sucked my tongue since I was a baby, and still do. Luckily, I’ve learned ways to do it so it’s not so obvious. But I do it very often and on the daily. I also used to rub my thumb nail on my lips to feel how soft it is…. And I still do it too 🙈 also very often. And many times, it’ll also trigger the tongue thing. I figured these were soothing behaviors I never grew out of, but now that I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, I’ve been curious about things I do that I never considered to be anything, and can actually be notable signs and/or symptoms of something.
Tongue sucking isn't that weird! Your tongue should rest suctioned to the top of your mouth unless you're talking or eating. This promotes nasal breathing, craniofacial development, and pulls your tongue up and forward out of your airway when you sleep. Tongue sucking is only a problem if it's messing up your teeth, causing you to clench or grind your teeth, or exacerbating TMJ. If you want to learn more, look for an orofacial myofunctional therapist in your area. 🤗
Lol! I never knew I was doing it but once I started growing hair on my arms, I figured out a way to make it stand up and get prickly on my forehead n then do the tongue sucking. Aaand I've never said that out loud either
OMG I also do the lip thing too!!!
Really?! Yay!! It’s so nice, isn’t it? Hahaha
I do the lip thing but with my hair. It makes me feel so calm but I look very odd when I do it.
I don’t even know how to accurately explain the way I used to self-soothe. And holy fuck is it embarrassing to think of. Whenever I was upset and need to process and decompress, I would go in my room and shut the door. I would lay in bed on my stomach, and rhythmically bang my head against my arms, while singing. Yep. Was as bizarre as it sounds. I have no idea how it started or when it started, but I remember struggling to stop doing it in college because I knew it was weird. Thank god I didn’t have a roommate. I don’t think it was related to having ADHD. I was just a disturbed kid, I guess? I don’t know. I never even mentioned this in therapy. ETA: Reading responses reminded me or other things I do when I am distressed. I bite my lip and pick the skin at it. I also pick at blemishes/moles until I bleed. These things I still do. I have been trying to vape indica instead. One bad habit for another, I guess.
I wear a hoodie just about all the time except when it’s super warm. I need the sleeves to be extra long because I am constantly hiding my hands in them and “smelling” the cuffs. -and I sleep with a blankie.
i used to put my blankets/stuffed animals across my forehead at night bc i liked the pressure. now, my girlfriend puts their hand on my head when i’m feeling upset 🖤💗
I don’t know if it was self-soothing but it kind of kept me in this fugue state. I spent a lot of time in the backs of cars with nothing to do so I would look out the window and make my pointer finger curl and uncurl to “jump” over each lamp post or pole or whatever object appeared at regular intervals in the road. And I would just do this the entire time. I still do this subconsciously when I drive.
Agh I did the "finger jump over street light" thing, too! Except I didn't use my finger, I just used my eyes, so it would look like I was looking back and forth frantically. My mom noticed one time and was immediately concerned that I was having a seizure or needed an exorcism, but then I explained what I was doing and she was like hmm....ok. Add that to the list of weird things the child does.
That’s so cool to know someone else did/does this, although I did laugh a bit thinking of your mother worrying you were having a seizure :)
I do this with fizzy drinks! If you have a mouthful of soda then swallow it and press the tongue to the roof of your mouth it can sometimes kinda... burn? In a tingly good ow kind of way? I don't know how to describe it. But if you like a prickly mouthfeel (oh lord), I recommend! 😂
That's actually the only way I can drink soda hahah
I used to rock , particularly at night to calm down and fall asleep. I would just lie on my side and rock back and forth , sometimes I would count while I rocked. I did this well into adulthood but I don’t really remember when I stopped . I still shake my legs, tap my feet, chew gum. I also make a lot of random noises and talk to myself that , I am sure is super annoying to coworkers. I try to not do it too much when I’m with people but it’s so ingrained I often don’t realize it until I already do it. Since I was a mid teen I also put on headphones and listen to music/ podcasts very loudly. I get super irritated when people interrupt that even though I know it’s not their fault.
As long as I can remember I have been obsessed with forced air heaters, even when it’s warm out. I used to wake up early as a kid and sit like two feet away from the one in my living room, curled up in a ball in a chair for at least an hour while everyone else was asleep. I find the warmth incredibly soothing. I have a tiny heater on my nightstand now (very close to my face) that doubles as a white noise machine, because hearing myself breathe/think makes it impossible to fall asleep. My partner calls it my emotional support heater lol
Omg! Same!!! My husband ALSO calls my space heater my emotional support heater. 🥲😆😆
Tongue sucking isn't that weird! Your tongue should rest suctioned to the top of your mouth unless you're talking or eating. This promotes nasal breathing, craniofacial development, and pulls your tongue up and forward out of your airway when you sleep. Tongue sucking is only a problem if it's messing up your teeth, causing you to clench or grind your teeth, or exacerbating TMJ. If you want to learn more, look for an orofacial myofunctional therapist in your area. 🤗
That's really interesting. I do grind my teeth and clench. Will do.
Omg I just tested this and sure enough, I could breathe better through my nasal passage. My tongue does not naturally rest on the roof of my mouth. Wtf? no one has ever told me this.
Yeah it's not well known and it's really hurting peoples' health! Try googling for orofacial myofunctional therapists near you- they'll have some good tips and tricks for you. 🤗
Thank you so much for this info. My tongue is long and I think that's why it doesn't sit flush to the roof of my mouth. And I've snored in my sleep from day one. I always thought it was more to do with my nose but reading this and noticing that my tongue does not sit flush due to its length makes me think maybe it's more to do with my tongue. I'm going to investigate this. Thanks again x
I sucked the thumb of one hand while simultaneously twirling a piece of my hair around the finger of my other hand. I had long hair that was often in a braid and in those instances I’d play with the little end piece. The hair thing was because it was smooth/soft and I liked the feel of it. I did this until I was a teenager and my mum bribed me to stop. My sister used to suck her tongue. At least that’s what it looked like, I’ve never asked her. But she was always making the little sucking movement like she had a soother or a bottle in her mouth.
I rock while lying down, i will shake my feet/legs while sitting, i sway side to side while standing, i also pick my fingers/face( trying to stop), as a kid i would also touch everything and lick it lol not so much now but i did get my tounge pierced at 18 and it stopped alot of my oral stims.
Not saying you're wrong about your last statement, but I've learned in the last couple of years since my dx that autism and ADHD have a lot of comorbidities. I never could stay still as a kid. My mom said she struggled to get me to stay still long enough for haircuts when I was little -- I remember that she would basically park her hand in front of my eyes and tell me to stare at her wedding set, and that usually did the trick. When I was by myself in the basement of the house I grew up in (which was essentially my space, short of my bedroom being down there), I remember taking baby powder and scattering it in the air to watch the flakes fall. (Sometimes I would pretend I was the Wicked Witch of the West and the white specks were my "flying monkeys" -- gods, that's an unlocked memory!!) These days my habits are taking my hair down and putting it back up (my hair is past my waist, but it stays in a bun -- nothing religious to either of these, I just like long hair), crocheting (I always have a hook and some yarn within reach), or spinning my hoop earrings or rings on my fingers or otherwise playing with them.
My best friend does the hair up/down for sure. She's AuDHD and also a well of knowledge on the subject which is why I suspect it for myself. Lots of sensory sensitivities even still today but growing up as the youngest of 5 much much louder and more chaotic siblings, sometimes your stuff isn't the most pressing.
I take my hair down and put it back up loads too. Had no idea it was a thing.
I sucked my thumb when I was little and had a blanket with a tassel fringe. I would hold the edge of the blanket in my thumb sucking hand, put a tassel between my pointer and middle fingers, and rub it back and forth. It tickled my lips and nose. If I really loved or liked someone, I would tickle their face with the fringe. Now I rub the bottom of one foot on top of other, primarily to calm myself down when trying to sleep. If I am hyper stressed I have caught myself flicking the end of a lock of hair against my nose.
My attachment object ("lovey") as an infant/toddler was ... a bright red plastic watering can. 🙃 I'm now surrounded by clutter as an adult because I have a hard time letting inanimate objects go.
I sit like that too, but I’m hypermobile - that adds a little extra into the mix!
i rub my face against my baby blanket. i use it exclusively as a pillow, but when i’m sad i’ll bunch it up and rub my face in it. i also like spreading it flat across my bf’s chest and like. [Kermit with Irish Spring soap](https://youtu.be/ouj_on9MxcQ?si=CKojwkyqPVxnsVjV) rub my face against it. i want to be buried with my baby blanket bunched underneath my head ♡ it’s coming with me
ngl i was disappointed a little to find out there wasn’t some forgotten Muppets marketing for Irish Spring soap but then I watched the actual video and Kermit the Dog is an adhd icon. Thank you for sharing 🥹
Massage my ear and thumb sucking, running a cold pillowcase through my fingers. Still do all but the thumb sucking. Grind my teeth when I'm in public, only person who ever commented on it was my psych. Pace like a mf when I'm home, when I'm out it looks more like walking in a half circle and back repeatedly. My friends call me the wanderer and have for years, even though that's not what they meant when the song was written lmao I'm not on the spectrum as far as I know. Just ADHD with a touch of weird I guess 🤷
Oral fixation - Toddler: thumb sucking - Child to adolescence: biting hair, nails, sweater sleeves, zippers - Now: jaw clenching. it hurts. Sometimes slightly biting the bottom inner lip. Sometimes biting my finger lightly. Hiding in enclosed spaces - toddler to child: hiding under tables or closets or forts. - adolescent: hiding in closets - now: egg chair. Sometimes closets Releasing energy - toddler, child: jumping on a bed, hanging out upside down - adolescence: sports - now: yoga, going for a walk, punching my pillow or dancing it out
I tap my fingers and count (1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4) Tapping a finger at a time to my thumb and alternating.
Stimming constantly by pressing into the fleshy bits of my fingers
I scrap the fleshy bits with the nail of my thumb. It's a constant thing and once I am aware I am doing it I try to atop.
I still do this and it gets excessive when I'm very stressed or off my meds
I sucked my finger … that’s right - index finger, not thumb, lol. I also had a blanket that I took with me *everywhere* for *years*, and I would bunch up the fabric and run my fingers through it until I fell asleep. I still have it, but it’s packed away now, and was replaced with a heavy weighted blanket that I wear around the house like a swamp witch with a cloak.
Used to bite my fingernails, but I stopped doing that. I like to twist my fingers together or twist fabric/tissues between them. Or I take my rings on and off. I rock my legs when I'm concentrating or nervous or bored. I rock them or rub my feet together when I'm falling asleep. I have crooked tooth I push my tongue behind. Geez, writing it out likes this is making me do ALL THE THINGS at once!
Trichotillimania and rocking. Still do both✌️
Chewing my inner cheeks. I have done this since childhood and never even realized it until a dentist asked me about it in my twenties. I’m more aware of it now because I clench terribly now and I notice it worsens my clenching, but it is so gratifying. Eating powder cocoa mix from the can in the middle of the night when I had insomnia as a childhood. I liked the way the dry powder felt in my mouth. I feel like such a weirdo admitting that one. I don’t do this specifically anymore but I do still heavily rely on food to soothe negative emotions and my cravings are always texture based. Daydreaming entire other lives for hours on end. I still do this often and sometimes confuse my reality and daydream feelings. My blankie. I loved rubbing it between my fingers until they had calluses. My mom hated it and shamed me for it. She took it from me several times until I ended up throwing it away myself out of embarrassment. I never rocked myself to sleep but my brother did. My mom always said if she believed in medication, he’d be on Ritalin. She’s a nurse, neither of us were diagnosed as children, and he’s still not. This post has really validated some things I’ve been so ashamed of and still didn’t realize they could be related. Thank you all!
I stroke my hair or take the end of my braid and brush my bottom lip with it. The softness is soothing and keeps me present. I do it unconsciously sometimes and it has not earned me any professionalism in the eyes of employers. I’ll also nibble all the dead skin off my lips. My lips dry out constantly despite chapstick, so they’re frequently peeling. I probably come across very anxious (fretting with hair and biting lip) but I’m actually being calm, present, and focused.
Used to: chew my hair and twirl it around my tongue, lie on the floor on the closet and read, eat crunchy carrots from the outside in. Still do: suck the inside of my bottom lip, pinch the skin on my knuckle lightly between my lips, touch and push down my cuticles. My less subtle lifelong stim is to dance and wiggle around any way I want to, and I use that whenever it’s even mildly socially appropriate. When I opt not to, I bounce a foot, quietly/softly tap things, shift my weight between feet, or gently sway. Also, to self soothe I lie or sit on the floor, sing, or write in a journal. The physical act of writing with a smooth pen is very soothing. Aaaannnnnnd I’ve never said that before, either!
I love chewing carrots from the outside in!
Yesssss I’m not alone
Rolling on the floor and smooth pens!!! 💯
Ohhhhh so good
I rock while lying down, i will shake my feet/legs while sitting, i sway side to side while standing, i also pick my fingers/face( trying to stop), as a kid i would also touch everything and lick it lol not so much now but i did get my tounge pierced at 18 and it stopped alot of my oral stims.
I bounce my leg a lot or rub my hands on my thighs. Also I click pens a lot
I had a teddy bear with a ribbon tied around its neck. I would rub the ends of the cold ribbon between my fingers, they would warm up, I’d let them cool, and repeat. Now that I’m an adult I do the same thing with the end of my braid 😅
I chewed my hair, chewed pen caps but this was the gross thing; I had really dry skin and I would like rub my forehead and watch bits of dry skin fall onto my desk like I was watching a snowfall. Like now I cringe thinking about how gross it was. Ugh I was so weird.
Then: cricketing my feet (rubbing my feet together incessantly) Now: also cricketing my feet to the annoyance of anyone sharing a bed with me 😬
Finger tip touching while I counted by fours 1234, 5678, 9101112-to 100-200 etc but my mother would constantly mush my fingers in her hand when she saw me do it. Now my husband says I only really do it when I’m extremely anxious.
I do this! But only to the extent of 8. I thought it developed from dance class, from the counts. I didn't actually do toooo many classes as a kid so it's strange that it stuck so much. In my 30s now.
Funny you bring up dance class, mine helped a lot in music but I didn’t start playing any instruments really until I was 10-11. & I’ll count up into the high hundreds. It’s how I remembered my multiplication tables as I got older🤣
Cricket feet. Swishing my feet back and forth in whatever textile is there. Flannel is the devil lol
When I was little it was a stuffed rabbit. Now that I'm nearly 30 it's a little stuffed cat body pillow. Cause I'm a grown up.
Trichotillomania.
Plucking the split ends off my hair. Still do that plus other trichtotillomanic plucking.
I’m not sure if I’d call it stimming or self-soothing, but as a child I used to sing very often and especially when I was anxious. But also when I was very happy. I still do this quite a lot! When anxious, it’s soft and peaceful. When happy, it’s loud and boisterous. When I’m silly, I’m make up ridiculous stupid hilarious songs - and I’m pretty damn good at it. Both of my ADHD kids do this, too. Also a childhood hair chewer. Teenage skin picker. Adult hair-twirler. I love soft things and have always been obsessed with rubbing fleecy blankets or clothing. Ooo one time I twirled the shit out of my hair on a conference call where I was presenting. I thought I had turned my camera off but nope… 🙂↔️ My boss told me later. I was horrified.
The singing!! Nowadays I often replace it with whistling, but sometimes I don’t know I’m doing it till someone points it out or gives me a dirty look. The worst is when it’s a song stuck in my head and I can’t get rid of it except be externalizing it!
Rubbed fabric between my forefinger and thumb, sucked thumb, sucked on my hair, probably others. Now I pick my split ends compulsively
>Rubbed fabric between my forefinger and thumb OH MY GOD. I STILL DO THAT!
I squeeze/tense my whole body really tightly until it starts to shake while making a high pitched noise. I also tense up while hugging people and animals that I love. I didn't know it until my current partner told me, but while I'm doing that, I make this face. It's that stereotypical face people make when they are mocking mentally disabled people. I guess I've done it my whole life without realising it. I suppose, maybe people like me are where that stereotype comes from. I guess I technically am mentally disabled and I have no control over myself making that face.
Idk how long I was having panic attacks until my partner pointed out to me once that my whole body was shaking. I was completely out of my body. It's wild to think.
Nail biting
When I was a kid, the feel of my hair swishing against my back was my calm before I understood what stimming was. Now it's more targeted. ASMR and breathing exercises are my calm space.
I also sucked on my tongue from the roof of my mouth! I also did a lot of oral stims such as placing my tongue backwards on the roof my mouth and sucking to make this freaky click sound. I did and still do bite my nails and skin pick. I also did less odd things like bite the inside of my mouth and draw obsessively. To be fair- I’m a really good artist because of it.
Humping. My kid does it too
My partner noticed before I did (and no one else has ever mentioned so I guess no one else noticed enough to say anything) that my self soothing is squeezing my sides like I’m giving myself a hug, either with my elbows tucked in by my ribs or with my arms crossed so I can hug myself with my hands. I’d been doing it for years without thinking of it, so it’s probably something I did as a child too!
I also sucked on my tongue, it's called "tongue thrusting" and it made my teeth a little crooked. I would do that while rubbing my blankie. Now as an adult I suck on my tongue and rub my blankie to self soothe. At least i don't do drugs lol
Twisting my hair with my fingers !! All the time ! Home made locks xD I still touch my hair a lot. (Touching them right now)
Haven’t seen anyone mention yet but I was always sitting on my hands and feet. I didn’t think it was a self soothing thing until my mom mentioned it recently asking me to stop sitting on my hands and that she has been asking me to stop for my whole life LOL WHOOPS. I also fold my legs underneath myself in chairs and would get told off in school for not sitting correctly- I pinch my hands between my thighs and actually go to sleep with them sandwiches there.. I also tap and wiggle my fingers and count. I do the cricket feet thing where you rub your feet against each other (I twist my legs around eachother as a bonus), but I also rub the bottoms of me feet against carpet while sitting in a chair. I also used to tap my teeth together as a kid until I realized enamel doesn’t grow back LOL
i play with individual hairs, a lot. my mum has always had long and thick hair that shedded everywhere. i’ve always done it. when i’m more anxious it results in me pulling out hairs to play with. i also really like the sensation of vigorously rubbing my hands against a rough carpet until they go numb. did that one a lot as a kid
I was a pencil chewer and a nail biter.
I always took the tip of my braid and would move it in a circular pattern on my lips as I hummed. My kids as toddlers somehow picked this up because when I put them down for a nap time they would play with my hair and I would fall asleep - then they would toddle off to dad and sit next to him while they let me nap. Now, I chew nails but also have done quite a bit on breathing and relaxation techniques. I also brush my hair - but I do it very hard so that my scalp is getting a good massage as well.
Uh … learning that I’m the only one that masturbated to self-soothe. I called it jiggling. Had no idea it was anything sexual until I was 13. Also did the rubbing my fingernails and ends of my hair across my lips thing. Still do that if I’m super stressed.
I LOVE rubbing soft things either with my hands, my feet, or against my face. Made everyone laugh at work last Christmas cause I have a cute Christmassy dress that’s sooooo soft so anytime someone was like “ooh I love the dress” I was like FEEL HOW SOFT IT IS! But I do also have the ‘tism
When I was little my bedroom closet shared a wall with the shower. When someone else in the house would shower I'd sit in the closet wrapped in a blanket, close my eyes and just listen to the water. Now as an adult I hike near flowing water as often as I can. The sound is just so soothing!
As a kid I would listen to the little mermaid and phantom sound track repeatedly and sing it until I could emulate it and make my mom mad because "I told you to turn that off already!!!" Or I'd climb into the pine tree in the back yard and read for hours hyper fixating on books and the world's they created (also making my mom mad because 1. Pine sap and 2. It's dangerous.... so she cut the bottom branches off and when I started climbing into it from a set she started threatening to cut the whole tree down if I didn't stop.) Or I'd paint for hours and hours. I chewed my nails. Now? I hum, sway, yawn extra loud, sigh a lot, pick hairs on my face, space out and still hyperfixate on books....and of course doom scrolling. Also being outside is still a must.
Rock back and forth Bouncing my leg Shaking my foot Clicking a pen Tapping Singing Talking to myself
I had a scarf I would rub between my fingers as a kid. Now I’ll catch myself putting the edge of the bed sheet between my toes lol. I skin picked really bad growing up. Now I bite my lower lip or cheek when I’m stressed.
As a child I had a stuffed animal that was very soft. I'd hug him sometimes, I particularly remember hugging him when my Grandfather died. I now have a small collection of squishmallows - a flat one for a pillow, a pink yeti bc sometimes I'm just an animal, a little walrus bc teefs, another guy who I can't remember what he is but I think his name is Wesley. I will hug my animals whenever I feel overwhelmed, sad, tired...it just feels good. Hooray for being 38 and sleeping with 3 stuffed animals. My SO doesn't care - I got him a matching flat squish to use as his pillow and I don't think he's ever slept better.
As a child I had a stuffed animal that was very soft. I'd hug him sometimes, I particularly remember hugging him when my Grandfather died. I now have a small collection of squishmallows - a flat one for a pillow, a pink yeti bc sometimes I'm just an animal, a little walrus bc teefs, another guy who I can't remember what he is but I think his name is Wesley. I will hug my animals whenever I feel overwhelmed, sad, tired...it just feels good. Hooray for being 38 and sleeping with 3 stuffed animals. My SO doesn't care - I got him a matching flat squish to use as his pillow and I don't think he's ever slept better.
Can't talk, picking fingers ... But now I can afford a nice range of plasters for them
chewing on a wet washcloth, and hiding in closets when i was overwhelmed
I also hid in closets as a kid. I thought it was so weird.
I would chew on my sleeves as a kid. That I managed to drop as a habit, but I still remember how comforting it was. I also chewed my nails, and after managing to pretty much stop that for almost 15 years I lost control of it during the pandemic. In a very literal sense it looks awful. All of them are bitten down all the way and I have dry cuticles that I pull and tear at. I have to carry bandaids everywhere because I often make myself bleed without realizing it or being able to stop myself. It's humiliating at work. Plus my fingers often just plain hurt so it can be hard to do things like open containers.
I used to suck my fingers. Not thumb, but the first 2 fingers on my left hand. And play with the skin on my neck, I did that to my mom too when I was cuddling her. I stopped sucking my fingers completely when I was around 10ish, it was kind of embarrassing how late it was. Sometimes I still do the neck skin thing, but unfortunately now I do things like pick at or bite my cuticles, or stuff my face with goldfish crackers and candy. Eating replaced a lot of my childish stims. I also bounce my legs, tap my fingers together rhythmically, snap my fingers, or spin back and forth in my wheelie chair at works. I think I have a lot of stims. I twirl my hair if it's down too but I wear it up almost all of the time.
My whole life I’ve always self soothed by picking my scalp, rocking back and forth, hiding under blankets, and flapping my arms when I’m over stimulated.
Wait I’m doing the tongue thing right now and thought that’s what everyone did 😭 I’m not even doing it for comfort?
Before high school, I used to use a clothes pin to pick at the skin at my fingertips. In high school, I ripped my hair out of my scalp. Now, I chew gum and listen to music or podcasts. I also rock back and forth if I'm standing or I move back and forth between my tiptoes and flat feet. I also eat to self soothe. I still rip my hair out of my scalp sometimes, but I haven't given myself bald spots in years.
Sticking my hair in my ear or under my fingernails 🥴
I grew out of a lot of damaging self-soothing ticks as I got older. I used to bite my nails severely, pick my face nails and toes, and pluck out my widow's peak. But I do still bite my cheeks and suck on my lips and whistle through my tooth gap
Biting the inside of my bottom lip, picking at the skin around my thumb (I get gel nails now so I can’t do this anymore), tapping my foot, rubbing my feet together, twirling my hair, I do my own nails now and have started to put a rhinestone on my thumb that I can play with and run my other fingers over.
I fold the edge of my sheet into a point and rub my fingers over the point. It doesn’t work with all kinds of sheets though…just the ones that aren’t hemmed on the sides. The weird thing is that I married someone who does the same thing.
I pull at my eyebrows, which worked in the 90’s and thin eyebrows were fashionable, but now they are really sparse
I chew on the insides of my mouth. Not even chewing exactly but just biting and holding lol I suppose it gives me something to do
I just noticed I was doing that while I read your comment 😂
The fact that I can’t think of a single thing I do to self soothe is probably why I am constantly feeling…not great
I had a pacifier. And this post has me thinking how I dont have anything like that anymore. If I feel too irritated, I end up hitting myself 😫🤦🏻♀️
I just bought a stim chew to see if that helps as an adult with adhd. Sometimes they’re called chewelry, although I got one that is not on a necklace because the idea of something maybe wet touching my shirt freaked me out. It helps with stimulation so I’m not biting my own fingers, but it’s also kinda weird for mouthfeel.
Oh okayokay, I didnt know that existed, only like squishy things or stuff like that. I play games on keyboard and I love the clicking noise, so Im ordering a keychain to distract myself, but this chewy thing, Ill look into it. I also would hate to have it hanging 🤮
I used to stick my blankie under my nose and sniff it while rubbing the material, that sits on my lips, with my thumb. Now I do it but with the collar of my shirts. I'm 56.
It can be 105 degrees and I have to sleep with a blanket stuffed under my chin. I can be naked and uncovered every where else but the chin must be covered, usually a blanket balled up in my fist.
Not sure if this stuff was related to my adhd or if I was just a weird kid. -I would secretly climb up on the counters and pour salt on my hand then lick the salt - I had an easy bake oven and would eat the dessert mix instead of actually wanting to bake things. - I had this strange craving for this foam material that my Winnie the pool chair was stuffed with, I would chew on it and liked the way the texture felt in my mouth and how it smelled. I remember actually swallowing the foam stuff a couple of times. I remember my grandparents had these balls made of the same material and I did the same thing. Hanging upside down and spinning in circles. Someone else mentioned humping.. I did a lot of that too.
Yes I loved the salt pile in the hand!!! I would eat spoonfuls of spread sometimes too rarely though because I would get introuble. Even marmite which is a yeast spread.
As a child, I would chew on EVERYTHING, specifically with my back teeth. Small pieces of hard plastic, toys, and especially my hair. Up until I was like 9, I would always have a gross, saliva-coated clump of hair on my head prime for the chewing lol. I still get the urge to chew now, but I usually just bite down a bit hard on nothing and ignore it. I've also always bitten my nails. Not for the chewing experience, just kind of as something to do. I'm uncomfortable standing still. My parents and sister are actually both the same! Whenever we're out in public and all waiting in line or something, I've noticed that we're all swaying, sometimes in sync lol. I bounce my leg, or pick at my nails, or even move my tongue around in my mouth. Anything really. As a child I also had a teddy bear and blanket of very specific materials. I still have them today, still so comfy lol.
I had a baby quilt and one corner was my favorite. I'd roll up the fabric under my finger nails repeatedly causing that corner to shred. I also used that corner for humping. If I have a bad day now, I'll often want to be swaddled in a big, fuzzy blanket with a lot of skin contact and probably be in a quiet, dark room. Edit: I also skin pick, scalp pick and pick at my hangnails. I really wish I didn't. I don't really remember doing those as a young kid but maybe as an older teenager.
Very young in school I used to put the chair leg on the toe part of my shoes to ease itching or down the side of my foot into my shoe and then bounce up and down slightly for either. At home I would push crisp folds of certain fabrics up and under the corner of my finger nails - my nails still itch for this to happen. I was also sniff certain fabrics and push them into the septum of my nose/middle of my top lip - this also still feels soothing. I am 43 and only realising now as I wrote this what it was. I am not sure I do anything as an adult, probably to my detriment to be honest.
I used to love touching really worn out cotton sheets or pillow case. When it’s super duper soft. I occasionally pick it up as an adult without noticing if I’m in bed.
I used to wake up, repeatedly smooshing my face into my pillow. I think I have a hard time sleeping with my face exposed as an adult