Oh sweet jesus I'm not alone!!! I've been obsessed with rubbing fabric my whole life! PILLOWCASES are my first love, followed by sheets, hemlines, plastic bags, rubber gloves in fact any type of fabric that is folded or rubs well together. I thought I was a freak for so many years and the anxiety around WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! It's such a relief to see its A THING! It's clearly a comfort thing but I find myself doing it quite obsessively when I'm under stress, and I know people notice as I do it on my clothes (necklines, pockets, hems)...it feels like an OCD thing as it's hard to control sometimes. I've suffered with anxiety and depression most of my life so it must be related. Funnily enough - I'm now a fashion designer so get to touch fabric all the time! BLISS! I'd love to hear if anyone has any psychological info about this and how to wean myself off in times of hardship. I still feel embarrassed about it and not sure how to explain it to people :/
This happened to me:
I work in the psych ER and one day I saw a child rubbing the edge of folded fabric; it brought a strange sense of wonder because in private I do the same behavior. I discussed the phenomenon with the psychiatrist, social workers and nurses - it turns out that it is common in children with trauma as the activity provides soothing and calming. My coworker said she first saw this behavior in an orphanage -and it all clicked as my behavior started when my mother left me at 4 years old. I am able to keep my behavior under control (meaning I don't do it in public) my partner (probably one of about 3 people outside my family that have witness my behavior) calls it a masturbatory activity. He's wrong it's a soothing, anti-anxiety, anti-depressive behavior, there should be literature on this in the social work journals especially around children coping with trauma. The central nervous system is extremely complex, but I do believe your on to something to do with a strong connection between the anxiety and depression that you feel and the sensations that you get by rubbing the fabric. If I had the money I would do research on the calming effects of a soothing activity such as rubbing on a pillows edge and how this affects our neurotransmitters that influence our overall mood. We in this forum are in a very small percentage of people and lets take the positive that I have observed here, most would be above average in intelligence, get into fights less, and are very creative - all factors of a functioning central nervous system in humans. The catch for us is to find healing that can cure our mood disorders and move on to happier lives that optimize our functioning.
Was so glad to see your post. I can be identify with the traumatic childhood. The earliest I can remember rolling things of all kinds between my fingers is 5 years old. Before that I had been given away at birth, abused by alcoholic mother ( of sorts),given to her parents who then gave me up for adoption. After age 5 was adopted by a woman whose family ran a foster home. She worked outside the home so was rarely there. My so called grandmother cursed me all day, and my so called grandfather sexually abused me( from 5 years till 12 years, when I got big enough and old enough that I told him I'd kill him if he ever touched me again ). So yeah I know all about trauma.I still roll things to this day. My husband says he can tell when I am really stressed because I roll whatever is in my hands faster. Two of my children have the same habit. My ex and I divorced when they were small.
I to have wondered why it is we do this. I experience emotional neglect growing up but I wouldn’t call that trauma so I’m unsure as to why I do it. If anyone finds information about this I love to know about it. I want to know why I do this. I do however suffer from anxiety and had separation anxiety since I was 8 so maybe that’s it?
IIN to love to rub fabrics between my fingers?
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Oh sweet jesus I'm not alone!!! I've been obsessed with rubbing fabric my whole life! PILLOWCASES are my first love, followed by sheets, hemlines, plastic bags, rubber gloves in fact any type of fabric that is folded or rubs well together. I thought I was a freak for so many years and the anxiety around WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! It's such a relief to see its A THING! It's clearly a comfort thing but I find myself doing it quite obsessively when I'm under stress, and I know people notice as I do it on my clothes (necklines, pockets, hems)...it feels like an OCD thing as it's hard to control sometimes. I've suffered with anxiety and depression most of my life so it must be related. Funnily enough - I'm now a fashion designer so get to touch fabric all the time! BLISS! I'd love to hear if anyone has any psychological info about this and how to wean myself off in times of hardship. I still feel embarrassed about it and not sure how to explain it to people :/
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oknow
7 years ago
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This happened to me:
I work in the psych ER and one day I saw a child rubbing the edge of folded fabric; it brought a strange sense of wonder because in private I do the same behavior. I discussed the phenomenon with the psychiatrist, social workers and nurses - it turns out that it is common in children with trauma as the activity provides soothing and calming. My coworker said she first saw this behavior in an orphanage -and it all clicked as my behavior started when my mother left me at 4 years old. I am able to keep my behavior under control (meaning I don't do it in public) my partner (probably one of about 3 people outside my family that have witness my behavior) calls it a masturbatory activity. He's wrong it's a soothing, anti-anxiety, anti-depressive behavior, there should be literature on this in the social work journals especially around children coping with trauma. The central nervous system is extremely complex, but I do believe your on to something to do with a strong connection between the anxiety and depression that you feel and the sensations that you get by rubbing the fabric. If I had the money I would do research on the calming effects of a soothing activity such as rubbing on a pillows edge and how this affects our neurotransmitters that influence our overall mood. We in this forum are in a very small percentage of people and lets take the positive that I have observed here, most would be above average in intelligence, get into fights less, and are very creative - all factors of a functioning central nervous system in humans. The catch for us is to find healing that can cure our mood disorders and move on to happier lives that optimize our functioning.
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Mamawolf1530
7 years ago
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Abunny
4 years ago
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Was so glad to see your post. I can be identify with the traumatic childhood. The earliest I can remember rolling things of all kinds between my fingers is 5 years old. Before that I had been given away at birth, abused by alcoholic mother ( of sorts),given to her parents who then gave me up for adoption. After age 5 was adopted by a woman whose family ran a foster home. She worked outside the home so was rarely there. My so called grandmother cursed me all day, and my so called grandfather sexually abused me( from 5 years till 12 years, when I got big enough and old enough that I told him I'd kill him if he ever touched me again ). So yeah I know all about trauma.I still roll things to this day. My husband says he can tell when I am really stressed because I roll whatever is in my hands faster. Two of my children have the same habit. My ex and I divorced when they were small.
I to have wondered why it is we do this. I experience emotional neglect growing up but I wouldn’t call that trauma so I’m unsure as to why I do it. If anyone finds information about this I love to know about it. I want to know why I do this. I do however suffer from anxiety and had separation anxiety since I was 8 so maybe that’s it?