Anonymous
Post 01/01/2025 23:48     Subject: Teen pen chewing
So from what I am reading. I guess we have quite a few adults who would happily continue to chew on their pens.

So I guess I should just let it go. My daughter says leave her alone so should I just let her chew away? Is that the best course of action.



I doubt she has adhd as she doesn’t seem to have all the other traits. Or maybe I am wrong and should get her tested more?


Anonymous
Post 01/01/2025 19:48     Subject: Teen pen chewing
Same here. 32 years here and still can’t (maybe won’t ever) break the habit. My hubby chews on my pens too and I on his.

I Know it sounds gross but something we have done since university. We both have the same habit and one day many years ago, I was unconsciously just chewing his pen during a study group. I apologized and he admitted he had bit on mine too on the first day we met at the lecture hall when he borrowed my chewed up pen but didn’t dare to tell me!

It is now my daughter that is the one keeping her pens away from us and often telling us it’s so ewwww and how could we share a chewed pen together.

But we still do it anyway. All our house pens are chewed by us!
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2025 14:08     Subject: Teen pen chewing
I am 54 and have always done this. Exactly how you describe it, OP, even down to the hydroflask straws. Yes, I may have undiagnosed ADHD as all of my kids have it. I find that sunflower seeds satisfy the same urge. BTW, I also sucked my thumb way longer than most (quit around 8 years old).
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2025 11:44     Subject: Teen pen chewing
I did this my whole life - stopped once I started adhd meds after an adult diagnosis.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2025 10:29     Subject: Teen pen chewing
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m 40 and still do it.

There’s really nothing you can do. The bitter tasting stuff doesn’t work, I chew anyway. Toothpicks and gum don’t work - I chew the toothpicks up in about 10 seconds and gum doesn’t provide the same sensory feedback.

I tend do it when I’m concentrating, doing something mentally taxing, thinking something through, or doing something highly creative. I’ve accepted it’s just the price I pay to be successful and creative.

Best thing is to buy pens that are just hers. I have my own pens (and highlighters, I actually prefer chewing highlighters - tougher and more durable) and don’t use the house pens.

I also remember when I was a teen my dad bought metal pens - I didn’t like chewing those so they were safe.


I was hoping that you would outgrow it! Do your colleagues or husband say anything when you chew them? Do you know if you are chewing on them or is it subconscious? DOesn’t the chewed teeth marks on your pens make you want to stop?

yes, actually she did say once that she prefer the hard things to chew on. So yeah, she seems to like the the highlighters and harder things quite a bit, like a hydroflask straw. In her elementary school days, she would really chew her school recorder to death because it’s really hard. She uses the school’s so i really pity the kid that gets her recorder after her.

Did you ever ask if therapy could help?

I guess we have never really got to the root of the behavior…….


PP. H doesn’t really care, teases me sometimes but I’ve never really cared what men think of me. I don’t have coworkers as I own a business and WFH.

Usually it’s subconscious. No, teeth marks don’t bother me - it’s my pen.

Honestly I don’t think there’s really any root of the behavior that therapy can help with. It’s not anxiety. Humans are meant to do quite a bit of chewing naturally, and we don’t anymore because of modern food. I think I just have a strong drive to chew like a dog. I’m guessing it also ties into other physiology, like helps my sinuses clear up or whatever.

I do enjoy chewing sticks but they get messy.


My dd says it’s subconscious too. But can I clarify what happens. Do you end up biting on the pen for a while and then realize it’s feels sensory good and continue. Or do you not even know while you are chewing at it until you take it out of your mouth.

I ask this because it’s always the same thing my daughter says. She doesn’t now why she is chewing it though i have seen her sitting at the dining table chewing on the thing and sucking away for quite a while. She then takes it out of her mouth. Looks at the chewed cap as if to observe her teeth marks on her pen and even sometimes sniffs it a little (?? Why?) and then put it back in her mouth.

And when I call her out on it, she says she doesn’t know why and it’s subconscious.

Always puzzles me.

She’s old enough that I don’t go into the doctors either her so I can’t raise this with the doc etc. So just curious when you say subconscious and I know it’s your own pens and all and you don’t mind a pen case full of chewed up pens.



PP. I really think you need to chill out over the whole thing. It’s not doing drugs or sleeping around. Not everything needs to be a medical or psychological issue. Some people just like to chew, like how of my 3 dogs, one of them loves to chew and the other 2 don’t.

I also bit my nails as a kid and all the adults around me freaked out. You’re so gross, boys won’t like you, talk to a therapist about it, etc. All that did was make me feel unaccepted and that my parents didn’t like me. I still bite them as an adult, and my solution is when I need nice nails, I get gels. It’s NBD.

You might want to look at yourself and why you’re so hung up over something so trivial. Are you afraid of what people will think of you?
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2025 08:50     Subject: Teen pen chewing
Anonymous wrote:Almost 45 and I still do this a bit. Why doesn’t she just chew the cap? I’ve never had a pen explode in my mouth.


A teen may not think of these things. But as an adult, would you consider find something else to chew on? Something that you can wash? Her spit is on the pen, never gets washed and the next day it’s back in her mouth.

She does chew every pen cap till they are flat. Many are even chewed and gone. She sometimes just spits out the bits and we sometimes find bits of plastic on the carpet in her room!!

But I think this pen was a clicker pen. Pilot g2 or something like that. She chewed on the clicker part and was sucking on it too and the gel ink then went into her mouth.

From the clear barrel. I could often see her saliva in it and this one had mix of ink and spit.

Just eeekk.

Anonymous
Post 01/01/2025 08:35     Subject: Teen pen chewing
Almost 45 and I still do this a bit. Why doesn’t she just chew the cap? I’ve never had a pen explode in my mouth.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2025 08:10     Subject: Teen pen chewing
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m 40 and still do it.

There’s really nothing you can do. The bitter tasting stuff doesn’t work, I chew anyway. Toothpicks and gum don’t work - I chew the toothpicks up in about 10 seconds and gum doesn’t provide the same sensory feedback.

I tend do it when I’m concentrating, doing something mentally taxing, thinking something through, or doing something highly creative. I’ve accepted it’s just the price I pay to be successful and creative.

Best thing is to buy pens that are just hers. I have my own pens (and highlighters, I actually prefer chewing highlighters - tougher and more durable) and don’t use the house pens.

I also remember when I was a teen my dad bought metal pens - I didn’t like chewing those so they were safe.


I was hoping that you would outgrow it! Do your colleagues or husband say anything when you chew them? Do you know if you are chewing on them or is it subconscious? DOesn’t the chewed teeth marks on your pens make you want to stop?

yes, actually she did say once that she prefer the hard things to chew on. So yeah, she seems to like the the highlighters and harder things quite a bit, like a hydroflask straw. In her elementary school days, she would really chew her school recorder to death because it’s really hard. She uses the school’s so i really pity the kid that gets her recorder after her.

Did you ever ask if therapy could help?

I guess we have never really got to the root of the behavior…….


PP. H doesn’t really care, teases me sometimes but I’ve never really cared what men think of me. I don’t have coworkers as I own a business and WFH.

Usually it’s subconscious. No, teeth marks don’t bother me - it’s my pen.

Honestly I don’t think there’s really any root of the behavior that therapy can help with. It’s not anxiety. Humans are meant to do quite a bit of chewing naturally, and we don’t anymore because of modern food. I think I just have a strong drive to chew like a dog. I’m guessing it also ties into other physiology, like helps my sinuses clear up or whatever.

I do enjoy chewing sticks but they get messy.


My dd says it’s subconscious too. But can I clarify what happens. Do you end up biting on the pen for a while and then realize it’s feels sensory good and continue. Or do you not even know while you are chewing at it until you take it out of your mouth.

I ask this because it’s always the same thing my daughter says. She doesn’t now why she is chewing it though i have seen her sitting at the dining table chewing on the thing and sucking away for quite a while. She then takes it out of her mouth. Looks at the chewed cap as if to observe her teeth marks on her pen and even sometimes sniffs it a little (?? Why?) and then put it back in her mouth.

And when I call her out on it, she says she doesn’t know why and it’s subconscious.

Always puzzles me.

She’s old enough that I don’t go into the doctors either her so I can’t raise this with the doc etc. So just curious when you say subconscious and I know it’s your own pens and all and you don’t mind a pen case full of chewed up pens.

Anonymous
Post 01/01/2025 00:04     Subject: Teen pen chewing
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m 40 and still do it.

There’s really nothing you can do. The bitter tasting stuff doesn’t work, I chew anyway. Toothpicks and gum don’t work - I chew the toothpicks up in about 10 seconds and gum doesn’t provide the same sensory feedback.

I tend do it when I’m concentrating, doing something mentally taxing, thinking something through, or doing something highly creative. I’ve accepted it’s just the price I pay to be successful and creative.

Best thing is to buy pens that are just hers. I have my own pens (and highlighters, I actually prefer chewing highlighters - tougher and more durable) and don’t use the house pens.

I also remember when I was a teen my dad bought metal pens - I didn’t like chewing those so they were safe.


I was hoping that you would outgrow it! Do your colleagues or husband say anything when you chew them? Do you know if you are chewing on them or is it subconscious? DOesn’t the chewed teeth marks on your pens make you want to stop?

yes, actually she did say once that she prefer the hard things to chew on. So yeah, she seems to like the the highlighters and harder things quite a bit, like a hydroflask straw. In her elementary school days, she would really chew her school recorder to death because it’s really hard. She uses the school’s so i really pity the kid that gets her recorder after her.

Did you ever ask if therapy could help?

I guess we have never really got to the root of the behavior…….


PP. H doesn’t really care, teases me sometimes but I’ve never really cared what men think of me. I don’t have coworkers as I own a business and WFH.

Usually it’s subconscious. No, teeth marks don’t bother me - it’s my pen.

Honestly I don’t think there’s really any root of the behavior that therapy can help with. It’s not anxiety. Humans are meant to do quite a bit of chewing naturally, and we don’t anymore because of modern food. I think I just have a strong drive to chew like a dog. I’m guessing it also ties into other physiology, like helps my sinuses clear up or whatever.

I do enjoy chewing sticks but they get messy.
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2024 23:38     Subject: Teen pen chewing
have her dentist/orthodontist talk to her. She probably also bruxes and needs a nightguard
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2024 23:32     Subject: Teen pen chewing
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Oh one more thing- have you tried toothpicks?


No. But I doubt it will stop her unfortunately. I am hoping for more explosions and tough as it might sound, maybe the embarrassments will hopefully change her. She was having quite the melt down this morning and have gone out with quite the black tint on her lips. I hope her friends say something. (Yeah. we all sound bad) Her sister just rolls her eyes when it happened.


I wasn’t thinking toothpicks to stop her but to be more socially appropriate and maybe more hygienic since they’re disposable. Worth a shot.
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2024 22:58     Subject: Teen pen chewing
Anonymous wrote:I’m 40 and still do it.

There’s really nothing you can do. The bitter tasting stuff doesn’t work, I chew anyway. Toothpicks and gum don’t work - I chew the toothpicks up in about 10 seconds and gum doesn’t provide the same sensory feedback.

I tend do it when I’m concentrating, doing something mentally taxing, thinking something through, or doing something highly creative. I’ve accepted it’s just the price I pay to be successful and creative.

Best thing is to buy pens that are just hers. I have my own pens (and highlighters, I actually prefer chewing highlighters - tougher and more durable) and don’t use the house pens.

I also remember when I was a teen my dad bought metal pens - I didn’t like chewing those so they were safe.


I was hoping that you would outgrow it! Do your colleagues or husband say anything when you chew them? Do you know if you are chewing on them or is it subconscious? DOesn’t the chewed teeth marks on your pens make you want to stop?

yes, actually she did say once that she prefer the hard things to chew on. So yeah, she seems to like the the highlighters and harder things quite a bit, like a hydroflask straw. In her elementary school days, she would really chew her school recorder to death because it’s really hard. She uses the school’s so i really pity the kid that gets her recorder after her.

Did you ever ask if therapy could help?

I guess we have never really got to the root of the behavior…….
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2024 22:49     Subject: Teen pen chewing
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Have you tried a chew toy?


You mean like the dog chew toy? Haha. The sensory chew we tried but she does not chew those after a while. It’s always the ends of all her pens and pencils. Even the hard ones are all chewed up and the soft ones are chewed totally flat.

We really think it’s unhygienic with all the spit and all and then the next day, it’s back in her mouth. It is like a cesspool of germs.


Everything going in her mouth will have saliva, if it’s her own I would not be so concerned. Maybe try another chew toy, something that mimics the pen perhaps? I’d be more worried about her swallowing ink. You might also talk to the dentist to evaluate her bite and see if that’s causing underlying issues. Not much that competes with chewing except talking and singing- try karaoke every night maybe…. Maybe eating, popcorn or carrot sticks, things that won’t make her gain weight. You could try things to occupy her hands since she has to hold the pen- cross stitch, crochet, puzzles, That’s the best I’ve got

https://www.arktherapeutic.com/blog/14-discreet-chew-toys-for-teens-and-adults/


Thanks for the link. They look interesting.
Yeah, everything in her mouth will surely have spit. For the see through pens, you sometimes can see it with spit inside. It’s gross. I am sure one day she will get sick from it. The spit sits in the pen and then maybe the next day or so, it’s back in her mouth. So while its only her own saliva, who knows where the pens goes in school, on the floor, in the house. We try not to touch them but I am sure they do have the spitty smell to them..
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2024 22:46     Subject: Teen pen chewing
I’m 40 and still do it.

There’s really nothing you can do. The bitter tasting stuff doesn’t work, I chew anyway. Toothpicks and gum don’t work - I chew the toothpicks up in about 10 seconds and gum doesn’t provide the same sensory feedback.

I tend do it when I’m concentrating, doing something mentally taxing, thinking something through, or doing something highly creative. I’ve accepted it’s just the price I pay to be successful and creative.

Best thing is to buy pens that are just hers. I have my own pens (and highlighters, I actually prefer chewing highlighters - tougher and more durable) and don’t use the house pens.

I also remember when I was a teen my dad bought metal pens - I didn’t like chewing those so they were safe.
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2024 22:46     Subject: Teen pen chewing
Anonymous wrote:Oh one more thing- have you tried toothpicks?


No. But I doubt it will stop her unfortunately. I am hoping for more explosions and tough as it might sound, maybe the embarrassments will hopefully change her. She was having quite the melt down this morning and have gone out with quite the black tint on her lips. I hope her friends say something. (Yeah. we all sound bad) Her sister just rolls her eyes when it happened.