Strange Little Obsessions

Amber Fyre · #1 24th July 2006, 01:05

I***8217;ve noticed that a few people on here have mentioned that they have little obsessive habits, or strange things they do to help relieve their anxiety. So what are yours? Do you have any strange little obsessions or habits?

I think everyone has strange little habits that would be deemed insane by others (or at least we presume they will be). But I say, be proud of your strangeness!

fairyfingers · #2 24th July 2006, 03:12

Quote:

One thing that freaks me out are photographs. I can’t have photographs of people in my house. I feel they’re staring at me. If there’s a magazine in front of me with a face staring up at me I always turn it over or cover the face with something. Pictures of animals don’t bother me though, unless of course they were giving me the evil eye!

I could never put up photographs in my house though, especially of people I know. I hate looking at my year book from high school too – feel they’re all staring at me.

I am very much the same with pictures

Always turn newspapers over if there is any looking at me , and check before going to sleep especially as the thought of being stared at while asleep freaks me out

.People i know are not so bad though only feel comfortable enough with Andist and my son to have pics of them up around the house as they are comforting especially when they are not around.

Mirrors are another thing, cant sleep in a room with one of them as feel something may be looking out, have to sleep with something electrical on in the room as heard spirits do not like electrical energy so less likely to visit ( though am not sure i believe in them am not taking chances lol :embarass: ).

Amber Fyre · #3 24th July 2006, 03:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by fairyfingers

Mirrors are another thing, cant sleep in a room with one of them as feel something may be looking out, have to sleep with something electrical on in the room as heard spirits do not like electrical energy so less likely to visit ( though am not sure i believe in them am not taking chances lol :embarass: ).

I've always found mirrors quite spooky. As though they're a portal into another, strange world or something. Get scared looking into them- it's not me! It's someone else!!!!

#4 24th July 2006, 03:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by amberfirez

I've always found mirrors quite spooky. As though they're a portal into another, strange world or something. Get scared looking into them- it's not me! It's someone else!!!!

Did you ever play bloody mary as a kid? That made me scared of mirrors in elementary school for awhile.

Amber Fyre · #5 24th July 2006, 03:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuietGirl

Did you ever play bloody mary as a kid? That made me scared of mirrors in elementary school for awhile.

No I never played it! I wouldn't just in case the story is true!

#6 24th July 2006, 03:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by amberfirez

No I never played it! I wouldn't just in case the story is true!

Lol, well I never actually played it but one of my friends told me she played it at a sleepover and that Bloody Mary appeared. Then another one of my friends said the same thing. So after that I was really afraid of mirrors for like a year, I was like seven. I had a very vivid imagination. They still sort of scares me alittle, even though now I'm 22.

c_l_ng · #7 24th July 2006, 12:24

A girl at school told me the bloody mary story in the playground in primary school too! I was so scarred when I got home. I noticed all the mirrors in the house all of a sudden, and couldn't be left alone in a room with them, and certainly not at night! It wasn't like this before he told me the story. It took me must have been 10-15 years to get over this fear of mirrors fully - seriously! I kept thinking, what if she appears, what if I accidentally say her name and she appears. I was petrified. I know I'd never say her name, but what if? You know! I remember the day so well. My mum, that day I came home, had a little Usbourne Book Of Tennis as a present for me. It wasn't my birthday, just was a little treat.

Oh, and did anyone watch Child's Play too young and are still frightened of dolls to this day? I did, I was 12. I still think all dolls are staring at me, and don't like to be in a room alone with them.

Winnie57 · #8 24th July 2006, 13:13

I've mentioned some of my quirks on another thread so I'll mention one I haven't mentioned before. When I see a penny in the street I am compelled to pick it up and put it in my pocket. It's not a superstition but it feels lucky. I then fondle it in my pocket when I'm feeling sad or anxious and it reassures me in a strange way.

Jihan · #9 24th July 2006, 14:23

There's a small trinket I carried around for a long time: it's one of those metal circles that're fitted around the faces of certain multi-purpose watches, something to do with a timing mechanism. Anyway, I found it a couple of years ago in Gloucester Road tube station on the westbound Picadilly line platform, and I carried it since in one of the pockets on my thick black water-resistant jacket. No particular significance, it was just something I'd fiddle with. There was once rather surprising occasion last year while I was going to some screenings at the International Manga and Anime Festival when it slipped out of my pocket while I was watching. I didn't realize this until I was back home; however, the next day I went back to the same seat and found it still lying there.

I haven't worn the above mentioned jacket for a while now, because of summer, and I'd forgotten all about this.

Kevin Hodge · #10 24th July 2006, 14:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by amberfirez

I've always found mirrors quite spooky. As though they're a portal into another, strange world or something. Get scared looking into them- it's not me! It's someone else!!!!

i feel a little like this with tvs. i used to occassionally have a tv in my room when i was younger, and would put it right by the bed and watch at night (it had no remote, so i had to have it right by me). always thought something would come out of it and get me if i didn't turn it away from me when i went to sleep. still don't think i'd like sleeping with a telly so close to me.

LAME

Amber Fyre · #11 24th July 2006, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winnie57

I've mentioned some of my quirks on another thread so I'll mention one I haven't mentioned before. When I see a penny in the street I am compelled to pick it up and put it in my pocket. It's not a superstition but it feels lucky. I then fondle it in my pocket when I'm feeling sad or anxious and it reassures me in a strange way.

I always try to pick up pennies when I see them and say the little rhyme:

Find a Penny
Pick it up
For the rest of the day
You'll have good luck

But sometimes I'm too paranoid to pick up pennies because there are loads of people around me!

Winnie57 · #12 24th July 2006, 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by amberfirez

I always try to pick up pennies when I see them and say the little rhyme:

Find a Penny
Pick it up
For the rest of the day
You'll have good luck

But sometimes I'm too paranoid to pick up pennies because there are loads of people around me!

I feel too scared in the city centre but I feel cross with myself for not doing it. Sometimes I might pretend to drop something so I can pick up the penny.
I used to say the rhyme when I picked one up when I was younger but I've sort of grown out of saying the rhyme but not grown out of picking up pennies.

#13 24th July 2006, 22:44

I always sniff milk before I use it. I do it every time I use the same carton, even though I know it's still fresh.

Amber Fyre · #14 24th July 2006, 23:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Intro Guy

I always sniff milk before I use it. I do it every time I use the same carton, even though I know it's still fresh.

I do that too. I get quite worried that food/drink is off or gone bad.

#15 25th July 2006, 00:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by c_l_ng

A girl at school told me the bloody mary story in the playground in primary school too! I was so scarred when I got home. I noticed all the mirrors in the house all of a sudden, and couldn't be left alone in a room with them, and certainly not at night! It wasn't like this before he told me the story. It took me must have been 10-15 years to get over this fear of mirrors fully - seriously! I kept thinking, what if she appears, what if I accidentally say her name and she appears. I was petrified. I know I'd never say her name, but what if?

Hahah yeah that was how I was too.

MaryEllen · #16 26th July 2006, 03:42

I must have mild OCD. When I'm driving I have to repeatedly check that my parking break is off, my lights are either on or off (depending on time of day), and the car is in the correct gear. (even when I KNOW everything is fine because I just checked it two minutes before).

Also I have a strange habit of repeating words or phrases over and over again... like, for instance, I'll say "in Jesus Christ's name I pray, amen" :embarass: over and over again till it sounds JUST right...when Im not even praying. I just say it beneath my breath, like five times in a row....I dont know why....I've been doing that off and on since I was a kid.

Concept · #17 28th July 2006, 01:02

Coins. Doors. Lights. Placement of objects. Order of doing things. Numbers. Time.

Amber Fyre · #18 28th July 2006, 01:05

I used to have a thing about symmetry. Everything had to be symmetrical. Like if I touched my left ear I'd also have to touch my right ear. If I tapped my left leg, I then had to tap my right, then my right again, and then my left. had this mostly as a kid. Then forced myself to stop, which was annoying and frustratingly difficult.
My 'friend' also got me into the habit of 'touching wood' when you think/say something bad. I don't believe in it at all, which makes it more annoying. But I also think "just in case" and it makes me anxious. I started wearing a wooden necklace at one point to try to get over it.

Winnie57 · #19 28th July 2006, 01:06

Numbers and time are biggies with me too. I time myself doing jobs.

Almost everything I do there is a game or rules behind it.

Amber Fyre · #20 28th July 2006, 01:08

I also had an obsession with words at one point. If I ever thought of a word I had to spell it in my head. I couldn't stop it, it wasn't a conscious choice. Shouldn't have remembered that! Now I'll probably start again

Winnie57 · #21 28th July 2006, 01:11

Talking of words you've reminded me of a game I used to play on my bus journeys. I used to have to see every letter of the alphabet in order (on number plates, shop names etc), then I was allowed to shut my eyes and doze off while counting from 100-1 backwards then I had to open my eyes and do the alphabet thing again etc etc.
Now all I do on my bus journeys is doze for the whole journey and listen to my music.

Concept · #22 28th July 2006, 01:16

I have tried doing that, but it wears me down eventually. I feel by shutting out the sound of the world I am missing something, even if it holds little-to-no-importance. It's the sensory equivalent to shutting your eyes on a car or train journey whilst still being awake.

Eating food without being able to hear also seems to lessen the taste.

Winnie57 · #23 28th July 2006, 01:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Concept

Eating food without being able to hear also seems to lessen the taste.

I think there's a scientific explanation for that but I'm too tired to research it now. I'm going to bed to give my senses a rest.