- Date posted
- 3y
Bad habits
How do I get rid of bad habits. I often bite my gums and it’s painful but I can’t stop. This usually occurs when I’m stressed and have a lot of intrusive thoughts.
How do I get rid of bad habits. I often bite my gums and it’s painful but I can’t stop. This usually occurs when I’m stressed and have a lot of intrusive thoughts.
And pick my lips
Firstly, talk to your therapist if you have one for a more detailed plan and strategy tailored to your specific personal needs and situation. In short, you've identified that it is harder to stop when you are stressed, but it is not impossible. The next time you are stressed or intrusive thoughts are heavy, resist the urge to bite your gums for just one minute. Then notice that if you can go one minute, you can go two. Small steps lead to big gains over time! I cannot stress the importance enough the value of doing Habit Reversal Training with a therapist who is trained in the approach, which includes every therapist at NOCD.
Same
I used to profusely bite/pull at my nails, cuticles, and cheeks inside my mouth until I would bleed all over the place. It was painful and horrible. One thing that really helped me was finding a way to prevent the action. My therapist told me to paint my nails, and although that partially worked (because I couldn’t bite my nails), I could still destroy anything I put my nails into (literally). She then suggested I start doing dip polish on my nails which made them indestructible and bulky so I couldn’t pick ANYTHING orrrr bite them at all. I don’t recognize my hands anymore, and even when I don’t have my nails done, I bite and pick a looooooooot less. It’s almost never now! I also wore some mouth appliances when I was/am alone to control biting. You can’t tear things with Invisalign or bulky things in your mouth! The physical prevention paired with mental work is awesome. Don’t know if something like that would help! Good luck, I’m so sorry you’re going through it right now!
I’ve chewed my nails and skin around my nails since birth it feels like. My fingers look deformed, when they get water on them they get all white and puffy. almost like if you stay in a pool too long and get that weird water log on your hands. Only I put my hands in water for like 30 seconds and they puff up instantly. I believe I made it one of my OCD routines. I have to constantly check if there’s no loose skin or nails sticking out, and if there is I have to chew it off then I just don’t stop chewing until my finger is bleeding. It’s a very bad habit but it relieves my anxiety when I do it. I’m tired of my deformed, red, bloody fingers and nails it’s so embarrassing.
I have this issue where I can vividly imagine hurting others or animals or say things OUTLOUD that may be disruptive or disrespectful becauss I am overstimulated by soemthing someone is doing or saying. So, Over stimulation with people and animals and things they do can be a big part of it, Sometimes I will see soemthing that bothers me about someone and I just want to either fix it or hit them because they make me so overstimulated I just want to hit the problem. I never act on these things obviously but SOMETIMES it leaks out and I hit my hands together to calm the urges. I really don’t like imagining hurting others but when I get mad I obsess over what I would or could do to them or might or would’ve in a situation in the past, had it planned out differently. I keep thinking about it and thinking about it and then get upset with myself because I know it’s wrong to be thinking about hurting others and it worries me I may someday act on something impulsive and harm someone. Sometimes I cry about it because I never want to hurt people. Really I don’t. Most of these thoughts happen in milliseconds and I have a second part in my brain like a THOUGHT processor/auto corrective thinking reminding me I can’t do that because it’s morally wrong and I am too good of a person to do that and there is nothing to stress over.
I’ve had many types of OCD, but I gained control over them over the years, but a new one has started to arise. Do y’all ever have scary thoughts about something you might do? Recently I’ll get extremely uncomfortable no matter where I am because I can’t stop thinking about “what if I screamed really loud in my lecture class tomorrow?” And other stupid stuff like that. Also, this one is kind of funny, but sometimes when I use the bathroom I pause before because I think “what if I’m actually in class right now?” I also cannot control the thoughts about past embarrassing moments. I know everyone does, but I will become visibly uncomfortable and harp on something from years ago. This happens all throughout the day. Also, does anyone else do things that resemble tics when you get these thoughts. Like when they happen I’ll curse under my breath or like jerk my head a little bit. When I’m in public I keep it low key but when I’m alone sometimes I’ll physically get up and pace or something when those thoughts happen. Just curious if anyone has had these experiences
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