This post contains affiliate links.
I am a Hair Puller and Thumb Sucker
Me Sucking My Thumb and Pulling My Hair Circa 1982
Another little dirty habit I have is sucking my thumb.
That’s a picture of me sucking my thumb while pulling my hair (talented, I know).
I have been sucking my thumb and pulling my hair together so long that I don’t even remember which came first?
As long as I can remember I have done both at the same time.
It was always the thing I got scolded for the most.
I’ve sucked my thumb so long that it’s actually shaped differently than your average human thumb.
Have You Seen A Dwarf Thumb?
My thumb was the thing that kids teased the most about in high school.
It’s a huge insecurity for me because most people notice it.
I don’t have fancy hands, that’s for sure.
I won’t be doing hand commercials anytime soon..
One thing I’m not sure about is whether my thumb was born this way or I sucked it this way lol
I mean it looks like a toe, I know, I get it.
The roof of my mouth is actually indented higher up than a normal mouth would be from sucking all my life.
Obviously I bite my nails, what little nail I have on that dwarf thumb of mine.
Sucking my thumb and pulling my hair go hand-in-hand, or should I say hand-and-head?
If I’m sucking my thumb, I can almost guarantee you I am twisting and pulling my hair.
I don’t just pull my hair, I actually go through the motion of twisting it all up too… I know, fancy right?
I looooooooove twisting my hair almost as much as the pulling of it.
Both are certainly very SELF SOOTHING!
I catch myself doing it and I literally have the most bizzare conflict going on inside me..
Half of me wants to stop and is scolding myself and the other half is so soothed by it that I can’t possibly want to really stop..could I?
I’m mentally split in two when I do it…
What 36 year old woman wants to suck her thumb and pull her hair?
I mean I really don’t, but I do, I really do!
and there you go…
I’ve tried fidget toys but the truth is, they’re not self soothing for me.
The time I suck my thumb and twist my hair the most is when I’m tired, so fidget toys are the last thing I want..
I’ve have Keen bracelets and they help with my nail biting, nosepicking and hair pulling when I wear them but I feel a bit defeated when it comes to sucking my thumb.
I really like it and I don’t know how to fall asleep without doing it?
Do You Know A Thumb Sucker?
I can tell you what not to do…
I can remember being younger and every adult that caught me doing it would just tell me to stop it…or worse slap my hand out of my mouth!
I’m an adult now, so no one is slapping my hand out of my mouth..
My husband is super sweet about it, he never says a word.
I honestly can’t remember him ever saying a word about it unless it was brought up by me.
He’s a good guy that way, he knows how to handle my insecurities.
I really do hope that in time, my Keen bracelets will help me kick this habit too, they’ve definitely been a lifesaver in the classroom.
It’s just one of many BFRB’s that I’m dealing with.
Related: Do Keen Bracelets Work?
You Might Also Like:
Did You Miss Something?
I suck my thumb and pull my hair out. I rub the hair on my lip while I suck my thumb. I also pull lint off blankets or hats mostly and rub that on my lip but I can’t stop pullin my hair out. I have patches and bald spots and I’m worried. Like you said, it is self soothing. If I don’t suck my thumb I literally get sick to my stomach. I’m 27 by the way.
It is very self soothing and you are not alone, I think there are way more of us than people realize but it’s such an isolating habit that we don’t speak out enough. When I was little I used to keep a blanket with me and a doll named Lucy, I pulled her hair out so she had bald patches too. That’s when their hair was made of yarn in the 80’s.
Oh my gosh! This is my new favorite place. I just turned 30 last month. I never even heard of trichotillomania until a couple weeks ago. I haven’t been diagnosed with it. But I am almost positive I have it. I have dealt with hair pulling since I was young. I too also suck my thumb. I never could figure out why it has been so hard to just stop. I can totally relate to you saying I want to stop. But you just can’t. It is soothing. I actually fall asleep at night twirling my hair and sucking my thumb. I feel like a child. I don’t feel alone anymore. I seriously could cry from happiness. For 30 years I thought I was the only person who pulled my hair out and sucked my thumb.