Label rubbing

I do something similar with fabric, but not with labels. It's usually stiffer fabric like dress shirts, blankets, jeans etc. I push the fabric together between my thumb and index/middle finger in a way that it make a popping sound. The fabric rolls against my finger and feels good. Been doing it since I can remember. My mom used to warn me that people would think I was weird if they saw me doing that. When I was 10, I cut my finger and now have a permanent, but small, scar on my right middle finger. When I do this over the scar it is especially good. Weird, I know.

I'm the only one I know who does this and I was searching for others who might do the same thing and found this post. This is the closest thing I have found to what I do. Maybe the "folding" thing I saw described above is similar. Not sure.

Does anyone else do this?

I'm doing it right now :) I think my obsession with labels is a lil unhealthy. If I lose one I'll spend hrs finding it or hunting a good replacement. I'm 21 and have done it since I was at least 4. I have met two others that have done it but grown out of it. It's definately a comfort as it makes me sucks my tongue (sounds strange I know). I can't sleep without it. I think it's as addictive as smoking. I'm not a smoker but are any of you labelers? If so which would you rather give up. If anyone wants to make a lot of money, then Market labels, big squeaky ones, I'd buy loads!!

I too do the folding-rubbing thing. Mostly, I prefer stiffer fabric, like good pillowcases, so the fold makes a point for maximum sensation when rubbing. I am a molecular biology and am researching these types of disorders. They are classified as "impulse-control-disorders" rather than OCD. There is some overlap with OCD but these types of behavior have their own classification. I am unfortunately cursed with a second impulse-control problem called trichotillomania, essentially excessive hair-pulling. Both behaviors seem to increase when stressed or having increased anxiety. Have not been able to overcome either disorder and I am 44 years old. But there is some evidence that it is genetic, so therapeutic measures are unlikely to work. In other words, it is chemically driven in the brain.

It's Sunday morning and I wake up, yawn and look for my "Silkie". My family knows, only a few friends do, and only two boyfriends... I rub silk tags. I had been sucking my thumb from birth to age 14, stopping only because my teeth were messed up and I needed braces. But the silkies, I never lost. They are everywhere in my house. My mother used to sew twenty of them on my stuffed animals. They had to be a certain kind, it sounds creepy but I liked the ones in her undies, that made a sound and had a sharp edge. Now age 33 I find my favorites on Addidas clothing and Cannon bath towels... I know it was a self pacifying act and became part of my adorable Linus personality. Ido it while driving from Cape cod to California and back. I am a us army veteran and have worked in a jail, I always had a Silkie in my pocket. When I don't have a pocket, say in a dress, I'll tuck it in my bra. I get panicky if I don't find my "good one" in a back pocket of my jeans. I have talked to my mom about it and she always thought it was endearing. Her friend Dale used to rub the inside of his suit jackets and my pediatrician said there was nothing wrong with it either, so it just became my thing. Dale Died a few years ago and i was so crushed. He understood that weird little feeling we all get when we rub things, while we're thinking, or reading, watching tv, or trying to fall asleep. She found one in her house after I had been there, it was a good one too. I could tell it was as sentimental for her as it was comfort for me. I wash them, stockpile them in my lingerie drawer and have at least a few come out of the laundry every time. Why?
Because when I rub it, the texture feels like a vibration on my skin.
Because when I place the soft silk on my face it's like air
Because the edges are scratchy
And because there is a noise that makes me sound like a dj...
Is it normal!

Oh my goodness!! I have always had a blanket with satin on the edges since I was a baby, and I rub the satin between my fingers and toes constantly. As an adult, I would have disturbed sleep and leg cramps because I would be rubbing the satin between my toes all night. I started wearing socks to bed in college and it helps me to keep my feet calmer at night and a better night sleep. I always thought I was weird...whew. I can rub satin for hours and not even think about it. It can be frustrating and just addictive.

I've done this since I was a baby, not labels rather satin. My baby blanket had satin trim and I rubbed the soft sides together until I wear it out. Now I buy yards of satin ribbon at the fabric store and cut off little pieces and carry them around in my pocket. I had a boyfriend back in the day that was amazed because he said his sister does this and they call it "swishy" so now that's what I call it. Not everyone knows I do it, it's kind of a secret. Some think it's weird. I think it's a comfort thing. Certainly not as bad as biting nails or picking ones nose.

Holy mother of Mary!! For years I belived I was a freak I never told anyone at all, my family saw me do it and they jokely took the mick, I too was very picky about which labels to have even to the point of ruining decent clothes for them, even others clothes, but now I'm a 22 yo, I enjoy boxing and I am currently learning to building boats I'm 6.2ft and I don't care now that I know there are others like myself I even have a huge silk blanket that I think is just bliss, thanks everyone for speaking up because I wouldn't have! But why was I ashamed or imbarressed seems really daft now . Thanks all xx

Oh and p.s any fit girls that like the same thing please feel free to message me ;) x

OMG.! for the past 25 years i thought i was the only humanbeing with this beautiful thau atyms embarrasing habit.!Thank you guyz for confirming am not a ..! ma fav are pillow,blankets and jacket edges gives me such relaxation.! the side effect thau is that my index finger got this bump on Their side.! is there Medication for us folks..

Me too had the same exact obsession as everyone else with rubbing silk. We can start buy listing actual diagnosed problems we have and maybe find correlations. For example My father has done this my whole life. Is it Nature or Nurture (learned or innate)? I have also been diagnosed with M.S. (nervous system disorder)
And one more weird thing perhaps it coincides, I like symmetrical sensations. ie if I rub with right hand thumb and index, then I have to do the same on the symmetrical opposite side. Or if I get scraped, pinched, rubbed, kissed, caressed, whatever. If I am paying attention it has to be balanced.

Searching for a connection; my blood type is A-. How many of you have negative blood?

It's not normal but perfectly acceptable.I've done it for years and only met one other person who does it.Although,he's a moron,but I'm a shit hot scratch Dj.I also fold them.

Holy crap i finally found a label rubber too! Well i call them tags but dude i thought i was the only one and always wonderd if there was another person who did it also. I been doing it since i could remember and i have a son now and still do it. Funnt thing is my son is 2 and he developed the samething but with the corner of pillow cases. He cant sleep unless hes rubbing a corner. This all too crazy to me now.

I too am amazed to find out that there were others out there with the same story as me.
When I was a child, I could not fall asleep or relax without rubbing the corner of my pillowcase between my index and middle finger. And it had to be a specific pillowcase that just felt right.

As I grew up, the pillowcase rubbing went away, but was replaced with a different process. I would get the same relaxation and soothing from just rubbing or polishing smooth objects with a cloth. I have developed many 'collections' of things and they all seem to have fallen into the same type of category, something that I can rub with a cloth.

For the rest of my life so far (57 yrs old), I have continued this behavior often hiding it from other people. To this day, my main behavior is to be polishing or just rubbing a smooth stainless steel object with a piece of tee-shirt material. I have recently discussed this behavior with my psychologist who has told me that this was not that out of the ordinary behavior and is indeed a mechanism that helps me calm down and relax.

I am so glad to have found this site where I have read such similar stories like mine and I feel so much better having learned this and have shared with others.
So don't be afraid to let people know like I was up until now.

Hi & this just goes to prove that you really can find just about anything on the web.

I am 47 & ever since childhood I have had this craving for folding the edges of bed sheets & pillows to form a point & then running said material under my finger nails.

However, there is far more to it than that. The sheets must be cotton & single thickness at the edges. This allows for maximum 'pointiness' & hence subsequent satisfaction. Sewn over double edged sheets will not do. Further more, lovely crisp laundered sheets are best or obviously brand new ones.

Pillow cases are, well, a different case altogether! The favoured items are a rarer commodity but it's the inside flap (of the case) that covers the end of the pillow...the edge of that is the 'treasure' within!

My term for the habit is 'my nice bit' & this is the name I have used since those early days of boyhood!

It's just so odd as to why I find the feeling so comforting especially now as an adult. I can play with my nice bit for some time often to the extent of drawing blood in the skin at the sides of the nails. Bizarrely, if I have managed to loosen little flaps of skin on the cuticles & especially if it has become slightly hard skin this is a bonus as the added feeling of my nice bit pushing the flaps is fab.

Now, here's a golden tip for all incurable fellow nice bitters! Try rubbing the little folded edge of sheet or pillow case on the inside corner of your nostril just where it joins the cheek. Bulls eye! It's so good I have actually made the parts in question quite sensitive on many an 'overdose' session.

I must add that I can happily survive without my nice bit & in fact I did for some years until someone gave me some old bed linen to use as rags...what, no chance! When I saw those sheet edges I knew I could relive my childhood habit as an adult! There is even one in my car for the dog to sleep on...OK he does but I made flamin' sure it had nice bit edges first!

Me and my current boyfriend both found out we do this!

We have named it 'sharps' and when it makes us zone out 'sharps trance'
It's nice to not feel like a weirdo. Peace out fellow weirdos!

Wow! I have always thought I was the only one who does this! For me it's not labels, but corners of fabric. I think it started with a blanket I had as a child. I would play with the corners so much that they were all completely destroyed. It just never really stopped. I'm 28 now.

It has to be a certain type of fabric, usually with some kind of string or stuffing inside that I can roll around between my thumb and pointer or middle finger. It calms me, but I'm so embarrassed that I do it, I hide it from everyone. The only person who knows I do it is my husband and he thinks it's totally weird and thinks I should stop. He also pointed out that I tend to do it when I'm anxious or stressed and will ask me "what's wrong" now if he sees me doing it.

I feel like a crazy person. Nice to know I'm not alone. What the heck causes it? Why is it so addicting?

I also have been meaning to research this and finally remembered today (I'm 47). Awesome to know others do this. I like the term "snapping", cause it seems to be the closest to what I do. I to like many have been snapping since I was a kid. My preference is the corner of a pillow case. I twist the corner into a point and crunch/fold it into a tight ball, place it right on the bend of my finger and "snap" it with my thumb. It's like there is a ball inside my finger that snaps back and fourth. And if that isn't weird enough, I only can do it with three fingers; my left index, left middle index, and right index finger. Ive always wondered what it is. It's def a comfort type thing. I think its sort of like acupuncture where the popping/snapping over the nerve(s) releases a pleasure sensation. I also have never met anybody else that does this. I can grab a table edge or something flat and pop it loudly without lifting my finger. Strange. My girlfriend recently asked me about it cause she sees my do it and all my pillow cases have frayed ends (hers are getting there)...lol. I think it's something I'll always do. Good to know there are others out there.

ive never spoke of this to anyone. not family nor friends.
may as well spill it to a bunch of strangers around the world lol.
it all started with the thumbsucking. at about age 5 i started digging the silky lined tops of blankets and whatnot. i then graduated to pillowcases around age 9. around age 14 i discovered the pillow tag. oh man. must be like the first hit for crack addicts. before id have to always carry the pillow around and use the edge. after discovering the epickness of just using the tag i could use it anywhere. it was a MobileRubby (patent pending). i always wanted to contact a factory or something that makes the tag and ask em how much for a blank roll lol. i once had a job at a mattress store.
dude.
tags for days. lol.
it even says on it "illegal to remove tag blah blah" fold fold rub whatever. i stayed fully stocked in tags for a long time. mattress tags are better than pillow because of their thickness. if you are a folder (like me) they are great. awesome pointys, triangle folds and great for thumbsucking.
i rotate bak and forth between mattress tags and these little 2in x 2in cloth squares that i cut out of a sheet i bought. i roll them in between my fingers and its kinda like thumbsucking in public, just with out your thumb in your mouth in the middle of work lol. i like when its cold, cause i can wear a hoodie and fidget out in the open cause it has the kangroo pouch in front. you cant just pretend your hands are in your jeans pockets and rub in there, it looks too much like you're playing with yourself, especially if you sag your pants.
food for thought.

good god this sounds crazy when i type it all. lol.
this has always kinda just been my own thing that i never told anyone, but now that im reading all of this it makes me feel so much better and less like a tard because all of you are in the same boat.

yoga aint got anything on thumbsucking. its a kind of zen that would make buddah drool.
so calm. so relaxing. forget xanax,valium and chillabrex. this is what works (as weird as it it).
thanks for listening.

i fold the ends of my skirt into triangles and i can do it both hands left and right and fold 2 triangles at once and start "ticking" them. i like the sound they make and i can control the pitch of the ticks by the thinness of the folds. Sounds insane to some of my friends but i'm glad i'm not the only one now : ) my thumb has overtime form a blister from 'playing' triangles the sharpness of the ends of the triangles makes me feel comfortable and most of the time, i do it unknowingly. Well, to me, anything but ordinary ;D

I rub the thick part of the corner of a pillowcase with my thumb and pointer finger, my mother said I was a few months old when I started, she said I was "folding" the end of the pillowcase, not the open end, but the thick part of the corner thats sewed, I'm 38 now, and seem to do it everyday. I only use a pillowcase that is on a pillow so if anyone sees me, most just think I am leaning on a pillow. I have ruined the corners of soooo many pillowcases in my lifetime. My family does know, and no one ever questions me, which I'm actually glad because I have no reason why I do it. Maybe out of habit?? Would love to be cured from it. Any suggestions?? Glad to know I am not alone. I also have a nephew who is 7 who has to have a silkie tag to rub when he goes to sleep. Also glad to see other people who do that as well.

I have been rubbing labels since I was 2. And when I get into relationships I stop. I have talked to a therapist she said that its a security issue. I stopped when I was 13. But my mom died and re triggered the label rubbing again. Lol I go to thrift stores and good will to buy a shirt just to rub the labels. Best friend bought a little metal canitster and painted for me to hold them in. It just seems like. I prefer guildian labels not. It use to be Adidas labels they use to be long I liked twirling them around my pointer and rubbing the edges on my lip. I AM JUST WEIRD.

WOW I DO THIS TOO AND THUMBSUCK I THINK WE SHOULD ALL FIGURE OUT WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON AND THIS CAN TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT IT YES IM TYPING IN CAPS BECAUSE I WANT EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE. OK FOR ME IT STARTED OUT OF THE BLUE WHEN I WAS 6 WHICH IS A MAJOR COGNITIVE AGE I WAS AN EARLY READER (4) AND AM A PSYCH RESEARCH MAJOR IM ARTISTICALLY INCLINED IM A VIRGO COME FROM A BIG FAMILY SO NOW IM A LONER...MAYBE THIS HELPS...AN ASIAN FRIENDS MOM TOLD ME I DO IT BECAUSE I WAS BORN IN THE YEAR OF THE RAT LOL RATS LIKE SOFT NESTS OF SHREDDED PAPER, CLOTH, FEATHERS, i DO THIS MORE WHEN IM STRESSED...WHAT ABOUT YOU?

I'm very happy I found this. I can't remember when I started doing this, but I'm 18 and I still do it. For me, I enjoy using pillow tags, blanket tags, and espcially computer paper! I like to rub / poke them between my finger nails , between my fingers and around my lips and eyes. I don't know why but it's very addicting but it's all very soothing to me. I really can't stop it, its like an addiction. also, when I really get into it I make a sort of clicking/sucking noise with my tounge! I'm glad i finally found out that I not the only one!

OMG i do this too im 25 and my mum said ive done it since i was a baby. I call it my "tag" only my family and bf know about this but i am picky at which tags i like. i have sometimes ironed them in the past to get the folded edge crisp again LOL. I do alsorts with my tag from rolling it under my nails to rubbing it on my lip and cheek mine have to be soft and silky and also make a certan noise when rubbed. I to didt know anyone else who did this so is great to find out im not wierd hahaa my boyfriend has also leart to live with it and knows i will never stop !!! RUB AWAY TO YOUR HEARTS CONTENT AS LONG AS IT MAKES YOU HAPPY : )

I've been doing it ever since I can remember. I used to have a favorite blanket with with silky edges.. and I'm constantly playing with it. Rubbing it between my fingers, under my nails.. and sometimes between my toes. I'm not sure why, and If I can't find my 'silky' I look for tags that feel just right. I carry my silky everywhere. I always have it in my pockets at work or I play with it in the car.. and honestly sometimes I have to have it to fall asleeep. I know it's so weird but I've always been like that. I used to be afraid to tell people, but now I could careless. I love my silky fetish.

I'm 29. As a child my Uncle Introduced me to a baby blanket in which I obsessed over the satin lining. It had to have been a childhood comfort because I at one point broke my collar bone and the only thing that would make me comfortable is if I had my satin between my fingers. The goal for me is to roll the crease between any two fingers. It doesn't matter which hand or if it’s combination of fingers and my face, leg ect. The direction of the fabric for me has to be smooth and slide with ease. Other's I've met need the rough cracking sound between the fine threads. As I grew up I later found I was one of a kind, and I didn't run into anyone like me until I was about 18 years old. Since then, I've only met two. So it makes sense to me that my natural instinct of something feeling out of place would soon follow. I tried quitting. I just couldn't. I had a childhood name for it, and later changed it to a more grown up Identification. I take it everywhere with me. To work, to drive, to shop, to sleep. It never leaves my side. I even go as far as cutting up a small pieces of fabric and stuffing them around the house, the car, the purse for those "discreet moments where sating rubbing is off limits" Having a Dinner with the company president would be a fine example. I do forget about it from time to time and leave it at home. I do go through slight withdrawals of not having it around. It's the same as feeling naked without your cell phone with you. The craving for it never subsides, however I can live without it or find my substitutes. My substitutes include Nylons, certain Silks or even a plastic bag. I often think that if I ever was caught in a natural disaster, that I would have prepared myself for a keen eye in finding a natural way of satisfying my need to comfort myself. If the laws of life allow it, I'm sure I'll still be doing this till the day I die and will then be buried with a cloth between my fingers and a memorable jester to my family. What I have notice about my habit, is that when in some cases it might stop me dead in my tracks, I still do not think of this as a gateway to any other substance or habit. As long as I am walking around the world with a conscious difference between want and need, I'm sure I won’t be jumping onto train tracks just to get my fix unconsciously. All the while, I have this lifetime ailment and no one to talk to about it, people see me, and shrug it off. To be able to relate with someone with the same condition, now that’s and opportunity to diagnose; get some answers and resolutions as to WHY! Maybe come up with some professional name for it even. Who with me?

OMGosh! I am so glad I found this website because I was beginning to think I had something wrong with me because Im constantly rubbing the "silky-like" material on the outside edges of my baby blanket that I've had for 30+ years. I have been rubbing the material for as far back as I can remember. I rub it so much that Im constantly having to resew the material back on to my blanket. I can relate to the people who say it has to be a certain kind of material, because if its not the right material, I wont rub it! I dont get the same comfort and satisfaction as I do with the RIGHT material. I fold the material as well sometimes and start rubbing my fingernails and cuticles,top lip,my nose and under my eyes.Then, Sometimes I will just use the pointed corners of the material on the blanket to rub my upper lip,nose, etc. etc. I also will rub a little section for awhile and then start rubbing a different section that I haven't rubbed in awhile because the material feels cold when you first start rubbing it and it feels so good when the material cold or cool. I do this unconsciously a lot and I take my blanket (a.k.a my woobie)everywhere I go and if its not in my purse I keep it in my car. I like to rub it when Im driving, I have found that it helps my nerves in traffic and keeps me calm. lol So its with me pretty much 24/7. Its soothing and helps to keep me calm and not quite so anxious. I like to rub it when Im thinking or if Im in deep thought about something. I cant go to sleep unless Ive got it in my possesion because rubbing it puts me to sleep. Its very hard to explain to someone the pleasures and security feeling it gives me when I am rubbing it and my friends and family often look at me strange when Im trying to explain it. It doesnt embarass me like it use to when I was a lot younger and I was the only person in my age group that still slept with a security blanket that Im constantly rubbing.All of my friends and family call me "Linus" from the cartoon character in the cartoon "Charlie Brown". Linus is the character that carries his security blanket with him everywhere he goes.The more stress and nervous I get the more rubbing I do and the harder I rub the material. I just wish I knew why I did it and what exactly the pleasure feeling is that provides the soothing comfort and security I get when Im rubbing my "woobie". As for now though, I am just thankful that I found this website and to know that Im NOT the only one in the world that does it. ;-D

OMFG!!!! I seriously though I was the only one. Mine is two silk robes that I keep in my bed. If I go somewhere guess what? One of then comes with me. When I sleep, I have to keep one on each side of me, rub it between either my index or ring finger and my thumb while sucking my tongue. Even if I'm not at home, I almost always seem to find some silk somewhere. If I'm distracted I automaticly start sucking my tongue. I'm doing it now while watch n tv. I've been told that the reason why I do it is because my mother winged me off the bottle too early. That might be why I personally do it but I'm not sure. I'm just glad that I'm not the only one.

There's a line in a Bruce Springsteen song-

"With you I have been blessed / What more can you expect / This life, this life and then the next / I finger the hem of your dress / My universe at rest."

It's comforting to those of us who do it, not at all weird, but, like anything else, can be done to excess. If it's keeping you awake rather than putting you to sleep, if you become agitated rather than comforted, if you can't stop even when you want to- then it's a problem.

WOW I am so glad I found this group of adults who also likes to rub labels! Ever since I like 4 years old I had a Minnie Mouse doll with a satin label that was perfect for rubbing.

Once her tag got all disintegrated I went looking for new satin tags and found that tags from many underwear work well. Also award ribbons work well.

Sometimes I like to rub the tag together, other times I like the scratch my nail down the rough side of the tag.

It has to be a very specific weave of satin tag, not sure what it is but it just feels right.

Has anyone ever tried those taggie blankets? I haven't found one where the tags feel right on it.

I was so ashamed that this habit has continued now that I am 27, I feel a little better now that I've found other adults who do this as well.

WOW i'm not alone.... I looked before to see if anybody else had the same tendency.. but to no avail. But now I feel alot better.. I'm now a 24 year old man and going strong.. I now carry around a Blue shirt that had the best feeling out of anything else (see linus lol).. My old fav was the inside of nba jerseys.. (the mesh kind) id fold rub crease whatever it took.. mainly thumb and index or middle finger.. I make games out of it like rubbing to music I hear.. or just making that "sound". also on my lips and under my eye.. I even had people rub and couldn't understand why they didn't enjoy the feeling like I did.. I'm the only person I know who does this.. Folding the Labels of jerseys is great as well.. making the crease and then rubbing between my knuckles on my hand .. so many things.. but I will not stop.. It's free and It's pleasant... Ironically enough I remember one instance of preschool... Where my teacher had stockings on and we would sit close and she would read.. I couldn't stop trying to rub her leg lol.. Not embarrassed at all

Hows about this....I have rubbed labels practically 24/7 for as long as I can remember ( I used to call them 'ladybirds' because my baby clothes had labels with ladybirds on) and not only do I rub them between my fingers but I rub them on my face, especially on my top lip and under my eyes. I am 22 and despite being an extremly shy person I am waaay past being embarassed about doing it in public....besides...I suck my thumb all the time too. The two usually go together although I can suck my thumb without labels but not the other way round lol! I have a blanket which I call 'Snuggle' (god I'm sounding like a right nutter now) and before any Item of my or my boyfriends clothing gets thrown out I check it for silky labels, cut them out and either sew it to Snuggle or to any item of clothing that doesnt have one on it so that I never have to be without.
I remember a really embarassing moment from when I was in 1st year of secondary school and a boy who I didnt like v much draped his jacket over his chair...he was sittig just infront of me and the label of his jacket was sticking up...it just looked irresistable...all silky and shiny and I just stared at it for ages untill i couldnt help myself and i reached over and started messing with it and he turned round and ws like 'what the f are you doing' and everyone laughed....so traumatic lol!
I also do the folding thing and i curl it round and rub the tip of my thumb on the very top where it crinkles - try it! lol...
I do other weird things too like pushing pens into my top lip and pressing the corners of my fingers (when i start doing this I cant stop nd it drives me mad)
I used to smoke but I quit..lol...but i dont think I'll ever be able to quit labels...
I'd say we were all normal lol....

This is crazy, I always thought I was the only person who did this. Since I was a baby I've had a compulsion about silky fabric with stitching that I think I got from a comfort blanket. I'm nearly 30 and I think it's always going to be with me! But it's a super big secret, I try not to rub fabric when other people are around because it get a terrible compulsion to suck my thumb at the same time! It really relaxes me though and I'm not too bothered by it. I often rub sikly fabric when I need to think too, it really helps clear my mind. Strange!

SO glad I found this site! I'm 42....been rubbing ribbon since birth, I'm sure. I had a baby blanket with "tricot" sp? around the edges. Been rubbing ever since. I can see the label similarity, but for me the silky ribbon or some call it "tool" is the perfect texture. My husband is bugged by the noise, but gets it. My son does the same thing, but he had a very similar blanket as I did when he was a baby. (of course, i made it for him so I'd have a "rubby" while I cuddled him in his blankey!) lol...now I buy ribbon and have some in my purse, desk at work and at home. When I'm having periods of stress, I rub more than others. Nice to know my son and I aren't the only weird ones around. :D

It's amazing. Some of these stories, I could have written myself. I am also a biomedical researcher so I borrowed other BioGal's name. I don't work on anything related to this behavior, though.
It's only award ribbons for me. It helps me have something to do with my hands and avoid doing worse things (touching my face, picking bumps on my skin).
I really need it most of the time, to keep the picking in check. So what are we calling this, people? BioGal, since you say this is on the spectrum with the hair-pulling thing, does it have its own fancy unpronounceable name? I always thought of it as ribbon-rubbing.
Very fascinating, everyone! Thanks so much for opening up so I could see I'm not the only one. Thank goodness for pockets (and understanding spouses)!

I came here looking for some comfort; that I wasn't the only weirdo around but it didn't happen. I like rubbing too, but not fabric or labels. I like rubber finger grips. Like the ones you file papers with. Something about the rubber and the pinch when I roll it in my fingers feels so relaxing. Sometimes my fingers get really dry and cracked and the tips are starting to desensatize and callous but I can't stop. I hide it by keeping them in pockets, purse, and at home. My husband knows but that's it. I worry someone will see and make fun of me but it doesn't deter me from doing it anyway. Is there anyone else like this??

My sweetheart says to BUY AWARD RIBBONS at any trophy store. . .
He tried to hide the habit from me but it stressed him out trying to hide it. I have to admit I'd never heard of it before him but if it comforts him or relieves stress. Who cares?
He buys a stack of ribbons and keeps some in his car, work, home.
He highly recommends it.
It started with hockey pants.

I do this too! Never met anyone else who does it but never had a need to bring it up in a conversation!

This is the only place on the interent where this topic is covered. Thank you thank you thank you! I have been doing this for as long as I can remember. I can't believe there are other people out there that rub labels too! I love tags on sweaters and folding corners on blankets and pillows. It's definitely more than just a comfort thing. I sometimes feel a sort of tingly sensation on my fingertips that only goes away once I rub it across a piece of textured fabric or a label. I don't think I'll ever be able to stop. Please, there has got to be a name or medical term for this, no?

I do that nothing to be ashamed of.:)

Wow, there should be a online community for people like us. Not really. Anyways, I have the same thing going on. It started when I was young and had a sleeping bag that did it. Now it is almost an addiction. The inside sleeve of my coat does it, award ribbons do it real good, and we have some pillows at our house that do it. My wife will grab the pillow and throw it because it annoys here. lol. I can totally relate to the above poster about third party objects, it actually makes it better. wierd. I feel like im in a support group or something.

I am exactly the same! Ever since I was really little I have rubbed labels :-p I have never met any1 elce that does it and it does have 2 make that certain sound as well!

I rub labels all the time! In my sleep, at work, out and about. Its a comfort thing I think.

There are good labels and bad labels. For me they have to be folded diagonally in half and rubbed between thumb and middle finger. it feels very good and I can't stop doing it and i'm 24 and it is......... Definitely not normal - But I love it! Sorry

I do the same, with me the correct texture is when it's almost as if you can feel one side of the label through the other as you rub them together. Noice.

I also like doing this, but i like chewing them too. Not obsessively
just when i'm bored

haha!! I do that too... my fav are blankets, pillow covers, and jeans...

WEIRD and SOOOOOO EMBARRISING thing happened to me once when i was abroad with my friends... my friend and I were sharing a double bed (in a triple room)... and my friend woke me up in the middle of the night because I was (this may sound wrong) "rubbing" his fingers in my sleep. He did not know about my obsession... neither could he understand cos its weird.

I'm so glad that I came across this page as I too thought I was the only one who did this! I've been doing this since I can remember and when I was little I used to suck my thumb and also rub the fabric against the top of my nose towards my eyesocket! I constantly had a scab on my face from rubbing the fabric against my nose/eyesocket but I still couldn't stop. I mainly did this when I was going to sleep or lying on the settee watching tv so I think its a kind of comforting thing. I managed to stop sucking my thumb when I was around 10 (I know so embarrassing!!) but I still rubbed the fabric on my face or if in public just rubbed it between my fingers and thumb. I totally get that it needs to be the right fabric and the right sound. I aslo fold the fabric and scratch down the folds with the my nail, amazing!! I am 26 and still do this, I can't see me ever stopping as I get too much pleasure from doing this and find it soothing. I occasionally rub the fabric on the top of my nose now but have to stop myself from going to town on it as I will end up with a permanent scab again!

Oh my GOD!! I decided to look to see if I was just weird and unique, but figured that label rubbing was just too nice for me to be the only one who does it! And I was right! Im 28 and I like any kind of silky material (but labels best). I totally get the whole "fold it" and rub it, thickness issue etc etc. But I have a different habit - I like to sort of "scratch" the fibers out systematically, just so they catch on any rough bit of nail or skin. Maybe its the sound or the feeling - I dunno. But recently I experimented and found that I could also use third party objects to transfer the delights of the scratchyness to my fingers, specifically brickwork!! By rubbing the label against brickwork the tiny grains of sand catch the fibers and make them "ping" and every ping is like some sort of incredible miniature orgasm of the label rubbing world. What the hell is this about?? I dont care, I figured its totally harmless, but I can get lost in a piece of label for hours if Im not careful. Scary thing is Im a doctor and its been known for me to miss my bleep because I have been too fixated on some new label from a surgical gown or something. Haha, weird life. And Im a guy, not a girl. And that seems to make it even more weird??!!

If anyone is interested in trying the material that I use to rub between my fingers and toes, what I get is taffeta from Joann Fabric, on the receipt its called "Bumi Casa Organza Ivory" and it costs $3.99/yd. It is an off white synthetic type of material similar to silk, but you have to treat the edges or it will "string out", so I just take a Bic lighter and burn, actually melt the edges, I then cut swatches to my desired size, then iron it flat, fold the swatch in half and iron it again. After awhile it'll get wrinkled so all you have to do is iron it again, it makes it like new. I wear my swatches out about every two weeks, so I buy 3 yards at a time, which is 9 feet off the material bolt, and that will last me roughly three years. When I go to the fabric store I will rub and touch every single kind of material that they sell, always looking for something better but the taffeta feels the best and it won't cause you to blister or put a callus on your finger tips. I hope this helps, what kind of material do you like?

I’m laid in bed with my tag and said to my mrs, I wonder if there’s something wrong with me for doing it?? Then I found you guys! I might be 10 years to late but I’m going to sleep very happy 😂😂

I’ve just read through all of these comments with a massive smile on my face.

I’m 34 and still hide the fact I do it 🫣😂

Much love my fellow tag monsters ❤️💙

totally, tags are my therapy!

I'm so incredibly relieved to find I'm not the only adult (27F) who does this. Mine might be a bit more extreme, though. I get attached to tags on toys; for the longest time it was the tags on Beanie Babies. I rub the tags and suck on them until they gain my smell and lose the plastic-y coating. Then I rub with my fingers and on my nose and lips and (most importantly) "sniff" them. CONSTANTLY. The rhythmic thump-thump-thump of the tag against the rim of my nostril is incredibly soothing and I have often said that rubbing and sniffing the tags is my personal brand of Valium. I used to suck my thumb and sniff the tags in tandem but I forced myself to cut the thumb midway through my teens.
I don't do this in public, and there are only a very few people around whom I openly do this. I will, however, keep it in my jacket/hoodie pocket and rub the tag vigorously in public places, especially making them "snap." The sweat of my hands makes the smell better.
I have done this since infancy and have not been able to kick it (not that I've ever tried hard), but I feel justified in knowing there are WAY worse things to which I could be addicted or use as coping mechanisms. What is absolutely surprising is that my son (2) picked it up around six months old (give a month or two), thumbsucking and tag rubbing in tandem. We're not sure if he saw me do it and something clicked in his brain or if he genetically inherited a predisposition to do it from me. I have no idea what my parents did as kids, as they've told me that they'd never seen anything like it or don't remember doing that. I am SO ecstatic to get this out of my system among like minded people!

HAHA..cheers to everyone who got weird habit of something..but me just the same as others ..that i want to rub my feet and hand into pillow that has a good fabric or if there's no pillow any good fabric that i can scratch my feet and hand together until i feel satisfied...:) :) :) and i even choose a sandals or shoes that is really nice to scratch in..:) :)..so i know now it is not really abnormal to feel this..thank u guys

It's so neat to hear that others do this as well! For me, I started label rubbing when I was a toddler. The type of "label" or "tag" I desire fits into my own defined category of needing to be "crispy, krinkly, and juicy."

I've only had a label that met all three of those categories once when I was 19. The label was eventually worn down and I have not been able to find one like it since...

Im really glad to have found this post, this is Awesome. I am 24 and have done this for as long as I can remember, it is very comforting, and feels especially good during times of high stress/anxiety. I enjoy the thread around the threa along th bottom outer layer of a shirt, or the label of a shirt the most. I fold it into a point and press the point into my fingertips, or under my nails. I have met one other person my age who does exactly the same, and I thought that was really cool, as I had never seen anyone else do it. My son does something very similar, as well as my nephew. It's would be interesting to know what exactly it relates to. I've heard its a sensory thing, but idk for sure. But Cheers to all us finger pokers, sliders, rubbers, we aren't alone after all. Haha!

I know this is an old post but I have to comment. I can't believe there are so many people that share this weird habit with me! In my 31 years of age I have never met another person who "pops" (as I call it). Family and friends my whole life rendered me a weirdo because of the sound my fingers make on certain fabric. I have to do this.. I can't stop! My mom said I rubbed my fingers on my bed sheet as an infant and I guess it just progressed.. I have a favorite pillow case that is like heaven to pop. If I sit, I'll pop my jeans where it folds or a nice dress shirt.. If I walk through the clothes section of a store I'll pop crunchy type fabrics as I walk by. Running shorts are good poping material and suit coats are nice too. My husband can't stand the sound but I can't make myself stop.. I totally agree with the memory loss and it putting me in an almost euphoric state of mind. Anyway I am happy I am not the only one who does this! I've searched the web before but this is the only accurate post I've ever found!

This is great, over a year and people are still posting. I am so glad I'm not the only one who does this.

Omg! Crazy I thought I was the only one & feel blessed to have found others with same issue. I thought I was a freak and I googled my symptoms and came across this site. I do the exact same thing as Buddyboy and couldn't believe as I was reading his comment. He was decribing exactly what I do! I prefer thicker sharps sheets I love to fold them in a point and rub between my fingers and finger nails. I also run the point on the corner of my nose and it give me great stress relief. I don't remember when I started but I know I have done this since I can remember along with thumb sucking. I stopped when I was 12 yrs old and at the age of 40yrs old I started again when my husband passed away. I am now 44 and I started thumb sucking and rubbing sheets again. I felt so ashamed especially because I can't stop and get the urge more when I'm stressed. I decided to search the web thinking there might be a cure or reason why I did this only to find so many of you do it as well. I don't feel so alone after reading your comments. Thank you so much for sharing your stories! But if anyone finds a medical term or reason as why we do this please share it with us as well.

Hey guys, so...I don't do this, but my 6-year-old son started this a few months ago, and I'm trying to learn more about it so I can approach him with compassion, understanding, and maybe some tools to help him do it in a less public way. His current habit is rubbing the labels on the lower/inside side of his shirts. He does it when trying to form a sentence and whenever we're walking somewhere that's not super-familiar to him. He also does it when his hands are unoccupied. It's almost constant. He's starting school in a few months, and I'm worried the kids at school will make fun of him.

Here's what I'd like to know from you guys:

1. Those of you who did this openly during your early school years - did other kids make fun of you? Maybe I'm worried for no reason?
2. Have any of you guys found a way to rub labels in public without being noticed? If so, what's a good strategy? (Should I give him like a taggie toy/small washcloth with tags or something?
3. Have you had any success isolating this behavior to private times & places? If so, what techniques did you use to do so?
4. Did anyone ever "grow out of" this habit?
5. Is this a behavior that, once satisfied, diminishes for a little while, kind of like hunger? So, like, if I encourage it during certain times, is he more likely to be satisfied and not do it for awhile?
5. Do you guys do this less when you're less stressed?

Thanks in advance!
--Mom of a label rubber :)

I truly somewhat relate!!! For me I remember doing it when I was 3 or 4 . I get a cloth or a blanket stiff enough to do it and I just rub against it with the middle of my Palm and just feel soothing and relieving I randomly catching myself do it. I though it was just me! None of my,closest friends do it or my family I thought it was just me!

I am an obsessive rubber too! So is my husband (but not as bad as me) - we call them 'rubbies'. I do it with tissue a lot as well as fabric. I rip off bits of tissue and will fold it into a perfect point and rub it over my hand in swirls, under my nails, on my lips and on my nose. I do it almost all day and hope that people won't notice but they probably do! I also do it with fabrics but only if they are a bit stiff like a nice cotton. It's relaxing and comforting and I think it's normal!

IM NOT ALONE!, again like most of you ive been doing this since I was a baby with my blanket, now I like to fold up pillow cases, sheets, cushion corners anything that creates a nice sharp point. fold them into corners with my thumb and index finger and rub it along the tip of my finger in my cuticles, and in between my fingers and toes. i call it 'Quilting' lol im doing it 24/7 not many people know I do this apart from family and my fiancé, she thinks its weird and random but accepts its a habbit I cant get enough of. its like a drug! theres nothing better than the bottom part of a shirt folded to create that perfect point! ahh man! im soo glad theres so many people that do this... I wear a hi-viz vest at work, and I fold the hi-viz bands into corners and its amazing! keep sharing your stories people! we are not alone! :)

Wow ! I've never expected someone could be doing that thing.. I also started as a baby ( been doing it as long as I remember ) Now im 23 and i still do it.. I do it with just one piece of fabric ( it has a perfect material for me ) .. I dont know why i do it.. It just feels so calming and good beetween my fingers.vSometimes i also rub my face with it. It helps me to feel asleep.. and also doing that makes me sleepy ;)

I have been doing this since I was a little kid.
it first strated (if you ask my mom, Ps tmi) with her nipple when i was a baby. As I got older it progressed to the corners pillow cases, the thicker spots on my jeans where they connect, strings hanging off of clothing, and most commonly the thick part of the sleeves of my sweater. I tried to stop once but it's too hard and I just keep doing it. I have worn out almost all of the sleeves on my sweaters and my one favorite pillow case. I always thought I was the only one to do this and I don't tell many people. I've actually learned to hide it pretty well in public by pulling my sleeves in and rubbing my fingers together over it, this is why I have trashed most of my sweaters because the sleeves wear out first.

i'm so happy i found this! when i was little i had a baby blanket and i would rub the edges between my fingers. i've always done it with my sweater sleeves too, and i still do it and i'm finishing high school. it's hard to explain but i pull the sleeves to the inside where my hand is and almost bury my fingers into it and rub them. it sounds even weirder just typing it out but i'm glad i found others who do a similar thing since i've always thought i was crazy for it. i do it a lot when i have anxiety and it just makes me feel comfortable? i just scrolled back up to read more comments and realized i was doing it again wow ok i'm going to put a hole in this sweatshirt.

Wow! I can't believe there are others just like me out there. I have been scratching my scratchy pillow for 44 years. These are the first comforting memories in my life. For hours I would touch the stiff corner of my pillow pinching it between my finger and nails.Progressively I graduated to tugging on the edges of scratch pillow harder between each finger especially between my ring and middle finger. It feels so good. I would not trade this feeling for almost anything but but it is right up there with the most pleasurable feelings. I have progressed to the point to ruin many pillows during my lifetime but the best materials are soft cottons. I have wondered and asked others about this but I have never gotten a good answer. My little sister sucks her thumb and does the same and my daughter does the same as well. This is my obsession. I don't drink or take any drugs but without my scratchy pillow I am a mess. It is my only addiction.

I have been rubbing tags since I was a little girl. One day I told my mom that I needed to go to the doctor because I couldn't stop!! She said nothing was wrong it was just habit. Today I was in one of my college classes and had my hand in my jacket pocket rubbing the tag feariously because I was nervous about the class and for some reason it was so relaxing. When I get especially stressed I rub tags. I went a few months without doing it and when I started to rub tags again it was like why did I even stop!!! Why is it so addicting and is it related to anxiety?? Is there any possible reason that makes a person become addicted to rubbing tags while others aren't even exposed to such a habit??

Omg, i cant believe my eyes when i see this page lol... i have this habit of running the knot of my bolster string making a loud pop sound. it would drive my mom and now my wife crazy. hahaha, it feels really damn good. It makes the skin between my fingers rock hard. Does anyone uses bolster string or knots too?

I do the same when I'm thinking, watching a video or trying to sleep. It may be a stress relief, but I end up breaking the fabric...

I can't tell you what a relief it has been to finally find this thread. After years of trying to find the correct search phrase I finally landed on label rubbing after a friend described what her baby boy was doing with a 'taggy' toy. I prefer the term 'snapping' since it kind of describes what I like to do. I'm 41 - male - professional and been doing it ever since I can remember. I had a sheet rather than a blanket as a child and used to suck my thumb and rub my fingers against the sharp edge of the sheet. It's called the selvedge (or selvage in the US) - the self finished edge of the fabric. This is the thing which I most prefer for snapping but I'll use pretty much anything (paper, the label off a coke bottle or even the cellophane of a cigarette pack). Hotel bed sheets always seem to have a selvedge on them and the first thing I do when I get to a hotel is pull out the sheets to check! Pillow cases sometimes have them too but I haven't come across a pillow case with one in a shop for years. My wife thought it was weird when she first noticed it but we've been together for 12 years now and she is okay with it! She even went to a fabric shop a few years ago and bough a metre of cotton which had a selvedge and cut it into little pieces for me. I'll keep one under the pillow in bed - I find I can get to sleep pretty much instantly if I rub the fabric for a few minutes.

I noticed that my daughter (3 year old) does something similar with a fluffy toy - rubbing her thumb back and forth on some of the fluff!

I can't remember exactly when but I'm pretty sure I've got without rubbing for some periods in my life. I don't think I did it in my early 20's and possibly my late teens. Other than that I've pretty much always done it! I tend to rub my fingers along the selvedge for while. Sometimes I will roll it up into a fine point and stroke my thumb against the the point. Sometimes (and this is the most exquisite thing!) I'll stroke the rolled up point against my face particularly around my nose and in a figure eight around my eyes. Whichever way I do it I find it can have an incredibly relaxing and soporific effect on me.

I knew I wasn't the only one who did this but so good to have finally discover so many of the others who do!

shit! i've been doing this since i was 2. i used to play with a shift collar and moved on to harder fabrics. everyone i know doesn't seem to get how addictive this thing is! i mean i can keep folding and stroking sharp tips for hours at a stretch..

i have to do it when i am thinking hard, so when i work, i keep fiddling with the collar tip of my shirt and end up making it dirty at the end of a day. recently discovered that paper is an amazing substitute although it tends to crease too much and "wear off" after a while. i never liked doing it on jeans because the tip wasn't sharp enough to feel through the thick callouses on my thumbs..

I can't believe what I am reading. Ive done this my whole life. My weakness is jeans. I fold them Into a point and push it under my nails. Ive always been made fun of but it's an anxiety thing and it comforts me. Also, certain blankets that I rub with middle finger and thumb. Its like opposing fabric that screeches when you rub it and it feels and sounds amazing. I have a pair of jean shorts that I sleep with and take with me places if I need too. It gets so bad sometimes I bleed under my nails and it hurts to wash my hands or touch things. It hurts when I do it but its a good pain. Idk. Everyone who knows thinks im crazy. "Why do you always pick at your pants?" My husband now asks me if I need my "shorts" when I feel anxious. I will pick my shorts over holding my husband's hand. I can't help it. I really thought I was the only one. I'm laying in bed doing it now! Thank god for this forum!

I have been reading your posts and can't believe there are others who "feel". Lol I have been doing it since I can remember but I like the soft material on the underneath side of sweatshirts, the kind of nubby cotton. I have also have an old very worn robe that is almost Heaven! I cut a piece off last week to take to Mexico on vacation. I couldn't sleep one night while there so got it out and forgot I had left it there until the next day when we came back to our room and the maid had made the bed and left it laying on the pillow. What do you think she thought? Lol My daughter also "feels" but she likes the silky, satiny fabric. She has cut a piece from a shirt and carries it with her everywhere and recently "come out of the closet" and doesn't really hide it anymore. She was running errand while I was in Mexico and lost it. She drove all over town retracing her every move to find it and finally saw it (it is from a neon green tank top) under a truck where she got her oil changed so she climbed under the truck to get it. She texted me in Mexico to tell me! I am 54 and she is 33 and we have both been doing this since we were little. She blames me and says that she felt me doing it when I was pregnant with her. Our husbands both think we are crazy but we both agree there is nothing more soothing. It does take us to a dazed state though and isn't safe while driving! I was a thumb sucker until I was about 8 but she was just a pacifier lover until 2 so don't know if there is any connection. We are so glad to know that there are actually others that enjoy this same thing!

I feel so much better that I found so many other people that share my obsession! I'm very peticular about my rubbing. It can only be polyester satin, I call them rubbies. The care labels in forever 21 merchandise are perfect, they make the perfect sound and have the perfect texture. I had a tank top that I grew out of, but had a good label so I made a pillow out of it so that the label was readily available lol. My mom snatches the fabric out of my hand if she catches me doing it and I'm 25. Its so soothing and relaxing I do it everywhere...Label rubbers unite! I'm not weird anymore!

I am glad i found this. For many years I thought i was alone, and me and only me had this unresistible addiction. but to find that there are others out there like me, its like we are mutants and we find other mutants (except we don have super powers but instead just a super satisfying addiction no one in the world could understand)

I find these forums reassuring, and opening and reading other people's story who are similiar to mine is super comforting =)

I also had a blanket when i was a baby and it never went away. For many years I try to quit, i would throw my jacket with the satin away, only to find another substitute a few weeks later, in the back of my shirt label, prize ribbon, etc. Now I am beginning to know that I can't quit this, but I chose to live with it for the rest of my life HA

i do the same thing have done since i was a kid im 25 now i like corners of stiff cotton like pillow cases some times i fold stiff fabric together and rub my thumb on it . i also sleep with a stiff pillow case at my feet so i can play with the folds i even have a name for it crinkling lol my bf thinks im strange but thats ok .

I can totally relate. This is a habit both my son and I share and from the looks of it many other people too. Makes me smile. So here is my habit, I call it sizzling, its anything silk. Not the super soft silk it needs to have like ribs on the back side as to make a zip sound and feel. Book marks, tags, shirts, coat linings, blanket tops etc. Ive done it since I was a kid. When I went to bed sizzling would calm me down and help me fall asleep. Then I would find myself reaching around to give my mom a hug and go in for a quick sizzle on her shirt. To this day (I'm 38) I will sizzle the inside of my coat, watch a movie and have my kids coat on my lap so I can sizzle. I love love love the feel. My son also has this habbit. It started when he was only a few months old. It startedd with a baby rattle that had a tag. His little baby thumb went to his mouth and the tag on the rattle would rub his nose. It was so cute. He wore the tag off the rattle and at six months moved to a little bear with a tag. He is now 12 yrs old with the same bear. Of course it looks nothing like a bear now. More like a crime scene. He rubs his upper lip and fingers. He finds lint balls on the bear and uses those. They have to have some kind of point on it. Doing this for him relaxes him and helps him focus. Its nice to know both my son and I have a simila habbit. I would like to know how many of us were thumb suckers. My daughter never sucked her thumb, she had a pacifier and never had the need for a comfort blanket or tag but both my son and I were thumb suckers and we have the habbit. Interesting! !!

I find the feeling of playing with a pillow between my fingers so nice. This includes folding dress hinges or bedding sheets and/or duvets covers. Also, I still suck my thumb at 34! I cannot fall asleep without sucking on my thumb, I think of that special pillow when I am not at home. It's like a safe place for me, a place of true comfort where I can really relax and easily process my thoughts.

Hi

I am glad that I am not alone. But I have something weird and peculiar than all above that i feel happy and distressed if I rub food ,soft material like chewing gum, pasta,noodles in between my thumb and identification finger. I rub it till it becomes hard and throw away . I will never do it in front of any one I don't get that anxiety to do but when I am alone and eating food i will pick very few into my and start rubbing. I have this from my child hood 6 years. Even my DAD has this habit but he died when I was 4. My Mom says that he had this . I am not able to get rid off this its of no harm to any one but looks weird if someone knows. Can any one help me in getting rid of this. PLEASE PLEASE........:(

MY GOD! I have to reply here. At the time of writing this I'am 25 years old and I have been doing the exact same thing as OP since I was micro.

I rub tag/labels and I'am very picky about the texture, stiffness and shape! I love to fold them in various ways, for example if I have multiple I fold one or two together so that the natural "bend" is emphasized, then I use a another to rub along the bend.. But I have many, many ways! One is also enough for pleasure. God when I see a fresh and shiny soft label I just can't control my impulse to rub the fuck out of it. Going to places where they sell pillows and blankets is like heaven on earth. My friends think it's a little funny, god I thought I was the only one! I can lay in my bed for hours rubbing labels before I fall asleep. At the moment I think I have 4-5 labels cut off and stored in my jacked, I always bicycle with one hand and run labels in my pocket with the other one.

:D

Hi im 23 years old, I love to flick seams especially pillowcases where there is the left material after the stich, I seriously thought I was the only one as only found this one site but is it normal or is there a hidden reason why I do it???

I do this a lot with labels, and also since I was a toddler. I always put the label sticking out between my middle and index finger and then rub it with my thumb (I find Adidas labels the best ones)usually until it has frayed over time.

I'm embarrassed about it though, and I've managed to hide this weird habit from most people.

I also love doing it with bed sheets and pillow cases, folding over once or twice and running my fingers along many of the points I have made. I get to the point where there is then a stain there!

Also, does anyone put there thumb inside the label and then use their middle finger to roll the material up?

Me too :-)

Silky labels and making them snap between my fingers ... since a kid

The thing was my nan saw me doing it with my hand on the neck of my tops ... My hand was always round the back of my head .... she thought they were always annoying me so kept cutting them off and I didn't want to say anything :-)

omg!! so glad i finally googled about this. it made me wanna know more about it after i found out my manager does it too. ive been doing this ever since i can remember. my family, friends that know tease me about it. i thought i was weird. i usually do it on pillow cases. i always had a certain pillow case that i have and use until it gets ruined cuz i rub em so hard. i carry it around the house on my shoulder. so comforting. if im not at home i do it w the bulky part of my shirts, or folded paper, or even my ears. i also suck on my bottom lip and dont even realize. its just been going on since i was little. my manager does something similar too. she flips her tounge back and sucks on it. anyone know what this "THING" we do called. it must be called some kind of a scientific name if so many people have it. anyways yay!!! glad im not alone on this one.

I thought I was the only person who did this. I'm 63 and I've done this since I was an infant in a crib. I call it "catching". Silky and nylon materials work best for me..whatever will "catch" on my hangnails, fingernails, or rough skin on my fingers. I have a friend who works at the local Children's Hospital. When I told her about this "habit," she said that they give premature babies a material for the babies to rub their fingers on.. They said it soothes and calms many of them. So, I'm concluding that many people probably did this, maybe when infants. Most of them screwed up and quit doing it as they got older. lol I'll never stop doing it. I carry a piece of material in my car for long drives. I also have material near my bed and my recliner. It relaxes and soothes me. I guess I'm not the only weird person in the world after all!

Hello everyone...I love this thread...I also can't tell you how beautiful it is if you get to see a girls silky label through the back of her knickers! It is the sexiest thing in the world. Total girl next door which is my favourite thing. Let's go! x

I'm 30 and I still do this. I've been doing it ever since I can remember, I guess I had a 'blankie' as a toddler with silk corners, apparently I rubbed it to non-existence.

I'm a red-seal sheet metal worker.

I rub my lips, cheeks, arms ... sometimes if I have an itch, I'll use that to itch it. I stick it in my fingernails ...

Since I'm a smoker, unfortunately, I use the plastic around the case to rub. The snapping sound lol, I usually do it when I fall asleep, or at work, watching tv. Might even have it in my pocket, yet when I'm talking to someone I'll rub my fingers with it.

I dunno, I thought it was an OCD thing or something. I do suffer from Anxiety. I'm glad I know other people do it, I do it when around people, but I'm kinda self-conscience of it, so I try to hide it. I'm sure my buddies see it, but they've never said anything.

My mom knows, laughs when she sees it. The wife hates the plastic folded points in our bed lol. It's soothing, can't explain it.

... and now of all things, my 4 year old son does it.

but yes, I've started out with the blanket, rubbed on my jackets, pants, whatever that gave me the sensation. Maybe that's why I haven't quit smoking, I don't want to run out of that plastic LOL

---Canadian

I DO THIS to ive don't it forever ever since I can remember im 14 and I do it when I suck my thumb ive never meet anyone else that does it but now I do I thought it wasn't normal and I was the only one and I am also very picky I have ALOT of tags (I call them tags not labels) and I take them with me everywhere pretty much but don't do it around people apart from my family :D

Bhaha! "Fabric Crinkle Snaps" Thought I was the only one, I usually do it with my pant legs, khaki is the best, certain types of jeans too. I started when I was a toddler probably with my pillow cases, always ruined brand new shirts with the printed images, THEY WERE THE BEST!
Drives my girlfriend nuts, especially when I met her grandparents, apparently I was bangin out some good snap crackles lol

Ever since I can remember(25 now)I have always ripped the tags off of my shirts and rub them together. I'm doing it as I type this. It has to be the right type of material and has to feel right and make a certain sound when rubbed together. It's to the point where I can tell if it's a "good" tag just by the brand. I panic and get very frantic if I don't have one on me, as I always have a few in my pocket. Different types for different stress levels or ones for during the day and ones for bed. I rub them constantly; especially when stressed. I've always been embarrassed about it until recently when I got caught doing it. Since then I'm just up front about it. I've never met anyone in my entire life that does it. That is, until I found this post. I made an account just to post on it.

I do this I cant stop i do it while i'm out have hand in pockets while walking, i like rub on my lips face, fiddle with a few diff ones then change over i just cant no do it i get stain on my fingers lol n tendons. They have be right texture I get anxiety and helps and helps me get to sleep, any fellow label rubbers wanna chat lol check my profile or add me on bbm 7c8d6f18 only my mum n bro knows i do this hehas similar thing he like to roll blue tack lol between fingers.

I came across this blog looking for answers to who else does this rubbing thing that I do (doing it now as I type). I like to rub on silky material such as the inner lining of coats or that silky bored sometimes on blankets. I like to rub it between my figures, rub it on my face and on my lips while rubbing my tongue against the roof of my mouth (which make a soothing sound). It relaxes me instantly to the point of getting tired/sleepy. I also like rubbing on fine hair such as eyebrows, baby hairs and arm hair. Could this be an inherited trait? I think that it might be inherited from my mother. As a child, I would see my mother do this with paper towels that she would fold up and rub on the corners. Its' funny because that's how we would know that she was home (or had been home) when we would find these folded up pieces of paper towels.

I read in a medical blog that stated it could be an addiction rather that just a behavioral habit. Rubbing on things sends a natural chemical to the brain relaxing you like a tranquillizer. They also relate this to temporary memory loss. I can totally believed this as I usually rub things when I'm frustrated or bored and it numbs me to the point of being lazy. On the down side, I can get to the point of depression. Is this normal? Can you stop?

I do something similar to that. I rub my whole fingernail on fabric. Like I'm painting my nails. Haha. I'll suck my thumb and rub my fingernails on my pillow. It's kinda loud. I've done that since.. idk. Haha. Anybody else or am I utterly alone? I think I do this "folding" thing too!

*Material Picking*
Well, I think I started this when I was 5 or so. Now 41!!
Professional male. But in every day life, especially when relaxing, will fold a piece of material (even a T-shirt or inner pocket) so that I can squeeze it between my finger -and nail. Kind of jam it in for a few seconds. it's the most comforting thing ever. Totally incredible feeling. The material sits between my short nail (usually middle finger or index finger or thumb nail) and 'sticks' there jammed between the nail and the finger flesh. It's SOOOO weird. I have been doing it since about 5 !!!! But it gives me such comfort and sense of 'release' or even a bit 'erotic'(?). I say that with a lot of reticence as there is NOTHING sexual (obviously) - it's just so powerful. I cannot explain it. It's obsessive and incredible. A secret way of comforting yourself, that anyone else would find weird!
I use soft, ready washed cotton. Nothing else. Not sure about the 'label' rubbing people talk about - I think I once rubbed off a corner of a muslin - and then got it trapped in my finger nail gap - I managed to stop (decisively) for about 2 years once. Then it started again. I feel like a baby who needs to be cured. Even my children ask 'what are you doing???' Because I use their material when we are watching movies etc !!! I'm so embarrassed! Can anyone help me??

I to am a "label rubber"....in the fact that I love rubbing silk!! I just wanted to note what I believe encourages, and most of us, all have in common with this. I have always wondered if others did this to. After reading and looking into why we enjoy this I have noted most of us:
1. Had access to a blanket or other type of material for comfort at a young age.
2. Have anxiety, or stress--uses it to give a sense of calm. Relaxation and sense of peace when rubbing.
3. Can loose track of time--get caught in the moment. A sense of almost memory loss when rubbing.

---I love learning, and researched about how when people find their "chi" as some people call it, or experience a deep sense of happiness from an activity or experience they enjoy---they repeatedly participate in that activity so it leads them to feel more whole--a sense of security. Happiness. Fulfillment.
Aka you rubbing silk--gets you into the moment. We Enjoy that feeling. And we repeat that experience again.
-- I would say this is completely normal. ;) just another habit us humans have.

I have this problem but with pillows any soft pillows & pillowcases I rub my cheeks & lips against my pillows watching tv , before I go to bed I've been doing this since I was a young girl thank god I'm not the only person lol

I have been doing this as long as I can remember. I used to sit in my great grandma's lap "softing" her shirt and sucking my thumb. My mom named it softing when I was little because it weakens the fabric and makes it really soft feeling. It usually gets hole right after that too. :/ I had these stuffed animals growing up call puffalumps that were perfect for softing. Now I do it when I'm nervous or sitting in traffic. It really relaxes me.

I can also remember softing over my sister's and mom's nails. My mom let me do it but it used to drive my sister crazy. I also used to fold the same fabric into a point for each of my softing fingers and battle the two corners until one went flat. That finger was the loser.

Softing use to be better then a nap too. When I was little and my mom took me shopping with her, I would get antsy and she would take me to the silk shirt area to calm me down.

When I got older I used to carry around a scarf because I could not take my puffalumps with me. I've long out grown the scarf and can usually find something else to scarf.

This is a serious issue. I do this and your memory will soon vanish. Memory loss is a sympton because this acts like a tranquilizer and if you are in a tranq for too long your memory will depleet

I thought I was the only one who did this. I use Tshirt tags though or ones on pillow cases. They have to be a certain texture and I even smell it. I have to smell it before I rub it on my hands and I have one on me 24/7. I've done it as long as I can remember. I don't just "tag" my hands, I like the way it feels on my face and arms and anywhere really. I seriously panic if it ever turns up missing. They make shirts tagless these days so its so hard for me to find a replacement. My boyfriend thinks its cute. I've never met anyone whose done what I do so its encouraging that I'm not the only one. I love it and I will probably never stop.

I have been scratching labels on my clothing since I can remember and don't see the problem with it although I have kept it a secret from anyone out side my immediate family I think it is a comfort habbit witch people do possibly it calms the mind almost like a drug would witch gets us mentally hooked on the sensation but there are no serious health risks caused by this habbit although I do feel it should be more openly talked about and it would be interesting to hear some professional views on what this habbit is caused by or if there is a proper medical name for this habbit and incredibly enjoyable one to haha I love the fact so many people do this as well it's comforting to know thank you everyone for being honest x

@ Aveena27

I started as a baby I think and also used to thumb suck until I was aged around 10 but I carried on with the pillowcase rubbing. It has calmed down in these recent years, I am 28 now! but I still get the urge every known again when I come across a nice bit of fabric!
I was also born in the year of the rat! 1984 for me so thats quite funny!
I'm a Leo and have 3 sisters so quite a big family. I also am quite artistic and went to art college for 2 years.
my personality is quite quiet and I don't like being the centre of attention.
I used to label rub more when I was sleepy or stressed out and it kind of cleared my mind/helped me to reflect on things!
Can't wait to hear from everyone else see if we all have a couple of things in common!

I'm sitting her watching "My real life"on MTV about disorders and thought about my habit. I can't believe I found this amazing page. I have never met anyone else who would play with edge of blankets or other objects between their fingers.
I bought my son a little tiger blanket and the edges were so silky I immediately took it over. Poor baby never got to play with it once ... He's 10 now and that blanket still sleep between me and my fiancee lol. My family jokes with me and my kids hide that blanket all the time. My sister once tied the tigers head up and hung it from the front door I frantically ran to get it down just to rub it lmao.
I have to admit that it's not just rubbing it between my fingers but also around the edge of my lips.
I'm so glad I got to read Everyones stories and know I'm not alone ... Happy rubbing everyone :)

I totally thought I wrote thread when I came across it! I actually thought I was the only one. Ive been taking the silk tags off of shirts since I was five! So in answer to your question yes it is normal I guess. Thanks for the post!!

Im not sure if this is the same or what but I like to rub/squeeze materials. For example I love to grab a handful of my blanket and squeeze it, rub it...I do this with all soft materials but my blanket is my most favorite thing. What is this called? Is this the same as Label Rubbing? Is this normal/ok? What is the scientific term for this? Any info out there at all?

I feel so much better reading this! I have tried to keep this a secret ally life. I remember having a stuffed elephant named puffy that was made of this label material that made this zippy sound when I rubbed it. The feeling and sound is very pleasurable for me. How anyone tried to stop? I especially like to do it while I am driving.

I have a similiar habit but its not with folding material or hearing a popping sound. Its with wool.I like to find a bumpy bit of the the blanket and tuck it under my finger nails or smooth it over my finger tips. I used to do this with the furry ears of a teddy bear while sucking my thumb.I dropped the thumb sucking (a little too late than I should have I reckon) but held onto the wool stroking. I find it soothing and calming.I have blankets at home for this purpose and do this in private watching TV or lying in bed. Apart form a boyfriend and family members I'm not sure if anyone has noticed as I make a conscious descion not to do it publically. I find that if my life is going well the complusion doesn't necessarily go away - but sometimes I'm doing it everyday and other times I don't do it for days.

I believe this habit became a self soothing technique I developed when my parents were constantly fighting and I took thru to adulthood. As other people have posted - its far less harmful than drinking or self medicating. I'm not ashamed of it but its a comfort to know others have a similair habit. I'm 41 years old and this is the first time I've investigated this.

i have the exact same habit it has to make a specific sound and it has to feel right i have never come across anyone who has the same habit as me so it has made me quite happy knowing that u do it aswell i have done it ever since i was born so i dont know the exact time i have done it. all of my friends think it is weird but i knew someone has the same habit as me :)

Wow, this is amazing and hilarious. I, too, rub soft material between my fingers. Its more like a roll/rub..I actually rub ALL my fingers with my thumb, and I do it sometimes for hours. It cant be just any material, it has to feel "just right". I will sometimes fold a shirt inside out (seems to be softer and more rub-able that way) often times, the more I rub, the better it feels to me. I actually wear certain shirts or nightgowns JUST so I can spend time rubbing my "security blanket". Im 30, and have done it since I was a baby Im told. Most people have done it since they are young..my mom said a therapist said its mild OCD (which Im totally NOT!) but alot of times I dont even know Im doing it..or Ill even do it while driving (very unsafe!) I had a special silky pillowcase I carried with me when alone, I cut it up into little pieces and hid some around my house for times that I felt the compulsive need to rub. My skin will occasionally seperate from my fingernails after a few hours, this can be painful. Sometimes Ill go months without doing it, and I dont do it when Im around other people (I can control it) but it feels so good and so right to rub..I guess were all a bit odd;)

Omg. Can't believe I came across this. Never in a million years did I ever think to research this until this am. I am obsessedWith pillow cases and have been my whole life. I'm 34 and it's not just any. They have to be "seasoned" for lack of a better word. Over the years the texture has to be developed. I'm on the second pillow case. The first lasted me til about 15. Can't remember if it was just so shredded or if I lost it. I've had my second ever since and it was horrible getting used to but now it's just a piece that I cut from it that I keep in my bedside table. I have a habit of rubbing it along my lips and sometimes teeth. I only do this alone and never have the urge to while w other people. I always thought it was so weird. Only my parents and brother know. I live w my boyfriend and have never done it in front of him.

I just love cotton. it doesn't have to be the edges or corner of anything. and it doesn't have to be with just my fingers. cotton feels good anywhere on my body. though the best way to feel it IS with my fingers or lips. I suck my tongue. the tongue sucking and cotton rubbing go hand in hand, like cake and frosting. my favorite cotton item is a barbie pillow I've had since I was 2. I'm 24, and still happily sleep with it to this day. I <3 cotton! <---- understatement

Hi i male form uk i obsessed with labels. I glad i not only one. I like the ones that a bit thicker. I like to fold them usually and i dont know i doin it the rubbing in between 1st few fingers, near every few min sand in watch tv i do it i do it walking when in pockets sometimes in jacket. I am gutted when lose them sometimes they turn up and it like i won something ha. If i lose them il search for hours in hope of finding it. I dunno why i like it i like feel on my fingers i tend rub on my lips too:S This is bit grose but i find when they get dirty they feel better and get firmer. i like to put presure on them sometimes. i find it relaxing and relives stress and keeps me sane if i lost them all i feel wired up and keep going to use it lol and not there. I also wake in night briefly and have a rub fe wsec then fall back sleep i feel weird only my mum and dad know i do this, i go clubs and socilise etc and popular enough and feel it to weird ha to tell anyone. I sometimes like mixing them togther and unfolding refolding. I finding clothes labels are changing and very hard find them anymore i like the smooth ones sturdy ones.I found adidas ones good if can find them, and some i had in piere cardin breifs ha

I do the same thing. It all started when I was a child with the silk-lined blankets and cloth tags on stuffed animals. I'd pick at them until they were shredded. Now I usually pick at folded edges of my pillowcase or a fold in my jeans. I have ruined many pairs of jeans by picking at the cloth and creating holes, but I can't help it! I also rub the folded edges between my thumb knuckle and index finger. It creates a callous on my knuckle, but I don't care. It's very satisfying for some reason, and I guess it's not really hurting anything. It's nice to find other people like me!

Wow! This 'Thread' is AWESOME! I do the same label rubbing thing-and like the crispy new tags from inside pillow cases and on other random items as well! I think all of us that have this silly habit should start a club w/ a website cause it feels nice to know we aren't alone. It's just one of those weird relaxing human habits. And like a person said on here: Atleast we aren't hurting anyone or ourselves. c:

I love velcro...my "pickies" they are everywhere...in the car(s) everywhere. I'm so glad I'm not alone. Other fabrics feel good too, but I got so tired of losing them so I found velcro...feels good and sticks around =)

I do this, too. I am SO GLAD to find more people that do. Everyone thinks I am weird, but I love to fold things into points, the coarser/stiffer the material, the better, and rub it on my hands, especially between my fingers, inside the corners of my lips and, strangely enough, on my tear ducts even... My girlfriend hates it because sometimes I will good naturedly poke her with the corners or drag them across her arm or something and she hates it... But, I am the wrestling/roughhousing/tussling type and she isn't at all... Thanks for this, all!!!

I cannot believe I found this site!!! I am so glad to find people just like me, I always thought I was such a freak!! Iv been rubbing fabric, labels, and even folded paper since I was six..Jeans are my favorite. I do it mostly when I am relaxing, like watching a movie.I even rub the fabric between my lips sometimes. My mom and boyfriend are the only people that know about it. The boyfriends okay with it but it drives my mom bonkers. Does anyone have any idea if there is an actual name for this habit, or why we do it?

so....mine started out at the ripe old age of as far back as I can remember. I used to find the pointiest point of a pillow and rub it constantly. like, omg, all the time. now add in hair twisting...not just any strand of hair either. always the same spot and the same approximate amount. I've done it since I've had hair long enough to twist and I've done it regardless of the threats of baldness..(never happened, btw). I'm 35 and still do it. hair twisting is the only thing I do now and it has progressed to incorporate sound . I twist it a certain way, create a loop and then i release it, making a popping sound. (hence the name hair popper). I've recently found myself releasing the loop against glasses - mainly wine glasses - because it makes a nice ringing sound. now that I see this in writing I sound so weird. =\ I actually thought it might be a mild form of autism. glad to know I'm not alone though.

Wow, like I thought I was the only one. And I still do this. I rub course fabric or the edges of elasticated bands on clothes in between the sides of my fingers. I even do it with my lips. When I get the urge I cant stop!

I did want to add to my previous entry above that I had a lot of instability in my life (mom married 9 time, moved houses about 20 times before I was an adult), so I feel that may have something to do with it. Instead of getting into drugs or alcohol, or some other form of abuse, I got into this? I prefer this! ;)

I just found this thread the other day! This habit relieves so much pent up stress! I prefer the "sharp" edges, or the unfolded and un-sewn edges of sheets. I run them under my fingernails, (and in between my toes rarely, like the poster above) but especially my ring fingernails. It does rub away some of the quick from those two (grows back if I stop), but 2 weird looking fingernails is the happy price I pay for the comfort of the friction it causes. One problem I have is that my fingernails will gradually wear away at the fabric, so every year or so I visit thrift stores and "try" all the sheets there to find a new one. Recently I've found Wally world to have some nice fabric by-the-yard (There is a blue floral pattern that is pre-packaged and supposed to be sewn into pants but I just bought it for the yummy sheet edge!) If I have no other option I will use labels, but they tend to fray rather quickly.I also sometimes suck my thumb, and haven't stopped because it is not doing anything to my teeth. My teeth either seem to be strong, or I just suck my thumb in a way where it doesn't press on my teeth (farther in?). I do the fingernail thing while watching movies, or laying in bed. But recently I've stopped if I want to fall asleep because I've realized it does keep me awake sometimes. My boyfriend likes to tell me I look like Linus from the Charlie Brown comics with my sheet, but I don't care. <3

i used to rub a silk like pillow case i had when i was little and now because it got old i threw it away and never found one the same again. because of that i started to play with the side of my finger where it is smooth and i have been doing this for as long as i can remember, good memories :') i find this perfectly normal and entertaining sometimes how smooth my finger can be i usually use the left side of the ring finger. if anyone else does this please reply back to me

Let me help you all out and save yourself some trouble finding the right fabrics and textures. Fabric is often flimsy and can dampen your rubbing experience. PILLOWCASES are where it’s at. The “sharp” double thick edge of a pillowcase rubbed between your fingers is heavenly. I like the pillowcase because the fabric is thicker and sharper then regular fabric and adds to the intenseness. My favorite time of day is at night after I take a bath. I then grabbed my binky and sit on the couch watch TV and “binky”, I FEEL so relaxed and calm. It helps me fall asleep really fast and if I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back asleep I get my binky on and it’s usually works. We need a name for this madness.

P.S. "tnrbnr" You're hilarious!!! Laughed so hard I cried. Good times!

As a child I had a baby blanket that I called my WaWa. WaWa had a silky fabric trim that I'd fold in half to create a stiff blade-like edge that I'd slip under my thumbnails. I enjoy the feeling of the fabric between my nails and the soft flesh beneath. Around the time that I became a big boy (about 5) my mother took the WaWa away and put it in her hope chest next to the remains of my brother's baby blanket named Mingy. I say remains because Mingy was reduced to nothing more than the rectangular silky edge of a baby blanket. I'm not sure what my brother's deal was or how Mingy ended up that way, but he never talked about it and clearly I have my own issues.

My urge to what I call "binky" laid dormant for many years until I joined the Army when I was 18 and soon discovered the Army poncho liner also known as a woobie. "Some military personnel refer to the poncho liner as a "woobie" showing the same attachment an infant has for its blanket." (Poncho Liner, Wikipedia). This thing is a camouflaged rectangular blanket that affixes to a wet weather poncho and it is one of the best military inventions ever. It's lightweight, easy to pack, warm and is an absolute lifesaver in the field. Did I mention it has a silky edge? 7 years in the Army and many more out, I find myself on the couch with my wife and dog covered by the warmth of my poncho liner as I run its silky edge under my thumbnails.

Does anyone rub binding on blankets? I must sound crazy but that is whet I to. I actually have a blankly that I sleep with that had hard stiff binding

I do the same thing, but with satin! I have 4 (red, pink, yellow and purple) 10" x 3'5" satin strips and 3 (black, pink and blue) 44" x 36" satin strips. I seriously thought I was the only one who did this! I haven't stopped ever since I started when I was about 3 or 4 (I'm 17 now). I feel 29759347897574326x better now that I know I'm not alone! I not only rub it in between my fingers, every inch of skin possible! I think my favourite place to rub is against my cheek. Haha.

Ever since i can remember, i have always rubbed my upper lip with my blankie. I was put on antibiotics when i was about 12 because it gave me an infection. And i still never quit. I am 25 now, and right when i get home, i grab my blankie and rub rub rub....it turns bright red and i develop little red dots or scars, looks like i have the herp, its so embarrassing. But i cant stop :( i too also rub fabric between my fingers until it hurts, but i love the feeling. Its the best to rub my upper lip when my fingers are cold. I dont get it, never have. My mom tells me i will be alone forever because no guy will get it. But i really dont care. I do want to stop, but ill use my shirt cuff if im not home. I cant just run around with no fabric anywhere forever..help :(

I do this as well, but not with satin. I tend to do it with a stiff cotton, like the kind you find on bed sheets or pillow cases. I fold the sheet 3 times into a sharp like point and press it under my finger nail, into the eysocket, eyeball, lip and into the nose. It causes a pain like sensation, but it feels so good. Although sometimes my fingers will bleed a little if I do it too much or my eyes will be really red in the morning because I do it when I go to bed.

Oh! I should probably add that I'm just a senior in high school, so I've only had this compulsion for about 18 years or so now. So...maybe I'll grow out of it eventually? I doubt it, though ;)

I had a feeling it wasn't just me, but I didn't realize that it was so common, either! That and, for me, it's not really an over-the-top obsession...just a tiny little nagging compulsion that I give into sometimes. It all started the day I was born pretty much: my parents gave me a Puffalump cow (Puffalumps are soft, stuffed, feather-light dolls or stuffed animals made of parachute-type material). Later on, I received another cow at about age 2. It started w/ me rubbing the silk tags attached to them (my mom would have to sew on pieces of silk when the tags fell off). Eventually, though, the cows got holes in them & some of the stuffing fell out so that certain parts of the silk skin would become loose instead of taut, and that's what I've been rubbing for years now (I still sleep w/ the cows whenever I'm at home). My dad & little sister had similar habits when they were little w/ security objects, but my has lasted the longest. I rub the silky material between my fingers and sometimes on my lips. Sometimes I'll find a dress or scarf (etc.) that feels just right also & rub that.
However, it's not just silky material--it's also the previously mentioned things that have ridges and make noise when you scratch them. Ie, contest ribbons, some couches, water bottle caps, and the best are holographic cards (the ones that have changing images when you turn them back and forth) w/ the ridged plastic on the front! When the ridges are on hard plastic, I also like rubbing them on my teeth because it seems to make the vibration sensation more intense.
Glad I can actually post all of this here and be thought of as normal...not crazy or creepy or weird! haha

When I was little I had the biggest problem with sucking my thumb. And when I sucked my thumb Id always like to have a blanket fabric to rub, preferably my bunny blanket. Since then I've lost the thumb sucking but Im constantly rubbing tags and blankets, but only if they have the right texture, or else I have to search for a better fabric. and I also tend to do it when I'm nervous.

Ok. I new I wasn't alone, when I watched the movie Garden State and she too had a "tickle" I constantly rub the stain edges of my tickle between my fingers, my arms, my face, up my nose... It didn't help that she was a psych case. I am wondering if I have some weird disorder. I did research online.... OCD, Autism etc comes up. While it is a bit OCD's it just feels really good. I have no other OCD tendencies. Its just a tactile, sensory thing. I like it. But what is it? Everyone keeps describing similar stories but I haven't heard any concrete answers. I don't feel like I have an psychiatric disorder, but it is weird and I have been made to feel "different" and "weird" because of it. Does anybody have answers yet?

I have a very similiar "habit" as all of you. i prefer an old cotton thermal shirt though, i cut thin 2 in strips though. I like to tie little knots into them and just rub or grind it between my index and thumb. I honestly freak out when I can't find them and will search almost endlessly ( my boyfriend enjoys hiding it and watching my bug out). I even have trouble sleeping without it. Always called it my "rubby thingy", I believe it all started as an infant sucking my thumb and rubbing on my blanket. It is almost humiliating at 22 years of age when my friends catch my rubbing or gliding it on my lips and nose. It is so comforting to know I am not the only person that has this habit. Thank you everyone

CapeCookie, we have very similar stories. Oh my god I thought I was the only one! I do it with ribbons. I rub them over my fingers (sometimes until they bleed) and over my lips as well. I've been doing it since I was little I think. I sucked my fingers until I was like 12, and always did the ribbon thing along with it. I finally grew out of the finger sucking, but I still do the ribbon rubbing. I'm 21 now and I can't sleep without a ribbon in my hand. Only my family knows. I'm worried what my future husband will think.

all im going to say on the matter is if you want her to stop your gonna have to go to mass measures to secure she will stop. but ive tryed my self to quit and i can only think of one thing to refer to it .. its like trying to quit smoking its sooo hard so i stopped trying

hi guys i really cant tell you just how nice it is to get this off my chest ... now im may be male but i still cant type with 2 hands and "rub" at the same time lol. and yes im doing it right now. but i remmber doing this when i was young. like the time i was in the push chair 2 or 3 i was in primark or somthing like that and i reached over and started rubbing a womans dress after a min or 2 passed the woman walked away with a tugging at her dress. my mother was so apolagetic(<-?) and thats when the weirdness began. 26 more years on and im still a raging rubber lol (that sounds so wrong). altho if i had a dream it would be to sleep in a sleeping bag of a giant label ..epic but my fav labs are 100% cotton preferably from china ... oh what a crazy bunch we are but ive never ever heard of anyone ever doing this before .. but my fiance asks me from time to time weather i love labs more than her straght away i answer with you babe everytime... but really im holdding a labe in my pocket with fingers crossed lol

I have been doing this from ever since I could remeber and my little brother does it too, even when I was reading the comments I near rubbed my label out of exsistance from the excitment of finding other people that do it, I even do it when im out on nights drinking, theres nothing I love more than then feeling I get when I hear and feel the label when I rub it :,)

I just thought I would search this "problem" and this forum came up...I didn't realize that others did this too. I am shocked.

Mine started when I was a child and had a blankie with silky/satiny edges and I would run it between my fingers and toes and on my lips and under my nose. I felt so comforted and it continued all these years (I am now 30).

I have found that lately I will be up all night rubbing the cotton sateen sheets in between my toes, constantly. I will find the edges under the blanket and spread my toes to get the edges through as many as possible and rub them. My husband is always asleep when I do this. I am finding it almost getting worse with time and age.

When I was a bit younger (teens/20s) I wouldn't have any blankets that would have a silky edge to avoid this complusion. If I went to a friend or siblings' house, I would see a blanket that did and wrap myself in it to rub it between my fingers and on my lips when people weren't looking. I felt like such a weirdo.

I have tried socks when I sleep to avoid it, but it gets too hot and I take them off and then compulsively rub again. For hours and hours and hours...choosing rubbing over sleep.

What is wrong with me? I know I have a mild case of OCD. I have to arrange things certain ways at home, work and at restaurants and have other quirks. I am also an itchy scratcher all the time..finding scabs, imperfections, scalp scratching and picking at myself and others.

I am in awe that so many others have this same problem and this is probably 1% of the actual number of people that deal with this.

I have the same habit and I have done it since I could remember. My favorite fabric is a lanyard I keep in my car. I try to keep it from my boyfriend but it's very hard I'm sure he has noticed but he is never mentioned anything about it. I do it so much sometimes and excessively that I have fingernail disorders actual growth underneath my fingernails and sometimes my fingernails separate from my nail bed. It's very relaxing for me and it's very hard for me to stop. I've Done it since i can remember my first fabric was a baby blanket when I was little maybe five years old. And never stopped since then.

Hahahaha! So glad to have found this little corner of the internet! So I've been rubbing labels since I was a toddler. It's probably my earliest childhood memory, lying and rubbing the edges of my baby blanket. Now that I'm 26, I'm comfortable with the habit. For most of my teenage life I was apprehensive that there was something wrong with me and tried to 'kick the habit' but now I'm contended that it's private, harmless and free, so why not enjoy it? I find that it's comforting without being too distracting (though I can easily 'drift away' and do nothing else if I want). I mostly fidget my fingers in the material, and also like rubbing it along my nose and top lip. It brings me a gentle contentment and unfocussed peace. Maybe like meditation, I dunno?

I LOVE finding a decent label on a new piece of clothing. My favourite is the satin-type that I think most of you are describing. Is that what the material is called? I always meant to go and buy a decent cut of it to work on! I'm not so interested on the silky (usually front) side though, it's all about the other side. I agree with most of you guys that 'texture', 'feel' and 'weight' are important. My current is a double label on a Carhartt polo shirt - I've yanked it about so much that the actual shirt is pretty much unwearable.

I remember my favourite childhood piece of clothing was the Manchester United 1996 - 1998 home shirt - the WHOLE COLLAR was the perfect feel. Man, I went to town on that, and my mum used to always quiz me as to why the collar always got so filthy. Haha.

I have been doing this for as long as I can remember. I used to hide it but I am totally open about it now. I rip labels (of specific type/quality) off all of my shirts, towels, etc. - the labels have to have the perfect "zip" when I rub them between my index finger and side of my thumb. I carry these labels in my pockets so I can rub them when ever I want! I call them my "Zippy's" and you can pretty much guarantee that the majority of my shirts and towels do not have tags on them. Sometimes I wonder if I am causing damage to my bones in fingers because I have been doing this everyday for my whole life. I have permanent calluses on my fingers! I can also say that I have literally ruined many shirts and bottoms of my pants as well, for I will rub the pockets of certain shirts and the cuffs of my pants. Again, they have to be the right material, zip and feel or it just doesn't work. I'll be honest, I am a 29 year old male I have a Taggie Ball from taggies.com - The tags (labels) that are on these balls are the Gold Standard of "Zippy's". I have pretty much accepted that I will be doing this for the rest of my life...

Why not?

Ok, so I dont feel so strange now haha! I have to have sheer ribbon with soft edges that you can buy on rolls at any craft store. I cut pieces off and take them with me in my pockets wherever I go. I dont really rub them so much as slide it under my fingernails. The sensation relaxes me (also helps me fall asleep) and I have done it since I can remember. When I was little I used to do it with the tags on my clothes or stuffed animals. I am now 30 and try to hide it (except my boyfriend, hes discovered my strange quirk and trying to explain it was quite interesting). It has always been embarrassing to me, haha, Im a pretty normal person except for this. Im actually shocked to see other people who do a similar thing.

WOW! I definitely thought that I had to be the ONLY person that did this. Every few years I would search the web for anyone else that did this or what it might be called. Like many others, I find that only certain types of fabric labels will work for me. The one thing that almost always rubs me the right way (pun intended) are those ribbons you get for a race or other contest. I fold those over and go crazy! I was actually so excited today when I saw my new bed sheets because they have a wonderful label! Definitely not a normal thing, but glad to see there are others like me! :D

Cuddles, I don't think you'll get much of a good reception here.
It would seem from most of these comments it's close to a compulsion, and a lot of people do it without realizing it. Speaking for myself I've tried stopping, but it made me really uncomfortable and I wasn't content until I resumed.
All I can say is maybe ask her to try and do it more when you're not around, or subtley when you are.

Weird and True - Ha so true! What you wrote is way too familiar. I'm 28 and am so amazed by this :). I haven't checked this site in forever and just notcied your post. Still cracking up. I just retruned a North Face rain coat that i had completely ruined the sleeves on and they had no idea what I had done to it. They were like I am so sorry this should not happen, and they are fixing it for free. So the next time you need a jacket or sleeping bag and you are afraid y ou may ruin it overtime - always get it from North Face because they have the best lifetime warranty :)

Hi guys, op here. I feel I need to comment! Been thoroughly enjoying you all posting on this, I can't believe there's more of you out there!
Also, I've just found out my boyfriend used to do this when he was young too! Not any more alas. He adored his dogs ears as well, as they were so silky.

i seen it over and over again on here but i thought i was the only one i will rub labels, insides of jackets even some car seatbelt if they feel just right etc etc its a hard thing to explain to people!!! i use satin pillow cases to sleep with because i rub them to fall asleep so happy to see im not the only one thought i was weird or something. there should be a forum or something for people like us haha

We need a psych to look at this! I do it too. I'm an adult female and have been doing it since birth. My mom pulls her eyelashes out and my sister rubs ribbon if it's conveniently attached to something or it's attached to her dog's ears. Lol

Me? I'm like others above. I have several and often do it in public. It's rather humiliating... It must be double sided ribbon of high quality - my compulsion is snobby! Good lord, I wish I could stop. I will also dig for them if lost, and I get the same self-soothing from it that others are mentioning... Weird ---- so weird!

I just found that rubbing cloth can be classified as a type of "stimming" (self-stimulatory behavior) that people with autism spectrum disorder do. So I guess ribbon rubbing could be a form of stimming but stimming wouldn't be the name for this.

Wow. So good to know I'm not alone. Labels are slightly the wrong texture for me - or maybe they're a little bit too small but I totally have a problem stopping when I start rubbing a fold of the right type of fabric against itself. Crisp cotton is great, also some of the stiffer sheer fabrics, like taffeta. Some of them only work in one orientation too, if the fold is the wrong way in relation to the weave of the fabric it's no good! It drives my husband up the wall because of the sound it makes, but if he doesn't notice the sound, I will do it until my fingers are tired and my forearm starts to feel crampy! Thanks for bringing this one up!

Biogal, that is absolutely fascinating. Are there any studies into these sorts of ICDs?
A close friend of mine recently admitted he used to rub labels on his upper lip because of how soft and silky they are (like his dog's ears when he was little).

Jhilly, start your own topic if you haven't already, you may be looking in the wrong place.

Too funny. I have literally ruined the inside of my jackets bc I can't get enough of it. I feel blessed overall though - it's pretty fun to do and I bet other people would be jealous if they knew what the sensation was like and they couldn't do it. My dad does it and he used to rub his fingers on his ties at work and his co-workers would notice so for his birthday they got him a cake with a picture of a tie with his fingers on it. It embarrassed him. It used to drive my mom insane and then when I was a newborn she noticed that I was doing the same thing to my baby blanklet - she nearly fainted. Now my dad and I have a special bond haha. We will point out fabrics to each other. I also like rubbing things like pens between my fingers. My dad has a key chain that is his toy that he has at all times. Someone should sell some sort of fabric-product created for (?) is there a scientific name for this syndrome??

OMG!! I thought that I was the only person in the world that did that. I am glad to know I am not alone. Ive had this habit since I was 6 and I thought I would of stopped by the time I was 18 and I still havent stopped. I am ashamed of this habit because to me it is not normal. Only my family knows about it because I hide it so well..I live in a dorm right now and my roomates dont even know about it because I do it discretly. I am trying to stop though because when I get married I dont want my husband to see it.

I snip the labels off, I can't stand them rubbing against me.

It's normal -- some people are just texture-sensitive. I have a certain pillowcase that feels just right and I don't like to use any other one except that one.

Do you do this all day, or just when your crash helmet falls over your eyes? I rub my fingers like this just before I do something evil.

Hi, my girlfriend has this excact weird labels thing and it totally fruity. How can I stop her?? Its driving me crackers! Please help.

Wow, I am actually pretty happy I found this. For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed rubbing nylon type cloth. No one really knows about it outside of my immediate family except the in laws of my brother and sister and one of my past girlfriends. A few times my roommates have heard it when we are hanging out and ask "what's that scratching noise?" and I will act as clueless as them. As far as 3rd party objects go, I like rubbery objects like erasers or the tops of joysticks on video game controllers. I found it interesting, when I was visiting my sister and her new born baby; she pointed out this toy she had from a company called Taggies which specializes in making blankets and toys that have tags/labels all over them. It is weird that I enjoy it as much as I do while others don't understand it at all. I wonder how many of us there are. There has got to be a scientific/medical term for this.