Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi all. Anxiety has been super high and from reading online I think what I've always had is pica or sensory seeking? I've always chewed toweling fabric! I'll chew it until it falls appart. Worse at times and now I think its anxiety causing me to crave it more and more.
Anyway wondering how I overcome this?
As a kid I was addicted to furniture polish, I'd spray it onto a duster and smell it for ages. Then I found out the harm and stopped thank fully! Luckily I was okay. I'm craving strong smells again lately. I'm worried that the polish craving will come back. Is this also sensory seeking?
When i was a kid I used to eat pencils. It would start with the eraser, then I would chew the metal and then finally I would take big bites out of the pencil itself until there was an inch left at the end. I liked the mouthfeel of the metal and wood. Thankfully they were graphite not lead. i get the same thing from extremely sour candy now (as pencil eating is frowned upon by adults, let's face it).
Chewing the eraser and its metal container is a bit hardcore - and probably not a good look.
Maybe the producers of sensory items for autistic people could be persuaded to manufacture wooden look-alike pencils. Or wood flavoured hard crisps.