I've had a few annoying habits for the last 5 years or so. Originally, I would count syllables on my fingers, certain rules applied, but that's the jist of it. I've seen this on the internet possibly being labeled as OCD-like behavior. Lately, it's been these very annoying flexes of my arms, legs, and jaw. If I don't do it I feel veryyy uncomfortable. It's the same feeling and idea as the counting of syllables, just a different release mechanism I guess. Sometimes I will return to the counting of syllables except I do it with my teeth. As well as the counting, (I don't know if this pertains or not) during lectures I will write down random words that I hear from the teacher, sometimes writing the same word 5ish times, but usually 1-3. Some of my note papers will end up pretty decently marked, other times I won't do it. If I have paper in front of me, I almost always end up writing at least 1 word/set of words. That could just be me being bored though. Anyways, this is becoming pretty annoying and I was hoping to get some opinions on the situation.
OCD is an anxiety disorder, so if you have it you get obsessive thoughts that make your anxiety go up, and you do certain behaviours to make the anxiety go back down. A way to test yourself is to stop yourself from doing the behaviour, a person with ocd can't do that because then the anxiety can be pretty unbearable and that's what makes the behaviour a compulsion - you have to do it to quieten the anxiety.
You didn't mention anything about anxiety in your post so you may just be doing these things out of habit or boredom. Habits are something we do automatically without thinking about them, and you may have started habits out of boredom or restlessness etc, but if it's ocd then the behaviour is done consciously as a reaction to the anxiety.
I would have said pretty much the same thing as captjane, but I can relate to some of the things you're doing. It's not that I am compelled to do it or have rules in which I'm doing it, it's that I'm pretty much uncomfortable most of the time (body pain/tension) and have to do something in order to offset it. Fidgety, maybe, is a way to describe it, but quietly so that others aren't seeing it. What happens is that I mentally pick up a pattern and the teeth thing I can relate to as well.
Chewing gum helps.
I wouldn't say I'm bored, I would say that I might struggle to get my thoughts organised and focussed well enough depending on what situation I'm in.
Maybe you need to be stimulated through other avenues to settle your mental state? That could be through exercise, massage to take away some of the excess irritation, accupuncture, eating well balanced foods to sustain your body and mind, etc.
Are you taking any medications?
I think I have ADD, albeit mild. Makes sense for my behaviours and learning.
q
__________________
It's all a matter of perspective!
Thanks guys. I try to stop but it's nearly impossible. It will get to the point where my jaw or knees are in pain from doing it so much, but even with the pain I do the flexing thing. Usually though, it does not get to that point. The feeling is almost like an addiction. If I don't do it, I feel uncomfortable and crave to do the flexing/twitching/whatever, and when I finally do I feel completely relieved, rinse and repeat all day. Anyways, it doesn't really hurt my quality of living that much, so it's not a huge deal. It's just extremely annoying and slightly aggravating.
I agree with quincy that it sounds much more like an add or hyperactivity problem, like you're uncomfortable being still and the things you are doing are like a way to get rid of some of the excess energy in your body.
