Comments on: tics

By: schmutzie

schmutzie — Fri, 30 Sep 2005 05:34:24 +0000

When I was a kid, certain things had to be repeated in multiples of four: touching doorknobs, the knock of my heel against the floor, switching which side of my mouth I was chewing on.

By: Sam Walker

Sam Walker — Fri, 30 Sep 2005 04:47:08 +0000

I used to have the symmetry thing : if I did something like itched my arm/leg, or rubbed something, I had to do the same thing on the opposite side of my body. I also avoided stepping on cracks for quite some time, though not as long as the symmetry.

I’ve honestly never heard another person mention having similar “problems” before. I always assumed it was just some sort of mild case of OCD that I got over as I got older.

By: eeksypeeksy

eeksypeeksy — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 01:40:14 +0000

I have developed real tics over the last few years. A blink. And a bow, a nod. People think I do it on purpose, so they do it back to me. I get blinks and nods all day.

By: Susanna

Susanna — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 11:53:35 +0000

I used to have to avoid stepping on the lines of tiled floors. And, simultaneously, step on as many tiles as possible, as fast as possible. Used to drive my mother insane!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 02:51:30 +0000

Footsteps had to be in evens, especially those to any meaningful destination, from when I was six until just before I left home. Then again, during several days at my mom’s apartment when I was 15. Shudder. I’d count things like stairs and tiles before I stepped on them, and if they worked out to an unfortuitous number I’d make the necessary adjustments. Now I practice tabletop feng shui, play a constant game of connect-the-rhythms, and glare back at narrow-spectrum artificial light sources (which annoyances are easily mitigated by shadows).

By: mig

mig — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 00:30:03 +0000

Oh, you’ve reminded me of more. I also used to chew my beard, as a child. And when knocking on a door, knock exactly 8 knocks. Initially. Later I became afraid that 8 was an evil number, and while still feeling a compulsion to knock 8 raps, also tried to avoid doing so. And I used to hold my breath while passing graveyards. This was easier to do as a passenger in a car than walking; even in a car it was sometimes a problem if there was a red light, stop sign or train crossing in front of the graveyard.

By: flerdle

flerdle — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 21:33:44 +0000

Press my foot into the floor, or think about it with a sort of “doomp” noise in my head when the guideposts and poles go past, or the next bit of dotted line down the middle of the road, when travelling by car or bus or train. Marking time and distance going past.

Hey, we had a lot of long car trips when I was little. So dull.

My sister’s the jiggler though. Drives me nuts. And I can’t stand people tapping the table if I’m leaning on it, or tapping the floor with their foot so the vibrations can be felt. Disturbing.

By: R J Keefe

R J Keefe — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 21:11:01 +0000

I have a nasty habit of chewing on the beard right below my lower lip. This does not go back to childhood, however.

By: anne

anne — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 20:17:56 +0000

i spell out what people are saying in sign language. it helps me to focus on what they are saying instead of getting distracted by preparing my own response.

also “crack” a number of things, including jaw, elbow, wrists, fingers, knees…

and i used to do a very pretty spirally thing with my fingers, which i don’t do much anymore but plan to incorporate in my next stressfest. prestidigitation, it’s the ticcer’s tic.