Clicking my hands/teeth... compulsion??... driving me insane.

[Maiden]

I don't know when this all started but at least a few years ago I started counting and marking off every thing that we went past while driving. When riding in a car/bus/train/whatever moves/sometimes walking, I do it with my hands. So like I'll tap for every line on the road, and if it was a long one, I have to hold down my hand and bring it off at exactly the right moment. And I do it on both sides at once. If there is no road lines, I count trees or fence posts or sometimes both trees and road lines, on both sides. If I miss one, I have to tap or click in double time to make up for it. It's always been really annoying. I can't really stop it, because I do it without thinking. And if I try to stop, then I'm thinking about it, and it makes me feel like I need to do it more and I get this tension in my fingers and they start twitching and the only way to make it stop is to just keep doing it.

There's a bigger problem now because I drive and I've discovered I can't even stop it when I'm driving and instead of tapping, I'm clicking my teeth or tapping my tongue on each side (because my hands are busy steering). It's so distracting and I've almost had accidents a few times because I've been so preoccupied with tapping and clicking. But trying not to do it makes it worse because then I'm even more distracted.

I don't know what to do. It's so annoying and frustrating and I don't know how to stop it or even why I do it.

[Emily.]

Hey there.

This sounds along the lines of obsessive compulsive disorder to me, but I'm no psychiatrist =P it could just be a bad habit.

I think the best thing you can do is see a therapist. Their are specific types of therapies that help people work through and control compulsions like this.

You also might just try to distract yourself from counting lines, etc. Turn your radio on and try tapping your fingers to the beat of the music instead. That way your eyes can focus on driving, but you still have that movement in your hands. I don't know if it will work, but it's worth a try.

I hope you find something that helps.
<3 Emily