My worst habit is leaving cabinet doors open.

I pick at my cuticles/fingers when I'm anxious or in deep thought. I don't even know that I've done it until I notice that I'm bleeding or my husband tells me to stop. I've managed to quit for a while a thousand times, but eventually it starts to feel like there are splinters in my fingertips and I am compelled to pick at them again. It's something I've been doing all my life, as far back as I can remember, at least since I was three. When I think about it, I am totally creeped out that I do it, but I rarely think about it and am only really aware of it because my husband hates it. I never even questioned it before I met him and he would always tell me to stop.

Oh, and then one time I got a job at a security company and this guy there was working there while he was in school to be a profiler or something and my first night there he was training me and he turned to me and said "You pick at your fingers because you are anxious, what are you worried about?" and that's when I first thought it could possibly have something to do with anxiety.

Probably checking my emails every single time I sit down at my computer and about 5 times in between when I sit down and when I get up, because if I get a message from somebody I always feel like I need to respond to them right away because no telling when I might hear from them again and it's like if I can catch them before they sign off or something.

thepossiblepolice wrote:

I pick at my cuticles/fingers when I'm anxious or in deep thought.

Holy crap, sister, I've been trying to kick that for years! LOL, maybe we should start a support group?

wadsworth reminded me of another. I eat too fast.

Procrastination.

Not finishing what I start.

alan smithee wrote:

thepossiblepolice wrote:

I pick at my cuticles/fingers when I'm anxious or in deep thought.

Holy crap, sister, I've been trying to kick that for years! LOL, maybe we should start a support group?

woot! self mutilators unite!

Horizontal surface syndrome. I leave my stuff everywhere.

Making promises I can't always keep.

2xy wrote:

Horizontal surface syndrome. I leave my stuff everywhere.

At least you don't mark your territory like some men do. Orrrrrrr do you?

thepossiblepolice wrote:

alan smithee wrote:

Holy crap, sister, I've been trying to kick that for years! LOL, maybe we should start a support group?

woot! self mutilators unite!

Actually, where I work it is called Self-Injurious Behavior and quite common with psychotics.

Shale wrote:

thepossiblepolice wrote:

woot! self mutilators unite!

Actually, where I work it is called Self-Injurious Behavior and quite common with psychotics.

Well I really hope I'm not psychotic! I don't believe I am but I guess one never truly knows these things about oneself. I really think it just stems from having a stressful childhood. I read that it's really common in children but most of them outgrow it by age 6. I read that for some people, they keep doing it because the years of doing it as a kid toughens up the skin on the thumb particularly, so that it's scar tissue that feels uncomfortable as it heals and removing it causes relief. You have to break through that time frame where it's healing but not completely healed before it feels better and for me it's just so hard to get to that point. Right now none of my fingers are bleeding or hurting, but my thumb is super rough because it's not quite healed...I have to wear gloves, use moisturizer, and be really mindful of my hands or I'll do it again without thinking about it.

I guess it must be like being addicted to something, but I have never been addicted to anything else, I quit smoking after 5 years of smoking with no trouble...So I don't know for sure.

Shale wrote:

thepossiblepolice wrote:

woot! self mutilators unite!

Actually, where I work it is called Self-Injurious Behavior and quite common with psychotics.

Curses! I've been unmasked!

Shale wrote:

Oh, I've been told that I jingle my coins in my pocket. I am not even aware of it, but since that pocket always wears a hole I suppose I do it unconsciously. I can't hear the coins jingling but I have been told this by co-workers (ALL FEMALE).

So, I guess what I'm reporting is that my female coworkers have a bad habit of bitchin' at me for jingling my change.

I wonder where you keep your change when you're not wearing pockets? I know you have a sack for your jewels.

I have a lot of bad habits but the main one is smoking! Oh and procrastination. I will wait till Sunday when I have a paper due on Monday. Then I spend all day stressed out writing the paper!

Shale wrote:

Oh, I've been told that I jingle my coins in my pocket. I am not even aware of it, but since that pocket always wears a hole I suppose I do it unconsciously. I can't hear the coins jingling but I have been told this by co-workers (ALL FEMALE).

So, I guess what I'm reporting is that my female coworkers have a bad habit of bitchin' at me for jingling my change.

OMG, Shale. My guy does that at times, and it drives me batty. I have him stop that constantly.

RedBedroom wrote:

Shale wrote:

Oh, I've been told that I jingle my coins in my pocket. I am not even aware of it, but since that pocket always wears a hole I suppose I do it unconsciously. I can't hear the coins jingling but I have been told this by co-workers (ALL FEMALE).

So, I guess what I'm reporting is that my female coworkers have a bad habit of bitchin' at me for jingling my change.

OMG, Shale. My guy does that at times, and it drives me batty. I have him stop that constantly.

Looks like you were right about that!

LOL, Alan!

Seriously...I luv you Shale, you know that...but the change noise is purely a nervous habit. Give your co-workers a break!! xoxo

RedBedroom wrote:

LOL, Alan!

Seriously...I luv you Shale, you know that...but the change noise is purely a nervous habit. Give your co-workers a break!! xoxo

I don't even hear it.

Actually, like most men I have lost a lot of hearing for high pitch sound.




(Isn't it interesting that women speak in high pitch voices?)

My cat loves coins. When he hears change jingling in pockets, he jumps for it. Lucky you don't hang around here or you might get certain body parts snagged by cat claws.

Whenever I move the fridge out to clean under it, I usually collect nearly a dollar in pennies and nickels that Mr. Kitty knocked under there.

My worst habit is that I too often care about things that're trivial or get immersed in things that aren't as important as something else I could be doing instead.

Verve wrote:

My worst habit is that I too often care about things that're trivial or get immersed in things that aren't as important as something else I could be doing instead.

OOH, I do that. In fact I am doing it right now.