Is it normal to rub / fidget pillow tags or labels?

Since I can remember, I’m hopelessly addicted to the paper-like tags on bed pillows, throw pillows or mattresses. I like to rip them off the pillow and massage them with my pointer and thumb- especially folding them in half and feeling the crease. Over the years it’s gotten REAL bad, if we are at a store, I’ll tear the tags off pillows and horde them. I usually have like 4 of them or more in my pocket at all times and even when I go to sleep as it brings me extreme comfort. My wife found my one dresser drawer with a bunch of “spares” and thinks it really odd. I know they make toys for babies with silky like tags - but I need to have what I believe is like a Teflon Coates paper tag. I’ll even rub it over my upper lip at times. I can’t go around ripping tags off things I don’t own but I realize it’s extremely compulsive now as I’m a father of kids now! Anyone else have it this bad?

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67% Normal
Based on 6 votes (4 yes)
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Comments ( 9 )
  • MrMercury24

    YES I DO THIS ALL THE TIMEEEEEE

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  • BleedingPain

    This sounds like a compulsive sensory thing. I have Trich. And when I compulsively pull my hair out, I always brush the follicles on my lips before discarding the hair. To help stop, I found makeup brushes give the lips that same feeling.

    Maybe you could try to substitute like above...

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  • litelander8

    My ex was did the exact same thing! I’d find tags everywhere!! It’s not a bad habit.

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  • KholatKhult

    I worked with a guy who had a thing for small sticks in the shape of “ У ”

    All of the sticks were the same size, shape, and type of bark. He just always had them in his hand or pockets and he had a stick drawer that had hundreds of these exact same sticks in them.

    Eventually we all assumed he just willed them into existence because it was too hard to find out how he is finding this precise stick over and over again.

    Completely normal guy in every other way.
    Not sure if this helps you at all, just an example of a hyper specific “addiction”

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    • d0esnormalmatter

      Probably was sticking them up his arse with one of the forks of the y while the other one applied pressure to his perenium.

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      • KholatKhult

        You really thought this one through

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        • d0esnormalmatter

          Totally not an r/suspiciouslyspecific

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    • YupMeTio

      Thank you - and yes it makes me feel a bit better. The part that bothers me is that I won’t even think about it and tear a tag off something in a store - super compulsive

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      • KholatKhult

        Hm. You can try putting a bandaid or tape over your finger tips to kill any sense of stimulation you get from it. Eventually the urge would die if you no longer get the satisfaction.

        I have a horrendous smoking habit. I have two cigarettes in my mouth while I’m typing this. But a majority of the time I just light a cigarette and hold it until it’s burnt it’s way out because it’s just something to do with an idle hand.
        So, I used to tape my pointer and middle finger together so I couldn’t hold a smoke between them. It worked. Should probably do that again.

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