Chewing on Random Things

[Spotty01]

Okay, first of all, to avoid merging, I looked up the word "chewing" in the search bar (and tagged "titles only") and only found several threads about chewing on ice and one about Pica, a disease in which people compulsively eat things that are inedible (paper, dirt, clay, etc.) So I think I'm safe from thread-merging... I hope.

Now, onto the real topic. I got the idea for this thread after I picked up a (clean) comb that was sitting on the couch beside me and started chewing on the plastic "bristles", as well as running them across my lips and the bottom of my teeth. I really like that feeling for some reason. Back in my grade-school days, I had this annoying tendency to start chewing away the eraser on my pencil whenever I wasn't writing or using it; I got out of doing that by high school when I realized chewing off the eraser made it where I couldn't erase anything when I made a mistake on my paper, forcing me to either scribble it out or ask to borrow someone else's.

Regardless, I still chew or bite down on other things at complete random: the aforementioned comb, the little ridges on those bending straws, strands of my own hair, and, if there's nothing else, I start biting my lower lip or chewing my nails. I usually try to limit doing it to when others won't notice and I never just randomly grab something that isn't mine and start doing that (that would just be awkward). It reminds of a teething infant in a way, but I just now began to wonder if that might be a trait of being on the Spectrum.

I don't always start chewing on these random objects either, but I also tend to randomly rub them back and forth across my lips, the corner of my mouth, and my teeth. I like the sensation for some reason. As I said prior, it's been a problem since I was in grade school (elementary) and it's still a recurring problem, even at the age of nineteen; I'm literally doing it as I type this. It's not really something that bothers me too much since, most of the time, it's a completely subconscious action; it's not like it's something I can't control (less like "Must. Chew. Thing..." and more like I don't even know that I'm doing it until I put it down again). Is this something anyone else does or am I just unique that way?

That is all.

 

[Jet Weiss]

I am glad I'm not the only one who does this. Not sure if it is an Aspie/Autism trait or if it is more of an ADHD trait?

 

[Questella]

I do this, but not to my hair, I can't stand hair or any kind of fabric in my mouth. Soft plastic I will chew it forever. I have to keep acrylics on my nails or I will eat my hands. I used to eat Barbie doll shoes and those little people from the Life game and the pegs from Battleship like crazy. I had to buy a new Life game as an adult because the one I had as a kid had run out of people. On SmartWater bottles there is the little piece of plastic you have to pull off to open it, I always chew those up.

If I'm not having something to chew on I'll grind my teeth sometimes. I actually shattered a tooth from grinding it too hard so I'll take chewing up soft plastic anyday.

My cat eats plastic too. Except she'll actually eat it then throw it up. I always tell people not to leave plastic laying around my house, but nobody ever listens. She really loves the think crunchy kind of plastic. >:

I used to chew pencil erasers back when but I stopped, I don't like the crumbly eraser feeling in my mouth really.

 

[xudo]

Not sure if it is an Aspie/Autism trait or if it is more of an ADHD trait?

Could be one of those things that crops up for both, as I don't have ADHD but do chew on stuff.

When I was in primary school, I chewed on my hair a lot. Clothes quite a bit too. In high school and into adulthood, necklaces quite a lot and my lips. I'm always chewing on the inside of my cheeks too, but I've never been sure if that was down to the AS or Tourette's. I do have a chew necklace somewhere, but the chew is a bit big for my mouth and very hard, as it's built to last.

 

[ksheehan88]

When I was a child/teenager, I would chew my hair, nails, fingers, pens, pencils and clothes - my school sweatshirt had no cuffs because I chewed them away.

I don't chew my hair or clothes now, the very idea of chewing those things makes me edgy. I do however still chew my fingers and nails, pens and pencils, along with my lips, inside of my cheeks and tongue.

 

[Momo]

I chew on things if they have the right texture, whatever it may be. If it has the right level of resistance then it just feels nice. Perhaps it is an aspie thing.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

Yes, could be Autistic and/or ADHD related, as our our nonverbal five years old son Dylan who has both conditions does that

He is always putting things in his mouth. Inside the home he will put plastic magnetic numbers and letters, paper pieces, pens, teething rings, and anything really, in his mouth, so we have to always keep things out of reach and remain vigilant.
He has been known to bite medical technicans too, when they hold him down, so I am not sure if this counts too. We always wondered why he never had fingers nails to cut. It is because he likely chews them off, as he is often trying to bite ours off.
Outside, Dylan will try to eat dirt.

Aaron, our other seven year old Autistic son often gets annoyed at Dylan for putting non-food items in his mouth. That is his rule, he keeps saying. He is just trying to help his brother out, but Dylan does not understand our direction, or maybe he does understand but just cannot resist as it is comforting to him or is a fidgety need to mouth items. I think Aaron learned the wrongs of such after accidentally swallowing a penny. It is ironic though, Dylan will gag at the sight of 99.99% of foods and refuse eating those foods, but he does not fear gagging on non-food items and putting those in his mouth.

 

[sanlim]

My cousin also mouths and chews to satisfy sensory input - bites his fingers, or puts anything in his mouth he can get a hold of. We got him a chew necklace and it works wonders. He just wears it around his neck and it's a great alternative distraction. Got it on Amazon for full price but saw it for 50% off right now for Cyber Monday! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077BL7Z4K?th=1 Hope it'll help

 

[Southern Discomfort]

I have severe bruxism; I clench my jaw a lot so I guess I also fall into this category. I put it down to stress really for me.