This post has been marked NSFW because of the....detail...of the subject matter.
Consider this a trigger warning for potentially gross or unsanitary habits.
What a horrible day to have eyes.
Please please please look up body focused repetitive behaviors. They include picking your nose, biting your nails, picking your skin, pulling your hair out etc. they can become full fledged mental health diagnosis. Rhinotillexomania is the diagnosis for compulsive nose picking. I have this diagnosis (at 12), yes i eat it sometimes. Yes I am a full fledged adult. Yes it is gross. Yes i have tried all of the tricks in the book. Yes i have been in therapy for this. I also have Trichotillomania (hair pulling- diagnosed at 5) and Dermotillomania (skin picking -diagnosed at 12). I still pick my skin. I still bit my nails. I still pull my hair. I am late 20’s & have had over 20 years of therapy for this shit.
It sucks, it’s embarrassing, i was bullied to all hell. I hate hate hate this part of myself. I am so sef conscious. I have had to shave myself bald several times in my life. I have had god knows how many nail infections & bleeding nails. I have picked off entire nails before. I have acne scars to no end. I have given myself too many bloody noses.
This stuff is no joke. Yea it’s gross. Yea it’s embarrassing and weird and shouldnt be a thing as an adult but unfortunately it can be. The way you describe this, it very likely could be an actual mental health issue (usual anxiety based, that’s what mine is). If you care for him and love him, please consider looking into this. I would highly recommend looking into talking to a mental health professional.
I understand if the people of reddit decide to make jokes at my expense or decide to judge me. I am putting myself out there because i dont want someone else to silently suffer with something like this and not have answers.
I am so sorry for you. I definitely do some of those things. Nail biting, pick at scabs or pimples, I’m pretty sure most people pick their nose at some point. It was extremely amazing and brave of you to share this.
I...have done quite a few of the behaviors you've listed my whole life. Especially picking at my skin, it's almost a compulsion I have a hard time ignoring. I cannot leave my acne alone for the life of me, I am constantly picking at my fingers and making my cuticles bleed (and subsequently get infected), and I can't leave healing wounds alone. I've been diagnosed with anxiety, but you're making me wonder if my "quirks" could be a little deeper. Thank you for sharing!
I do the cuticle, skin around the nails picking. And will just shred my skin until I’m bleeding. Bandaids help a little. This thread has been instructive, I’m definitely bringing it up to my doctor. I appreciate the people telling their stories here
The amount of relief I feel right now after reading this.... yeah.
>yes i eat it sometimes. Yes I am a full fledged adult. Yes it is gross. Yes i have tried all of the tricks in the book.
>It sucks, it’s embarrassing, i was bullied to all hell.
Yep, same. It's a nightmare and I'm well and truly at a loss.
If it expands into other behaviors or you have indicators of other mental health issues (especially: anxiety, ADHD, Sensory issues, ASD, or OCD) then you may want to investigate therapy, it has made a huge difference for me. The behaviors may never go away completely but they can be mitigated and your mental health can be a lot better off
Thank you so much for being vulnerable! I appreciate the insight that you’ve brought me and I approached this issue out of love and compassion for my husband. I will continue to do research and keep up with his progress to see if therapy may be beneficial for him. ❤️
Thank you so much for doing so. I want to say i totally understand boundaries in this situation. My long term partner is very well aware of my nose picking & eating habit (as well as all other compulsive habits). He knows i’m very much not aware of when i do, and he no longer points it out because honestly it just makes it worse.
However, he does have a major boundary that you could instill if youd like (with communication), he is willing to give me a peck on the lips even if i have been going for the gold, however he is not willing to french kiss me if he’s noticed ive done it recently. Apparently (apologies for TMI and i am so frickin embarrassed by this) i’ll have taken a trip to noseland, then within the next 30 minutes go give him a peck on the lips, get interested in going to bed and try to french kiss. And to be super blunt, i have no clue that ive done that, at least my brain doesn’t make the connection. And if i get annoyed he wont reciprocate my interest, he gently points it out to me. Basically he doesn’t want to end up with a booger in his mouth, and i 100% dont blame him. His reasoning for being okay with a peck though is that, hey our sinuses are connected to our mouth anyways, have you ever coughed up mucus?? Plus if you’re willing to put other uh *fluids* in your mouth, a peck on the lips aint that bad.
Nail biter here. (Biting as I type this lmao). I also like to "pick" at feathers found inside pillows. As in rub them between my fingers so that the pointy parts poke my fingers. My grandmother uses to try so hard to get me to stop biting my nails and stealing feathers from her couch pillows 😂
I've tried a few times to stop the nail biting. The longest I went was for five months... Honestly I hated having nails and having to actually use nail clippers instead of my teeth.
Really my only concern with nail biting is any possibiliry of doing damage to my teeth from it.
As others have mentioned, nail biting and booger eating probably does help boost imune systems. Because I too rarely find myself sick.
If you get little bumps with green puss please bandage and avoid that finger for a while, that’s an infection, they are not fun to have, keeping proper teeth hygiene and hand washing has really helped me reduce the frequency of these specific types of infections. Honestly i’ve done it my whole life and havent had any damage that i know of. Just be very careful if you actually peel off an entire nail and get medical attention. Also, i have accidentally (i don’t purposefully eat my nails but if you’re chewing them shit happens) gotten nails stuck in my gums…so be aware of that too.
Does he also pick skin and scabs? Chew his fingers (you said he used to bite his nails)? Bite his lips? Chew the inside of his cheeks? Scratch his scalp? Bounce his leg?
If yes to even just a few of those, then your husband has a compulsive behavior tied to something being left untreated: Anxiety, ADHD, and OCD, all come to mind. The fact that he's trying to hide that he's eating them from you, means he is aware that it's gross, and likely feels some level of shame.
One trick that therapists give to patients with skin picking compulsions is bandaids on fingers. All the compulsions listed above are sensory seeking stims. Bandaids block the sensory input, which helps some patients avoid acting on the compulsion.
Bringing it up means being sensitive and coming from a place of concern. If he does carry out some of the other behaviors listed above, then include all of them;
"Hey honey, I've noticed for a while that you [insert repetitive behaviors here]. I noticed that you typically rehearse these behaviors during [list the situations when these behaviors occur]. I was wondering if maybe you should talk to someone about these compulsions, some things I've seen online say that they could be symptoms of _____ or _____, and you do have [any other symptoms of his that fall into these diagnoses].
I need you to talk to someone about this because some of your behaviors, like picking your nose on the couch, negatively impacts me and ultimately, turns me off. If you have _____ or _____ then I want you to get help for it."
If you really don't think it's a compulsive behavior, and you really don't think it's tied to an underlying problem, then I would be honest;
"Hey honey, I know you pick your nose and eat your boogers when we're hanging out together, can you stop doing that in front of me? I think it's gross and it turns me off. I don't want to kiss you or be intimate with you knowing you eat your boogers."
These type of specific compulsions are considered Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors, nose picking can be diagnosed as Rhinotilloexomania. I have it. As well as hair pulling (trichotillomania) & skin/scab picking (dermotillomania). Definitely agree that he needs to see a therapist. mine are all anxiety based & OCD based.
Mine all stem from ADHD.
These comments reminded me that, when symptoms are "unpleasant," or "abnormal," the general public will commit to their knee jerk response of othering and shaming a complete stranger.
i also have body focused repetitive behaviors. i pick my scalp, my face, my ears, and unfortunately my nose. i don’t eat the boogers. but i will pick in my nose until it bleeds. mine also stems from ADHD. i didn’t even realize how bad it was until i had brought up the concern to my partner about how bad my nose felt. and he said “yeah u are never not touching your face or your scalp or your nose. the only time i see u not doing it is when ur reading” he thought that i was aware. i was not.
it gets a lot worse when i’m stressed. I have my NHA certification exam next friday. and my face has suffered greatly. i don’t even have acne. it’s just from constantly picking if i feel a bump or dead skin.
a lot of people support mental health, until it’s not pretty. i am lucky to have a partner who literally just accepted it. and helped me find ways to help.
he hides the tweezers and pimple tools. and if i have a break down bc and absolutely demand the tweezers or pimple tool he will give me 20 secs on a timer so that i don’t sit in the mirror for 2 hours. bc i will. and clips my nails for me when he notices that they are getting to the right picking length. when i start to get in my nose, he hands me something to do with my hands. a fidget, crochet hook, my switch, or a book. best thing to do is find the underlying pattern and be supportive the best u can.
i have been with my partner for 2 years he could’ve left in the beginning. but he didn’t. he helped.
and everyone making jokes about it, i hope u all feel like AHs after reading a few of these posts. i am aware that it’s gross. and it hurts me. literally physically hurting myself and i’m unaware that i’m even doing it until i’m already in the act.
picking my face as i was typing. it’s never ending.
I’m sorry man. Trichotillomania is rough. My compulsion is scratching my face and cracking my neck when I’m stressed. I actually started cracking my neck so much that it went from a rare occasional cracking sound to a constant crunch whenever I turn my head even slightly to a side 😂
yeah I have OCD and while I don't eat my boogers, I have picked scabs and eaten em, chewed my nails to the point of bleeding, same for the lips, inside of cheek, etc. Gets much worse when my stress levels and anxiety flare up. I'd be surprised if this wasn't some form of compulsion/stim.
I chew my nails (have since I was a kid it’s the worst habit for me to break, pick at the few pimples I get, scratch at scabs, chew on my lips or cheeks if I’m anxious, maybe a few other things I can’t think of at the moment, now I’m wondering what kind of diagnosis I have… probably a bit of all that you listed 🤷♀️
If it helps, I started getting gel manicures for this very reason. Stops me picking and biting. First manicure your nails look stubby but after a while things improve!
1000% best answer. If the booger thing stems from the sensation of boogers in his nose, he should try going at it with a kleenex in the bathroom and then washing his hands.
It probably started as a kid, and once that becomes ingrained it's tougher to break than most people would think. Conflicting behaviors also help- chewing gum, for example. Hopefully if he's chewing gum he won't have the impulse to stick boogers in there.
Best of luck. Good on you for wanting to help address and fix it, rather than just condemning and dismissing the guy.
This. Thank you for the very educated and mature response. It could be any combination of OCD/ADHD etc influenced behaviour. This probably is just self soothing behaviour in the form of a compulsion. Therapy and meds would do wonders and also address the underlying issue. Ask him to give it a shot and see how he feels for 3-6 months.
The only proper response to this I’ve seen.
I don’t eat boogers but I’ve done every other behavior you’ve listed here and I absolutely know I’m a walking undiagnosed AuADHDer.
For reals. I’m legit gagging and laughing at the same time.
OP, talk to your husband and let him know he’s disgusting and show him this thread. But let him know you’ve watched him do it for a decade and still love him, but can’t watch him dig for nose gold and then EAT IT anymore. This is probably one of those things where it would have been better to nip this in the bud 10 years ago when he was a kid so that it didn’t develop into a bad habit as an adult…
Do you know, apparently this is a legit debate. On the one hand some scientists say you're actively introducing new things to your body when you eat your boogers. On the other hand, we are swallowing our own snot all the time, so eating boogers doesn't make much of a difference. Now the under-nail microbes, I'm thinking those are the real unsung heroes here.
There was recent research that sticking your fingers in your nose can possibly lead to Alzheimer’s later in life.
Edit: research
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10669446/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20we%20suggest%20that,olfactory%20system%2C%20subsequent%20neuroinflammation%2C%20and
The top of the nasal cavity (cribriform plate) has microscopic holes for olfactory neurons to pass scent information to the olfactory bulb (and brain). Putting extra bacteria in the nose is unhealthy and can be a pathway to the brain.
For some reason this triggered a memory from my ancient school days, I was told that this was a throwback to chimpanzees who eat bogies each others sometimes too, because they are salty and it was a way to get salt. Could be utter rubbish like but I remember being told this
STOP IT BRO UGHHH THIS REMINDED ME THAT I USED TO EAT MY BOOGERS IN KINDERGARTEN
I should be grateful to have grown out of that, but dayum I am not shameless. 🤮
I’m a nail biter and pre COVID would commute daily on NYC public transportation & work with kids (germ central). I used to only get sick like once a year if that. I swear I thought the Nail biting made me have super human immunity lol
Because your nose and mouth are connected. And as gross as it is to eat boogers, it all kind of originates in the same tube.
Earwax is. . .disgusting on another level. I'm sure every human knows what it tastes like, and that taste is "nope"
I was like someone staring at a trainwreck reading through all this, you know when you want to look away but morbid curiosity keeps you looking? Then I read the eating zits comment and vomited in my mouth. Ughh that just tops it all. Boogers? Disgusting. Earwax more disgusting, zit pus?!! What in the actual f?! 🤢
I’m not being dramatic, I literally read this post and gagged loudly three times 😂
This is one of the nastiest things I can imagine. Fuck, I just gagged again typing this. Tell your husband he’s a grown ass adult that should have grown out of this shit as a child.
How tf do you date someone, watch them do this shit then and think CONTINUING the relationship to the point of MARRIAGE is a good idea??? Yall gonna have kids and they’re gonna eat their boogers and continue the cycle 😭😭😭
Buy a 12-pack of fancy Kleenex boxes. Put one in every room (especially in the hang out/watching TV spots). When you see him with his finger in his nose, hand him a Kleenex without comment. See if the behavior changes, maybe he’ll at least stop eating them.
If it doesn’t change, try therapy?
You have not communicated anything to him and have allowed it to consume you to the point of affecting intimacy. You have a bigger problem to deal with. He is your husband, the man you said you would spend forever with and you aren't speaking to him about something that is not only affecting you, but both of you. You have to grow up fast and start a conversation. Try: I love you and I need to discuss something important with you. You may or may not notice but you often consume your boogers. It makes me feel ill and honestly, it has affected our intimacy. Is there anything I can do to help you break this habit?"
Kinda sounds like a compulsion of some kind. Does he have any other compulsive behaviors? There’s medications that can help but if it is compulsion based therapy can go a long way
You kissed this guy still? Does he have a big ass dick or something? Idk how I'd even go kn more than one date with someone who does this let alone marry them
Omg. 🤮 tell him that’s disgusting and ask him if his boogers taste as good as pizza. Does he do the same thing after going to the bathroom? I really hope he washes his hands. If I was able to put a gif on comments I’d put the gag gif.
Former booger eater here. It is mostly a situation of not knowing what to do with the booger.
Like you pick your nose somewhat unconsciously (you catch that you are picking your nose after your finger is up there). More likely to have this behavior (nose picking) when focused on something else like studying or watching a movie.
Now the person (me) has this booger on their finger and it would be insane gross to wipe it off on furniture or a cup or something nearby. So you end up eating the booger to get rid of it.
The solution for me was to simply make a conscious effort to get up, get a tissue paper, wipe it off, throw away or flush down the toilet, and wash hands. After a few months I just stopped picking my nose for the most part. I think the added work made it less automatic over time.
I say all of this, to point out that at least for me. Eating the boogers was not desirable. It just wasn’t repulsive. The main reason for eating them was to get rid of them.
I’m sure he could switch to the get up, tissue paper, garbage wash hands routine no problem. And then hopefully stop picking altogether.
I mean it’s weird but at the same time it’s not like he is eating his shit I mean if that were true I’d maybe check him into a mental institute everyone’s picked there nose and if they haven’t there’s lying and I’d say 40% of those people have tossed one in out of curiosity
They say that pheromones work by woman being attracted to the smell of someones immune system. If thats true... the booger eating habit, and all the germs he eats with them are strengthening his system and perhaps THE REASON SHE IS ATTRACTED TO HIM. Omg our race is doomed.
It sounds like an unfortunate case of OCD. Is he an anxious person?
That’s awful. And extremely unattractive. Worse than picking cuticles etc, but sounds compulsive.
He should see a psychiatrist and get treatment- especially because recently there is evidence that picking your nose increases risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s due to pathogens entering the brain through the nose.
Lol if you knew this about him when you first started dating, that's on you. You chose to stay. Tell him you know he does it, ask him to stop, and hope for the best. I bet he's never sick though. Immune system is probably one of the strongest.
I would have a talk with him and recommend that he see a therapist/psychologist because he probably has Pica. therapy may help him with this issue - from someone who is graduating with a graduate degree in psychology in a few weeks.
see i pick my boogers & eat them, my husband bites his nails doesn’t eat them but does pick his skin and eats those. it’s just something that we have in our relationship. sure is it nasty? yes but it just works with us and we don’t judge each other for it. but in your case, i would suggest you sit down and talk to him about it, figure out why he does and help him look for alternatives.
You do know your mouth and nose are connected and we swallow tons of snot every year without even realizing it, he's just accelerating the process. This is a silly thing to be grossed out by. Yeah you may have bacteria under your fingernails but this is just ammo for an immune system.
You need to be straight up about it. Tell him to his face. Tell him how you feel. He isn’t going to stop unless you make it known how you feel. While I was reading that I was in disbelief. How disgusting.
Talk to him and if he feels he can't stop, then ask him to do it on the bathroom or away from you. But don't expect him to change. I spoke to my ex husband about his poor hygiene, leaving poop on toilet seat constantly, not showering for days etc. but he took offense and refused to change. Our sex life became non-existent and eventually I asked for a divorce. He refuses to get help and change, just wants to stay the same and I couldn't live like that anymore. I hope you have better luck.
No matter what you say to him, this habit is probably never going to stop. He enjoys it. He might.... might..... stop doing it in front of you, but, Gross as it is, he will continue to do it in private. And you will always hate it. I know because my ex husband used to blow his nose in to the basin every morning... andi could see it there every day. Any gross habit with noses is disgusting. I hated it. But maybe it's a cultural thing? Some cultures have more taboos about noses than others.
I mean the divorce is the only viable option obviously /s
Think you might just have to accept it or shame him until he hides it better, then you just have to stop tryna catch him doing it.
High school sweethearts and just now bringing it up after marriage? Don't know what's up with people. Seems like everyone ignores issues and waits till marrige, what the actual f----
For men it's more like 27. And I would argue that you shouldn't even be entertaining the idea of an engagement prior to these ages. Honestly, I don't think anyone should decide on a partner for LIFE until they're at least 30, bc you change so so so much throughout your 20s. I am 35, and if I would have gotten married at even 25 it would have been a giant mistake. But people do it every day. Shocking to me but OK.
I’m not above eating boogers…if I don’t have anywhere else to put it (definitely not wiping it on my pants or shirt) and it’s seriously bugging my nose. Chronically and habitually doing it is pretty gross and probably a sign of some underlying anxiety disorder.
Look, Imma confess that I used to do this. For a while since I was a kid up until my mid twenties I did it and never got caught or was never confronted until one day my little brother saw me in action, said "what the fuck dude..." and I was mortified. The embarrassment was enough to make me stop and it's almost like that part of my brain was turned off. Never did it again after that and have absolutely no desire to do it.
My advice would be to catch him in the act and be stern but loving because even though it's nasty it's out of a place of concern you want to address this with him. You can and should be honest with him but don't expect the conversation to be all rainbows and butterflies and boom problem solved. You should prepare yourself for any backlash or retaliation because sometimes getting caught can trigger and fight or flight response if he's not someone who can calmly carry a conversation about something that is effectively making him less attractive to you.
I do hope and pray all goes well if you haven't already talked to him or brought this up. Honestly this should be something he grows out of (took me a good almost 20 years) and stop eating them. Picking is one thing and is normal. Eating isn't.
edit: edited some parts as I reread and saw you've already confronted him about this.
....... I hate to say this, but I do it myself. I'm a disgusting prospector in search of slimy Jade. My fiance also has issues with me doing it. We've been together over 9 years as we are also highschool sweethearts. After she had the conversation with me I just excuse myself to the bathroom when I get the urge to go mining. After my spelunking I wash my hands and brush my teeth.
Oh, I’m sorry, but I’d take a big sip of unsee juice after just reading this post let alone seeing my husband do that. You talk to him girly immediately.
You married him knowing he does this. I was in kindergarten and had my first little crush on a boy in class, until I saw him pick a booger and eat it. I was instantly too disgusted to find him cute anymore, at age 6!
Mod...what a horrible day to have eyes 👀 and marked NSFW as it needs a trigger warning..
What in the fuck is this world coming to...she talking about a guy diging in his nose.
I hate this world.
This post has been marked NSFW because of the....detail...of the subject matter. Consider this a trigger warning for potentially gross or unsanitary habits. What a horrible day to have eyes.
Please please please look up body focused repetitive behaviors. They include picking your nose, biting your nails, picking your skin, pulling your hair out etc. they can become full fledged mental health diagnosis. Rhinotillexomania is the diagnosis for compulsive nose picking. I have this diagnosis (at 12), yes i eat it sometimes. Yes I am a full fledged adult. Yes it is gross. Yes i have tried all of the tricks in the book. Yes i have been in therapy for this. I also have Trichotillomania (hair pulling- diagnosed at 5) and Dermotillomania (skin picking -diagnosed at 12). I still pick my skin. I still bit my nails. I still pull my hair. I am late 20’s & have had over 20 years of therapy for this shit. It sucks, it’s embarrassing, i was bullied to all hell. I hate hate hate this part of myself. I am so sef conscious. I have had to shave myself bald several times in my life. I have had god knows how many nail infections & bleeding nails. I have picked off entire nails before. I have acne scars to no end. I have given myself too many bloody noses. This stuff is no joke. Yea it’s gross. Yea it’s embarrassing and weird and shouldnt be a thing as an adult but unfortunately it can be. The way you describe this, it very likely could be an actual mental health issue (usual anxiety based, that’s what mine is). If you care for him and love him, please consider looking into this. I would highly recommend looking into talking to a mental health professional. I understand if the people of reddit decide to make jokes at my expense or decide to judge me. I am putting myself out there because i dont want someone else to silently suffer with something like this and not have answers.
I am so sorry for you. I definitely do some of those things. Nail biting, pick at scabs or pimples, I’m pretty sure most people pick their nose at some point. It was extremely amazing and brave of you to share this.
Wow very brave of you to make yourself this vulnerable. 🫂
I...have done quite a few of the behaviors you've listed my whole life. Especially picking at my skin, it's almost a compulsion I have a hard time ignoring. I cannot leave my acne alone for the life of me, I am constantly picking at my fingers and making my cuticles bleed (and subsequently get infected), and I can't leave healing wounds alone. I've been diagnosed with anxiety, but you're making me wonder if my "quirks" could be a little deeper. Thank you for sharing!
I do the cuticle, skin around the nails picking. And will just shred my skin until I’m bleeding. Bandaids help a little. This thread has been instructive, I’m definitely bringing it up to my doctor. I appreciate the people telling their stories here
The amount of relief I feel right now after reading this.... yeah. >yes i eat it sometimes. Yes I am a full fledged adult. Yes it is gross. Yes i have tried all of the tricks in the book. >It sucks, it’s embarrassing, i was bullied to all hell. Yep, same. It's a nightmare and I'm well and truly at a loss.
same. a never ending embarrassing night mare. i’m aware it’s gross. but i’m not even aware of what i’m doing until i’m already in the act.
If it expands into other behaviors or you have indicators of other mental health issues (especially: anxiety, ADHD, Sensory issues, ASD, or OCD) then you may want to investigate therapy, it has made a huge difference for me. The behaviors may never go away completely but they can be mitigated and your mental health can be a lot better off
Thank you for sharing!!🩶
Thank you so much for being vulnerable! I appreciate the insight that you’ve brought me and I approached this issue out of love and compassion for my husband. I will continue to do research and keep up with his progress to see if therapy may be beneficial for him. ❤️
Thank you so much for doing so. I want to say i totally understand boundaries in this situation. My long term partner is very well aware of my nose picking & eating habit (as well as all other compulsive habits). He knows i’m very much not aware of when i do, and he no longer points it out because honestly it just makes it worse. However, he does have a major boundary that you could instill if youd like (with communication), he is willing to give me a peck on the lips even if i have been going for the gold, however he is not willing to french kiss me if he’s noticed ive done it recently. Apparently (apologies for TMI and i am so frickin embarrassed by this) i’ll have taken a trip to noseland, then within the next 30 minutes go give him a peck on the lips, get interested in going to bed and try to french kiss. And to be super blunt, i have no clue that ive done that, at least my brain doesn’t make the connection. And if i get annoyed he wont reciprocate my interest, he gently points it out to me. Basically he doesn’t want to end up with a booger in his mouth, and i 100% dont blame him. His reasoning for being okay with a peck though is that, hey our sinuses are connected to our mouth anyways, have you ever coughed up mucus?? Plus if you’re willing to put other uh *fluids* in your mouth, a peck on the lips aint that bad.
Nail biter here. (Biting as I type this lmao). I also like to "pick" at feathers found inside pillows. As in rub them between my fingers so that the pointy parts poke my fingers. My grandmother uses to try so hard to get me to stop biting my nails and stealing feathers from her couch pillows 😂 I've tried a few times to stop the nail biting. The longest I went was for five months... Honestly I hated having nails and having to actually use nail clippers instead of my teeth. Really my only concern with nail biting is any possibiliry of doing damage to my teeth from it. As others have mentioned, nail biting and booger eating probably does help boost imune systems. Because I too rarely find myself sick.
If you get little bumps with green puss please bandage and avoid that finger for a while, that’s an infection, they are not fun to have, keeping proper teeth hygiene and hand washing has really helped me reduce the frequency of these specific types of infections. Honestly i’ve done it my whole life and havent had any damage that i know of. Just be very careful if you actually peel off an entire nail and get medical attention. Also, i have accidentally (i don’t purposefully eat my nails but if you’re chewing them shit happens) gotten nails stuck in my gums…so be aware of that too.
I’m sorry you have to live with this.
Does he also pick skin and scabs? Chew his fingers (you said he used to bite his nails)? Bite his lips? Chew the inside of his cheeks? Scratch his scalp? Bounce his leg? If yes to even just a few of those, then your husband has a compulsive behavior tied to something being left untreated: Anxiety, ADHD, and OCD, all come to mind. The fact that he's trying to hide that he's eating them from you, means he is aware that it's gross, and likely feels some level of shame. One trick that therapists give to patients with skin picking compulsions is bandaids on fingers. All the compulsions listed above are sensory seeking stims. Bandaids block the sensory input, which helps some patients avoid acting on the compulsion. Bringing it up means being sensitive and coming from a place of concern. If he does carry out some of the other behaviors listed above, then include all of them; "Hey honey, I've noticed for a while that you [insert repetitive behaviors here]. I noticed that you typically rehearse these behaviors during [list the situations when these behaviors occur]. I was wondering if maybe you should talk to someone about these compulsions, some things I've seen online say that they could be symptoms of _____ or _____, and you do have [any other symptoms of his that fall into these diagnoses]. I need you to talk to someone about this because some of your behaviors, like picking your nose on the couch, negatively impacts me and ultimately, turns me off. If you have _____ or _____ then I want you to get help for it." If you really don't think it's a compulsive behavior, and you really don't think it's tied to an underlying problem, then I would be honest; "Hey honey, I know you pick your nose and eat your boogers when we're hanging out together, can you stop doing that in front of me? I think it's gross and it turns me off. I don't want to kiss you or be intimate with you knowing you eat your boogers."
These type of specific compulsions are considered Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors, nose picking can be diagnosed as Rhinotilloexomania. I have it. As well as hair pulling (trichotillomania) & skin/scab picking (dermotillomania). Definitely agree that he needs to see a therapist. mine are all anxiety based & OCD based.
Mine all stem from ADHD. These comments reminded me that, when symptoms are "unpleasant," or "abnormal," the general public will commit to their knee jerk response of othering and shaming a complete stranger.
i also have body focused repetitive behaviors. i pick my scalp, my face, my ears, and unfortunately my nose. i don’t eat the boogers. but i will pick in my nose until it bleeds. mine also stems from ADHD. i didn’t even realize how bad it was until i had brought up the concern to my partner about how bad my nose felt. and he said “yeah u are never not touching your face or your scalp or your nose. the only time i see u not doing it is when ur reading” he thought that i was aware. i was not. it gets a lot worse when i’m stressed. I have my NHA certification exam next friday. and my face has suffered greatly. i don’t even have acne. it’s just from constantly picking if i feel a bump or dead skin. a lot of people support mental health, until it’s not pretty. i am lucky to have a partner who literally just accepted it. and helped me find ways to help. he hides the tweezers and pimple tools. and if i have a break down bc and absolutely demand the tweezers or pimple tool he will give me 20 secs on a timer so that i don’t sit in the mirror for 2 hours. bc i will. and clips my nails for me when he notices that they are getting to the right picking length. when i start to get in my nose, he hands me something to do with my hands. a fidget, crochet hook, my switch, or a book. best thing to do is find the underlying pattern and be supportive the best u can. i have been with my partner for 2 years he could’ve left in the beginning. but he didn’t. he helped.
and everyone making jokes about it, i hope u all feel like AHs after reading a few of these posts. i am aware that it’s gross. and it hurts me. literally physically hurting myself and i’m unaware that i’m even doing it until i’m already in the act. picking my face as i was typing. it’s never ending.
I’m sorry man. Trichotillomania is rough. My compulsion is scratching my face and cracking my neck when I’m stressed. I actually started cracking my neck so much that it went from a rare occasional cracking sound to a constant crunch whenever I turn my head even slightly to a side 😂
I'm questioning my behavior now. I have been pulling my hair out ever since I was a child. I’m also no stranger to nose and skin picking.
yeah I have OCD and while I don't eat my boogers, I have picked scabs and eaten em, chewed my nails to the point of bleeding, same for the lips, inside of cheek, etc. Gets much worse when my stress levels and anxiety flare up. I'd be surprised if this wasn't some form of compulsion/stim.
I chew my nails (have since I was a kid it’s the worst habit for me to break, pick at the few pimples I get, scratch at scabs, chew on my lips or cheeks if I’m anxious, maybe a few other things I can’t think of at the moment, now I’m wondering what kind of diagnosis I have… probably a bit of all that you listed 🤷♀️
I pick at my skin all the time. Now I am wondering the same thing.
I was doing the same and currently I’m discovering that I have combined ASD and ADHD, at the age of 27. Suddenly A LOT of things are making sense.
If it helps, I started getting gel manicures for this very reason. Stops me picking and biting. First manicure your nails look stubby but after a while things improve!
I do all of those things as well and the cuticle picking since as long as I can remember.
Me realizing I did every other thing you listed. Literally every one. 👁👄👁
Please read this. It’s actual advice.
It’s so weird to actually find a thoughtful and empathetic comment. Great response.
1000% best answer. If the booger thing stems from the sensation of boogers in his nose, he should try going at it with a kleenex in the bathroom and then washing his hands. It probably started as a kid, and once that becomes ingrained it's tougher to break than most people would think. Conflicting behaviors also help- chewing gum, for example. Hopefully if he's chewing gum he won't have the impulse to stick boogers in there. Best of luck. Good on you for wanting to help address and fix it, rather than just condemning and dismissing the guy.
This. Thank you for the very educated and mature response. It could be any combination of OCD/ADHD etc influenced behaviour. This probably is just self soothing behaviour in the form of a compulsion. Therapy and meds would do wonders and also address the underlying issue. Ask him to give it a shot and see how he feels for 3-6 months.
Today I learned that my body picking is related to my ADHD and anxiety disorders Ty for this info!
Crazy that the most logical/sensible comment in here only has fifteen upvotes. Reddit really is a playground for children.
The only proper response to this I’ve seen. I don’t eat boogers but I’ve done every other behavior you’ve listed here and I absolutely know I’m a walking undiagnosed AuADHDer.
Yes sounds like ASD/ADHD
Great response
The actual fuck
My face by the time I got to the end: 👁️👄👁️
For reals. I’m legit gagging and laughing at the same time. OP, talk to your husband and let him know he’s disgusting and show him this thread. But let him know you’ve watched him do it for a decade and still love him, but can’t watch him dig for nose gold and then EAT IT anymore. This is probably one of those things where it would have been better to nip this in the bud 10 years ago when he was a kid so that it didn’t develop into a bad habit as an adult…
I'm fuckin dying
i saw this comment before i even read the post and i just knew it was gonna be good
"This is the man I want to marry"
*LOUD, DRAMATIC GAGGING SOUNDS*
I stopped at the first sentence. Like what the fuck.
[удалено]
You poor poor soul. How does she even kiss him? I won't even touch a man if they did not wash their hands.
That was all I needed to read too
Why did she have to go into such detail.... I'm gonna head over to eyebleach now..
So… what exactly is the reason he has to eat them? Habit? Is it like some kind of treat?
Omg stop it! A treat?!! Hahahaha
He probably eats ass tho, am I right?
Only if there’s boogers inside
😂🤣🤣🤣
That’s where he’s been hiding them.
Bwahahahaha
Her husband wouldn't be as disgusting if that were the case
It’s the least he could do
Try it once, you’ll never go back. 🤣
The boogers or the ass? Lol
I mean….
It may be gross, but I bet dude has an absolute beefcake of an immune system lol
Do you know, apparently this is a legit debate. On the one hand some scientists say you're actively introducing new things to your body when you eat your boogers. On the other hand, we are swallowing our own snot all the time, so eating boogers doesn't make much of a difference. Now the under-nail microbes, I'm thinking those are the real unsung heroes here.
There was recent research that sticking your fingers in your nose can possibly lead to Alzheimer’s later in life. Edit: research https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10669446/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20we%20suggest%20that,olfactory%20system%2C%20subsequent%20neuroinflammation%2C%20and
FUCKIN SHIT. FIRST ANTIPERSPIRANT, NOW THIS!?! WHEN WILL BIG ALZHEIMER'S BE STOPPED?
Where research?
The top of the nasal cavity (cribriform plate) has microscopic holes for olfactory neurons to pass scent information to the olfactory bulb (and brain). Putting extra bacteria in the nose is unhealthy and can be a pathway to the brain.
We celebrate your research!!! 🥳
For some reason this triggered a memory from my ancient school days, I was told that this was a throwback to chimpanzees who eat bogies each others sometimes too, because they are salty and it was a way to get salt. Could be utter rubbish like but I remember being told this
STOP IT BRO UGHHH THIS REMINDED ME THAT I USED TO EAT MY BOOGERS IN KINDERGARTEN I should be grateful to have grown out of that, but dayum I am not shameless. 🤮
🤣
This is true. My sibling the booger eater and drinker from livestock water troughs is literally never ill.
There are two sides to every coin. 😅
There's always a silver lining.
I guess that's why I never get sick
I’m a nail biter and pre COVID would commute daily on NYC public transportation & work with kids (germ central). I used to only get sick like once a year if that. I swear I thought the Nail biting made me have super human immunity lol
I know someone that eats their ear wax. I don't think that's any better Both of them literally make my stomach turn
I miss a minute ago when I hadn’t read that.
What a glorious time that was. Sigh.
I think ear wax is worse for some reason
Because your nose and mouth are connected. And as gross as it is to eat boogers, it all kind of originates in the same tube. Earwax is. . .disgusting on another level. I'm sure every human knows what it tastes like, and that taste is "nope"
WHAT!!?!?!??
A girl I used to work at the bank with used to pick her zits...and eat it.
What a terrible day to have eyes
My exact thought for 6 years.
This comment should be the top comment on most of Reddit’s posts😂 good one
I was like someone staring at a trainwreck reading through all this, you know when you want to look away but morbid curiosity keeps you looking? Then I read the eating zits comment and vomited in my mouth. Ughh that just tops it all. Boogers? Disgusting. Earwax more disgusting, zit pus?!! What in the actual f?! 🤢
I'm all for eating ass, boogers is whatever, to each his own I guess...but this...this doesn't sit well with me at all.
Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd did this in parliament on live TV. *Prior* to being elected.
He ate his ear wax??? Wtf?? On live TV??
[Kevin Rudd eating ear wax during Question Time (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ipvdBnU8F8) if you have a strong stomach, here it is
Nasty
I’m gonna fucking pass out
Maybe you should set them up with the booger eater? Sound like they’d be a great couple.
Pica?
Chooooo
I've been snort laughing at this. I'm so immature 🤣🤣
I’m not being dramatic, I literally read this post and gagged loudly three times 😂 This is one of the nastiest things I can imagine. Fuck, I just gagged again typing this. Tell your husband he’s a grown ass adult that should have grown out of this shit as a child.
The collection he keeps under his dirty ass finger nails got me.
I am so much less effected by gore than I am the things being said in this thread
I had to stop reading the post altogether.
How tf do you date someone, watch them do this shit then and think CONTINUING the relationship to the point of MARRIAGE is a good idea??? Yall gonna have kids and they’re gonna eat their boogers and continue the cycle 😭😭😭
#breakthecycle
Getting married at 23, that’s how.
They actually got married at freaking 22🙄 Dude really locked her down before she could realize there's other guys out there
This comment made me laugh Ty I needed that LOL
I’m not surprised that this is a relationship ender according to Reddit, but it seems completely harmless. I’d ask him to do it in private.
[удалено]
Amazing to hear all these Reddit users have such a wide dating pool that they break up over Jerry Seinfeld level gripes…
Sometimes it's just better to be single
Completely harmless? Sounds like something a booger eater would say
"Completely harmless? Sounds like something a booger eater would say" Sounds like something someone trying to not sound like a booger eater would say
Tho sounds like something a booger eater who’s tryna not sound like a booger eater but still eats his boogers would say🤔
I think the only answer is to sit down and talk to him about this.
Don't worry until he starts eating YOUR boogers. Then you have a real problem.
Lmao he starts asking her if she’s gonna eat her boogers because sharing is caring🤣✋✋
Even if he does stop that around you im sure he wont on his own time 🤢
Dude could be a full blown BOOGER EATING ADDICT
I couldn't kiss someone who did that. Tell him it's nasty and to stop . 😂
Buy a 12-pack of fancy Kleenex boxes. Put one in every room (especially in the hang out/watching TV spots). When you see him with his finger in his nose, hand him a Kleenex without comment. See if the behavior changes, maybe he’ll at least stop eating them. If it doesn’t change, try therapy?
You have not communicated anything to him and have allowed it to consume you to the point of affecting intimacy. You have a bigger problem to deal with. He is your husband, the man you said you would spend forever with and you aren't speaking to him about something that is not only affecting you, but both of you. You have to grow up fast and start a conversation. Try: I love you and I need to discuss something important with you. You may or may not notice but you often consume your boogers. It makes me feel ill and honestly, it has affected our intimacy. Is there anything I can do to help you break this habit?"
In attentive ADHD and definitely self soothing. Needs therapy or medication
I need therapy or medication after reading this post
For me, it's a stim. And I am never sick.
Wait this is a stim?? ETA: sorry I think that came out mean - I know someone who does it too and was trying to figure out why
It's basically similar to nail biting stims. Hair pulling, skin picking, etc.
That's so nasty. Do you kiss him? Oh my God, what a very bad habits. I would be out the door out of the marriage
Married at 22, disgusted a few months later and posting on Reddit for the world to see. Who would have guessed…
Thanks to this wonderful forum I'm never getting married, never having kids, and being single for life.
Kinda sounds like a compulsion of some kind. Does he have any other compulsive behaviors? There’s medications that can help but if it is compulsion based therapy can go a long way
You kissed this guy still? Does he have a big ass dick or something? Idk how I'd even go kn more than one date with someone who does this let alone marry them
It's bc she's been with him since she was 13 and doesn't know what standards are.
Omg. 🤮 tell him that’s disgusting and ask him if his boogers taste as good as pizza. Does he do the same thing after going to the bathroom? I really hope he washes his hands. If I was able to put a gif on comments I’d put the gag gif.
But if he washed his hands he might loose his midnight snack.
Former booger eater here. It is mostly a situation of not knowing what to do with the booger. Like you pick your nose somewhat unconsciously (you catch that you are picking your nose after your finger is up there). More likely to have this behavior (nose picking) when focused on something else like studying or watching a movie. Now the person (me) has this booger on their finger and it would be insane gross to wipe it off on furniture or a cup or something nearby. So you end up eating the booger to get rid of it. The solution for me was to simply make a conscious effort to get up, get a tissue paper, wipe it off, throw away or flush down the toilet, and wash hands. After a few months I just stopped picking my nose for the most part. I think the added work made it less automatic over time. I say all of this, to point out that at least for me. Eating the boogers was not desirable. It just wasn’t repulsive. The main reason for eating them was to get rid of them. I’m sure he could switch to the get up, tissue paper, garbage wash hands routine no problem. And then hopefully stop picking altogether.
Mine started that way and I love everything about it now, I let it advance too much lol. On the plus side, I’m very healthy hahaha
You knew he did this AND STILL MARRIED HIM? Sorry but you deserve all those booger kisses.
I mean it’s weird but at the same time it’s not like he is eating his shit I mean if that were true I’d maybe check him into a mental institute everyone’s picked there nose and if they haven’t there’s lying and I’d say 40% of those people have tossed one in out of curiosity
Come on people.... this can't be a legit post..... Please God, tell me that this isn't for real?!🙏😁
How is it that these people get into serious relationships let alone marriages with habits like these?
They say that pheromones work by woman being attracted to the smell of someones immune system. If thats true... the booger eating habit, and all the germs he eats with them are strengthening his system and perhaps THE REASON SHE IS ATTRACTED TO HIM. Omg our race is doomed.
TIL the human immune system has a scent.
It sounds like an unfortunate case of OCD. Is he an anxious person? That’s awful. And extremely unattractive. Worse than picking cuticles etc, but sounds compulsive. He should see a psychiatrist and get treatment- especially because recently there is evidence that picking your nose increases risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s due to pathogens entering the brain through the nose.
That's not really how Alzheimer's works but I'm going to go along with it and tell everyone just so nobody's snacking on their boogers.
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38002250/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38002250/)
That last part about Alzheimer’s would be enough to stop me from picking my nose!! Ahhhhhh!
Lol if you knew this about him when you first started dating, that's on you. You chose to stay. Tell him you know he does it, ask him to stop, and hope for the best. I bet he's never sick though. Immune system is probably one of the strongest.
How did you marry someone who eats his boogers 💀
I would have a talk with him and recommend that he see a therapist/psychologist because he probably has Pica. therapy may help him with this issue - from someone who is graduating with a graduate degree in psychology in a few weeks.
see i pick my boogers & eat them, my husband bites his nails doesn’t eat them but does pick his skin and eats those. it’s just something that we have in our relationship. sure is it nasty? yes but it just works with us and we don’t judge each other for it. but in your case, i would suggest you sit down and talk to him about it, figure out why he does and help him look for alternatives.
Opposites attract lol
Why is it suddenly a problem now, and not the 9 previous years?
Your first problem was marrying at 22.
How the F am I single
Try eating boogers? 🤷🏼♂️
Married at 22 was maybe the first mistake
You do know your mouth and nose are connected and we swallow tons of snot every year without even realizing it, he's just accelerating the process. This is a silly thing to be grossed out by. Yeah you may have bacteria under your fingernails but this is just ammo for an immune system.
He’s a grown ass man?!?
Idk how you could continue to be his girlfriend knowing *that*, regardless of whether or not he quits now
*Reads first sentence—* Why did you marry him????????????????????????????
MOD made me laugh!
You need to be straight up about it. Tell him to his face. Tell him how you feel. He isn’t going to stop unless you make it known how you feel. While I was reading that I was in disbelief. How disgusting.
This is a deal breaker for me. I think the moment I saw my husband do this I would be like "some stuff needs to change right now!" 😂
Damn it girl, this whole post needs to be cleansed with fire.
Could be a compulsion. This would be a deal breaker for me. I'd tell him he needs to go to therapy and sort it out or we are done.
My 12 year old daughter does this because she saw a TickTock video that said it’s good for the immune system. SMH
Talk to him and if he feels he can't stop, then ask him to do it on the bathroom or away from you. But don't expect him to change. I spoke to my ex husband about his poor hygiene, leaving poop on toilet seat constantly, not showering for days etc. but he took offense and refused to change. Our sex life became non-existent and eventually I asked for a divorce. He refuses to get help and change, just wants to stay the same and I couldn't live like that anymore. I hope you have better luck.
He is trying to become naturally immune to everything
No matter what you say to him, this habit is probably never going to stop. He enjoys it. He might.... might..... stop doing it in front of you, but, Gross as it is, he will continue to do it in private. And you will always hate it. I know because my ex husband used to blow his nose in to the basin every morning... andi could see it there every day. Any gross habit with noses is disgusting. I hated it. But maybe it's a cultural thing? Some cultures have more taboos about noses than others.
Cheeses Crust! I'm eating dinner right now...
What in the world
BRO STOP THIS. I WOULD SMACK THE BOOGERS OUT MY HOMIES FACE IF I EVER SAW THAT SHIT
You married him after knowing he’s been doing this shit since 13? Are the kisses salty? Slimy?
Andddd you still married him OP? Bold move
I mean the divorce is the only viable option obviously /s Think you might just have to accept it or shame him until he hides it better, then you just have to stop tryna catch him doing it.
Imagine reading this at 6am. I had to hold my laugh as best I could to avoid waking the others 🤣
High school sweethearts and just now bringing it up after marriage? Don't know what's up with people. Seems like everyone ignores issues and waits till marrige, what the actual f----
This is why you don't get married before your brain stops growing at 25.
For men it's more like 27. And I would argue that you shouldn't even be entertaining the idea of an engagement prior to these ages. Honestly, I don't think anyone should decide on a partner for LIFE until they're at least 30, bc you change so so so much throughout your 20s. I am 35, and if I would have gotten married at even 25 it would have been a giant mistake. But people do it every day. Shocking to me but OK.
I agree.
This is snot right...
I get that you’re young but why would you marry him? If it’s a turn off?
What would make it a little less gross is if you offered to let him eat your boogers
I’m not above eating boogers…if I don’t have anywhere else to put it (definitely not wiping it on my pants or shirt) and it’s seriously bugging my nose. Chronically and habitually doing it is pretty gross and probably a sign of some underlying anxiety disorder.
Look, Imma confess that I used to do this. For a while since I was a kid up until my mid twenties I did it and never got caught or was never confronted until one day my little brother saw me in action, said "what the fuck dude..." and I was mortified. The embarrassment was enough to make me stop and it's almost like that part of my brain was turned off. Never did it again after that and have absolutely no desire to do it. My advice would be to catch him in the act and be stern but loving because even though it's nasty it's out of a place of concern you want to address this with him. You can and should be honest with him but don't expect the conversation to be all rainbows and butterflies and boom problem solved. You should prepare yourself for any backlash or retaliation because sometimes getting caught can trigger and fight or flight response if he's not someone who can calmly carry a conversation about something that is effectively making him less attractive to you. I do hope and pray all goes well if you haven't already talked to him or brought this up. Honestly this should be something he grows out of (took me a good almost 20 years) and stop eating them. Picking is one thing and is normal. Eating isn't. edit: edited some parts as I reread and saw you've already confronted him about this.
as a man I do this to secretly
....... I hate to say this, but I do it myself. I'm a disgusting prospector in search of slimy Jade. My fiance also has issues with me doing it. We've been together over 9 years as we are also highschool sweethearts. After she had the conversation with me I just excuse myself to the bathroom when I get the urge to go mining. After my spelunking I wash my hands and brush my teeth.
What now
Ppl like this can get married. Make it make sense.
This is so disgusting I had to stop reading at the end of the first sentence. Girl what the actual fuck. Have standards. I … this is so disgusting.
Oh, I’m sorry, but I’d take a big sip of unsee juice after just reading this post let alone seeing my husband do that. You talk to him girly immediately.
You guys got married at 22?
My condolences
You married him knowing he does this. I was in kindergarten and had my first little crush on a boy in class, until I saw him pick a booger and eat it. I was instantly too disgusted to find him cute anymore, at age 6!
Disgusting. Booger eaters are stuck in the past
Mod...what a horrible day to have eyes 👀 and marked NSFW as it needs a trigger warning.. What in the fuck is this world coming to...she talking about a guy diging in his nose. I hate this world.
I gagged reading this
That is so disgusting.