Please help, addicted to cracking my bones, it has actually kept me up all night? what can l do to stop?

l have this strange addiction of cracking my bones especially my feet, its like after i crack it, it starts to hurt a minute later, like l have to keep cracking it every minute, it feels uncomfortable unless i crack it and it keeps happening over and over, l crack it and a minute later it feels like it needs to be cracked again and again. l actually cracked my feet for 4 hours straight, barely getting any sleep. its crazy do u know wat i can do to stop cracking my bones? its so hard since l feel a throbbing sensation for it to be cracked over and over it like bugs me until l crack it and i have to keep cracking it wat can l do to stop and distract myself? i suddenly just think of it at night and have a need to keep cracking my feet =$Please help, addicted to cracking my bones, it has actually kept me up all night? what can l do to stop?
A quiz for the presence of OCD is at http://www.ocdla.com/OCDtest.html OCD is an anxiety spectrum disorder, and the obsessions and compulsions are a way of avoiding, or coping with it, so; treat the underlying anxiety effectively, replacing your habit with the EFT, below, or (hopefully only temporarily) something more socially acceptable, like using worry beads, stress ball, electronic palm held game, or stringing beads, etc. It's important to regularly monitor, and deal with a negative internal monologue (self talk), or mental process, such as disturbing thoughts, images, impulses, or emotions, by the process of (a): recognising it, and (b): challenging it immediately. Technique For Re-Programming Negative Thoughts: When you notice something negative, such as: "I can't do this/ am never going to get over this!" or: "Why am I always so pathetic/useless/such a loser?" or even an image, emotion, or a memory; recognise that it is being generated from the negative part of your mind. Having identified and labelled it, visualise a large, red, flashing, "STOP!" sign, and/or possibly a stern faced person wagging an index finger at you in a negative manner, then say to yourself as forcefully as you can, even aloud in a big voice, if alone: "I know this tactic: GO AWAY FOR A WHILE !!!" You may want to use either: "ruse", "ploy", "game", or "trick". In the case of an image, visualise a large "STOP" sign, or your preferred version. Some people go so far as to keep a wide rubber band in their pocket, then put it around their wrist, when they catch themselves backsliding, stretch and release it, as a method of reprogramming their mind sooner, but I don't regard it as being strictly necessary.



Remember to remove it, afterwards, if you use this method. Practice a relaxation method, daily, and when needed, such as: (free) http://www.drcoxconsulting.com/managing-鈥?/a> or http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/mindbody鈥?/a> or http://www.wikihow.com/Meditate or the Yoga Nidra (easy mental exercises only) on page L at 8m.com, below. Tai Chi, regular yoga, or Qi Gong suits others better. Give the EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. Use the searchbar at http://www.mercola.com "EFT" %26amp; "EFT therapists" and/or see the 13 free videos at http://www.tapping.com - There is a version for use in public places, (if anyone asks, you can claim to have a headache, as you massage/lightly tap your temples, but you would then be restricted to subvocalising: saying it to yourself in your mind: "Even though I sometimes suffer from obsessions/compulsions, I deeply and completely accept myself." Herbal remedies, such as St. John's wort, are often effective, but the idea is (as with anxiolytic medication) to use them like water wings, or training wheels on a bicycle, providing initial support, and giving time for other treatments, such as therapy, and relaxation techniques, to take effect.



A free E course in CBT for anxiety is at: http://ecouch.anu.edu.au/welcome Books: Coping With OCD: Practical Strategies for Living Well With Obsessive-compulsive Disorder by Bruce M., Ph.D. Hyman and Troy Dufrene, %26amp; Overcoming Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Client Manual: A Behavioral and Cognitive Protocol for the Treatment of OCD (Best Practices Series) by Gail Steketee, %26amp; Confronting the Bully of OCD: Winning Back Our Freedom One Day at a Time by Linda Maran, from your bookstore, or amazon.com Hypnosis is merely a heightened state of suggestibility, in which you are better able to communicate with your subconscious mind; view http://myfavoriteinterests.com/hypnosis/ about what it is, and isn't. 85% of people are suggestible to some degree; 15% - 20% highly so, and 15% - 20% aren't much at all, so you could either preferably seek professional hypnotherapy, or, if not an option, more along such lines is at: http://your-mental-health.8m.com/blank_2鈥?/a> and view page F.Please help, addicted to cracking my bones, it has actually kept me up all night? what can l do to stop?
What you are experiencing is a form of obsessive compulsive disorder. There are ways to train your brain to stop doing these things. I would contact a therapist who specializes in this field.