Notice
The below is a forum entry made by one of our community members. If you want to know more about your condition, we suggest you read the following article written by a mental health professional on
Dermatophagia
I bite the taste buds off my tounge does anyone else do this?
Hi, I'm 19 I've been a compulsive picker, popper, and eater for as long as I can remember. Even at 7 years old I would pick scabs and I've always ate my boogers. I just in the past couple years started eating my scabs, skin, and dragging my nails over my scalp and then eating what's underneath. My biggest concern though is that I used to be a nail biter, and when I gave that up I switched to tounge biting. I will grab a tastebuds between my teeth, or between my bottom tooth and a nail and pull it off. I'll just do it for hours until my tounge is bloody and almost deformed looking. It always heals and goes back to normal. But I'm worried I'm going to get out of control and bite to big of a chunk out. Part of the reason I do it is because I want my tounge to feel smooth, and also I like the pain. Sometimes I'll rinse with peroxide afterwards, for the burning sensation. Does anyone else do anything like this?
Im 16 now and i have been biting the front and the sides of my tongue off since i was about 8 i noticed that i do it mainly when im bored or stressed but i always start doing it without realising but then cant stop until theres alot of blood, i used to get very embarrassed about it and i had doctors appointments and everything becuase i didnt want to admitt that it was my own doing but i eventually managed to control it more and i dont do it as often now but i have never been able to completely quit the habit
I’m 30 and have done this since my early teens. Like Katheryn said, it probably is when I’m overwhelmed in terms of time or space, although I’ve never made that connection until now. It’s like I can’t stop picking at it until I’ve found the “perfect spot” which is usually right in the middle and very difficult to get to (possibly because it doesn’t actually exist, it’s just in my mind). I pick and pick until my fingernail is all bloody and it’s absolutely gross. Then when it starts to heal over I like to try and peel off the white, almost-healed layer of skin that grows on top of the area I’ve been picking at.
I don’t know if it’s linked but I also grind my teeth in my sleep and chew the inside of my cheeks and lips, although again that’s generally only when I’m asleep. The tongue is when I’m awake, although it tends to start of unconsciously and then becomes obsessive for the remainder of the day once I’ve noticed myself doing it.
Hi, I'm Armani and I'm a 17 years old girl. I also bite my taste buds too idk but it really satisfy me when it bleeds and I like the pain so much lol. I remembered i started doing this when I was at the age of 15. It became a hobby of mine actually. I only do it tho if I'm bored. I thought I was the only one doing it lol, I even told my friends about biting my taste buds and they said I was weird. I can't stop biting it tho, I'm also afraid because what if it will lead to some dangerous cancer if I keep going on O.o
I'm 54. I only recently started biting my taste buds. Wearing my retainers at night prevents me from doing this. But I still do it anyway. At other times. It hurts. It makes my tongue sore. I use Oragel rinse afterwards because I'm worried about infection. I don't have any other picking issues. Never have. Don't have any other OCD issues or anything like that. I am under a tremendous amount of stress in my life right now. I've been under stress previously, but never did this before. I can stop for a few days, but then I do it again. Sometimes I bite the inside of my jaw too, but it's mostly my taste buds. I am not trying to make my tongue feel smooth. It feels more like just some kind of weird nervous habit. I don't drink, smoke or do drugs. So maybe this is just a weird stress relieving outlet? I don't know. I wish I could stop. It's helpful knowing I'm not alone in this. I haven't tried to talk to anyone, or any medical personnel, about it. I feel ridiculous about it and that fact I keep doing it. I don't understand it.