This is interesting because my brother and I do this, but less and less often as we got older. I am in my 40's and my brother is 53. We also have anxiety issues. Looking back I think it was more of a release than a ritual. I remember doing it in times of anticipation; good or bad. I notice my brother even to this day does this when he laughs really hard...usually when we are telling funny stories from our childhood. I also notice he rubs his hands together really fast to avoid the hand shake thing.
Honestly I think you will get past it as you get older. I think it is something we picked up in childhood as a release for stress. It's great that you acknowledge it and study the psychology of the triggers. That is what helped me in many aspects of my life. Hang in there.
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Originally Posted by PsychSearcher0
Hello.
I've registered on the forums because I have a question. I've spent many hours googling (mostly motivated by curiosity), and asked in a few different forums but never got a satisfying answer.
It is not a big problem for me, I ask mostly because I am curious about what psychology has to say about that.
I don't know if it matters but I am diagnoed with OCD that I manage via therapy and self-management.
Okay but what is "that" ?
Well when I was a young child I used to play in a strange way. I used to shake my hands rapidly but not too fast in front of my chest and imagine things - superheroes fighting, war scenes I've seen on TV, scenes from cartoons I watched...they were always VERY alive to me, and it instantly REPLACED what I saw or heard at the time, like a superior version of daydreaming. It never worked without the element of slightly shaking my hands. When anything that required my attention happened I was instantly brought back to normal, kinda like when reading a book or just daydreaming regulary. I know it sounds very strange but to me it was normal. It was an instant gateway to a fantasy world to me. Any world I wanted to see.
The most important thing IT STILL IS. I am now 20, and I could not get rid of this. Of course I hide it because I know it is not normal. I do it in the privacy of my room most of the time.
I fought many times to stop it because I was afraid I am crazy and that someone might see and ask what I'm doing but it was too strong of a habit to me.
I have noticed when we were both kids that my cousin, who is 3 years younger also does the exact same thing as me. I don't know if he has OCD too or not we are not that close.
Can anyone tell me what medicine has to say about that ? Does anyone else do this ? Is it because of the OCD ?
I am an anxious person, and I'm kind of afraid I will get attacked for posting this. I really hope this is the right forum to post such a question. On another forum I've got answers stating that I am "bent" etc. which was not very pleasing to me.
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