Compulsions...how to stop?

[EmilyR6]

I don't perform rituals or have any common thoughts/anxieties associated with OCD. However, I regularly engage in picking and compulsive behaviors - seemingly always when I'm bored/unoccupied. There are two behaviors that I switch off between: Picking at my scalp and trying to bite the papillae off of my tongue. I know it's weird... I've looked around online, but I can't seem to find hardly anyone who shares this second behavior! I'm very confused as to why I do these things and can't remember when or why I started.
The second behavior is painful - and I recognize that it's painful - but it feels satisfying somehow. I usually engage in these behaviors when I'm not fully occupied (not quite "bored", but not quite fully engaged). For example, when I'm watching a movie/TV show, reading a book, doing homework, surfing the internet, etc. It gives me the feeling of having "something to do". I just can't sit still and concentrate on a single activity, so I unconsciously start doing these things. I'm even biting my tongue as I type this, for god's sake! Then...if a swollen taste bud/papillae forms from the initial biting (which it usually does), it irritates me so much that I have to remove it with further biting/picking/whatever it takes!
I've been doing these things for years...maybe over a decade (and I'm only 20). I can continue to do them, because they're not easily noticeable by others and have little consequence. But I really just want to stop. I can't say how many times I've tried - so many. But I just can't seem to. I might go for a week without doing anything, and then, when I'm spacing out, I'll pick up the behaviors unconsciously. It's so frustrating... =(

[JGF25]

Have you ever went to talk to someone about this habit?  Also, you mentioned other forms of self harm....cutting?  hair pulling?  what exactly are you talking about?  

[Sophiehelen]

I'm seventeen and have been biting my tongue for sometime, i also bite the skin of my lips i have also had problems with other form of self harm in the past. I have been reading through all the comments and noticing it happening to people for years. i really am worried it might be damaging my tongue maybe i'm being naive but id like to know if anyone has any reasons? thank you

[Nicnik]

Hi I to  am one who bites my tounge... I have done for years as long as I can remember and now am 30.  It frustrates the hell out of me. I too if it's not tongue biting I pull strands of hair out one by one. It comes and goes and I am finding that when it's happening I find i have a anxiety about something but can't pin point what it's about. I find myself asking myself 1000 questions until i find that answer then I am calm and the urge to bite or pull my hair out goes away.

[joulez74]

Hi Emily. I also bite my tongue. I am 38 and don't even know when it started because it was so long ago. I notice that in addition to being "bored" I do it WAY more a few days before my period. I think it is a form of OCD and that hormone fluctuations can exacerbate these tendencies. They say that progesterone levels drop drastically right before and right after your period causing all kinds of symptoms including OCD. I don't know if you have these issues or not. But keeping a diary of when this happens and the severity may help.

[Tierney07]

I also bite the papillae off of my tongue. I am 25 and I have been doing it since I was about 8-10 years old. It's like a texture thing for me. I only bite the side of my tongue papillae off and I try to stop, but then it feels uneven and they turn white because they're trying to heal, but I immediately bite the white stuff off. It's irritating. I brush my tongue so hard, just so that it looks normal in case anyone sees it. I wish I knew what caused it. I think it's just a nervous habit, no different than biting nails. I bit my nails so bad in the past that they would bleed. I got a pedicure once and they told me how bad my nails looked and I never bit them again. Now I have beautiful fingernails, but its like double time on my tongue now! I bit my nails if I was bored, nervous, i thought one was uneven...etc. I bite the papillae for the same reasons. Its just a nervous habit. We need to kick it on our own--it's just proving more challenging than it seems. Good luck to you! I feel what you're going through

[SoundFactor]

Emily I can relate to what you are experiencing...I catch myself biting my tongue entirely too often, I'd do it while performing certain tasks.  Sometimes while playing music instruments, using a power drill, or simply doing various types of studying/homework throughout the years.  Fortunately I haven't done it to the extent where it physically hurt me, but is still of concern.  A professional suggested to chew gum instead.  I find myself rather unimpressed with that suggestion.

I must agree with learnfrommistakes, mind over matter!

Remember to grow and improve yourself each day.  Invest in you!