Dear Annie Moussu,

thank you, this is actually the first time that someone said he knows people with this particular problem. I knew of course that I was very unlikely to be the only one, but it was so difficult to find anything on this. Its very interesting to know

I guess you just pretended this didn’t happen when you overheard your friends? Frankly for me that would have been the best reaction of all if I had been your friend, simply not knowing that you overheard me, not having to worry that you think I am weird and need to be avoided.

Very luckily I don’t live in constant fear anymore, but I did in the past. Yes, it’s well possible that this habit originated from fear.

I have not yet tried to keep a journal. Maybe that would be a good thing to try. I am worried though that someone would find it somehow, but maybe I can just make sure noone will, taking good care. Thank you, this is a good suggestion.

When I read about OCD on Wikipedia for example, this just doesn’t really fit. Maybe compulsions “act compulsively so as to mitigate the anxiety that stems from particular obsessive thoughts” but I don’t say it for hours and speech is hardly mentioned in the article. But I am not a doctor.

I have been in therapy before and it can be helpful indeed. But I don’t want to start from zero again telling my lifestory, its exhausting (even though there aren’t any mayor trauma). I am not even sure a theraphist can help in this case.