I Don't Bite My Nails... BUT.... I *CONSTANTLY* Bounce My Knee and Foot...

[arwalden]

and I nervously nibble and pluck bits from the inside of my lower lip.

I don't realize I'm doing it most of the time... but other times it just drives me crazy.

Is something wrong with me? Do I have psychological problems? Or is it just a guy-thing?

[TrogL]

1. ADHD

It's the "hyperactive" bit.

[arwalden]

2. I Never Thought I Had Attention Deficit Dis-Oh Look At The Pretty Bird

now what were we talking about?

-- Allen

[Wcross]

3. I have heard

I have heard that bouncing your leg is a form of masturbation, not sexual but mental. If you keep doing it your gonna go blind! Blind I tell ya!

[midnight armadillo]

4. I do the same thing

All the time. It drives my wife nuts. If I have ADHD I can't say it's held me back in life.

[donsu]

5. was bouncing my knee and foot as I read your post

in Jr. High I was sent to the principal's office and as I sat there (peeved) I was bouncing my knee and foot. The principal at his desk looked up and told me to stop. that when his wife did that she was angry.

[Tikki]

6. The 'biting the inside.....

...of you lower lip'...is most likely a 'learned behavior'.
Do you remember anyone in your family or a long term relationship who did this, also?

My mother bit the inside of her whole mouth continuously....I swore I would never to that...but, sure enough... the day Mr. Tikki boarded the train for boot-camp (in the 60's..VietNam and all that) I started right in chewing my lip off. I do this off and on.. still...depending on my 'stress level'.

As for the knee<> foot connection, I think you are just 'revving up' for all the fun and important things you do, each day.

[arwalden]

7. The Lip-Biting (Skin Plucking) Is NOT A Constant Thing For Me...

... it varies from month to month.

Now... if I was able to make a semi-conscious choice to STOP biting my nails down to the flesh... then why can't I stop chewing the inside of my lip? Hmmm.

-- Allen

[booksenkatz]

8. My right knee bounce disturbs my husband

because it shakes the floor in such a way that his, and only his, computer monitor bounces in unison. He's out of the room at the moment, so I'm free to bounce away, wee-hee!

I don't think it's attention deficit disorder, I just have LOTS of things I should be doing at any given time, and sitting down to do something, even something productive like reading DU, makes me impatient. My epitaph is going to say, "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS." I'm an impatient sort who doesn't like interruptions, and death is going to be a HUGE interruption for me, dammit.

But I digress.

Watch the lip thing, keep Carmex handy.

[donsu]

11. oh I agree with you - the day is short with so many things to think about

and do

[buddhamama]

9. i do those things

plus i click my finger nails together and doodle an awful lot when i am trying to write.

[nuxvomica]

10. Do you drink a lot of coffee?

You may want to take a mineral supplement. This can be due to a calcium or magnesium imbalance and coffee will exacerbate it. Not to mention that coffee makes one hyper as well. So try a daily mineral supplement and see if that works after a few weeks. Avoid ones that have iron.

[arwalden]

12. Depends On What "A-Lot" Means...

... if it means four 10-ounce mugs a day (or more)... then I guess I do drink a lot of coffee.

-- Allen

Hey! I gave up my cigarettes over a year ago... don't make me give up coffee too. I'd have to start smoking again. Sigh.

[nuxvomica]

20. LOL. No need to give up coffee just for a nervous knee

But the mineral supplement may compensate for it's "leaching" effects.
The first time I gave up cigarets, I became heavily dependant on coffee. This happens to a lot of people. Given the choice, I would rather be addicted to coffee.

[Rhiannon12866]

17. A great suggestion and I would be very interested to hear if this helps

Drinking too much coffee can have all kinds of unintended side-effects, including muscle spasms and irritability.

The bit about men avoiding iron is very important. Only menstruating women should take iron supplements, unless blood tests have proven that you are anemic and need it. Children and men should never take additional iron. Too much iron (including consuming too many foods rich in iron) can have dire consequences for these groups. I read an article on this awhile back and can't remember the details, just that surplus iron can result in certain diseases in men.

[private_ryan]

13. you probably are gay

go to the nearest "Hope for Homosexuals" center, repent and start living life they the Lord wants you to.

I think it's anxiety, especially when you're used to being busy and nothing is happening.

[ForrestGump]

14. At least one leg is always in motion here (been that way my whole life)

If you were to clamp down on it and stop it, the other would take over. If you were to clamp down on both, I'd probably punch your lights out, channeling the energy otherwise unleashed through my leg vibes. :-)

Not YOU, I mean....I'm talking the universal 'you'....

[poppabear36]

15. Masturbation

I've heard it's an expression of a masturbatory impulse.
I've noticed I do it a lot less since I've gotten older. Bounce my knee that is ... :freak:

[ikojo]

16. I do these things as well and

can assure you I am no man. I have been told they are symptomatic of ADD and yes it does exist in adults.

I took an ADD self test on the Internet (at a site run by Dr Amen) and the results stated that I probably have ADD.

Difficult to get into my PCP (primary care physician for those who are not in HMOs) to get referred to a specialist.

[BurtWorm]

18. Constant motion is supposedly a sign of intelligence.

I've noticed that the smartest people I know are constantly bobbing their knees, like little kids.

[U2Fanatic]

19. i do both of those

and i don't think i have ADD. I've tryed to stop biting the inside of my cheek, and i've been successful to an extent, not so much with biting by lips.

Hey just think of the knee bouncing thing as burning extra calories.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

21. Here's a cure for the knee-bounce...

Jingle bells...the kind that come on a velcro wrist band. Just strap them on your ankles and you'll be cured in no time! :D