Overpowering urges to do things that probably aren't in your best interests

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Have you ever been driving along in a car and had the sudden urge to veer off into oncoming traffic?

Ever wanted to push the teeth in your upper jaw with your lower jaw, gradually pushing your incisors out of the gumline?

Ever felt the urge to say something absolutely inappropriate at an extermely sensitive moment for someone close to you?

Ever been sitting on a balcony listening to your iPod, and been struck with an overpowering urge to throw it over the edge?

There are a thousand examples of this kind of thing, and I've personally experienced the above more times than I'd care to remember. Is this normal human behaviour, or am I freakishly out of whack?

― Andrew (enneff), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:24 (twenty years ago)

Normal human behaviour, if I'm anything to go by.

― RickyT (RickyT), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:25 (twenty years ago)

whoa! read 'The Diceman' dude

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:26 (twenty years ago)

urges, yes, overpowering, no.

― g-kit (g-kit), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:27 (twenty years ago)

Ink-drinking urges, I used to call them. Yes, it's perfectly natural.

In fact, I've read things that talk about how most people who are pathologically afraid of heights are not actually afraid of falling, but afraid they will hurl themselves over.

― Mrs. Cranky (From Crankytown) (kate), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:27 (twenty years ago)

nothing as extreme as the stuff you listed though. just things like "haha, i could just go up the kerb and drive around that field and do donuts and shit.. nah."

― g-kit (g-kit), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:29 (twenty years ago)

Sometimes the urges are so strong in me that I force myself to pull over, or come inside away from the balcony, or remove myself from a conversation, etc.

most people who are pathologically afraid of heights are not actually afraid of falling, but afraid they will hurl themselves over.

That's me.

― Andrew (enneff), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:32 (twenty years ago)

Sometimes the urges are so strong in me that I force myself to pull over, or come inside away from the balcony, or remove myself from a conversation, etc.

Although I get the urges too i've never taken it this far, it's usually just some crazy thought that I chuckle to myself about.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:35 (twenty years ago)

Threads like this make my life seem so incredibly dull.

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:35 (twenty years ago)

I think you're reading it wrong

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:36 (twenty years ago)

This sounds pretty familiar, like some mild social Tourettes. I don't get it that much.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:37 (twenty years ago)

But yeah, it's not overpowering because I'm not actually overpowered by it.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:38 (twenty years ago)

Yes, but I just assumed it was because I was naturally contrary. I usually have thoughts about throwing myself off high places, about veering off narrow bridges and, in my religiously tormented youth, this same urge used to cause all kinds of damning things to run through my head -- I think my subconscious was waiting to be struck down by the Hand of God.

But I love heights -- it's an enjoyable tension.

― Laurel, Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:41 (twenty years ago)

In a supermarket last night, there was a guy sitting on a low stool, stacking shelves. He had a bit of a bald spot starting to appear and I had my hand out, ready to give give it a good slap before the person I was with saw what I was about to do and intervened.

Shame.

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:41 (twenty years ago)

You know those staple extractor claw-things? At the office, usually around mid-afternoon Thursday, it occurs to me to wonder what it would be like to crunch one shut on my septum.

I'm a little burnt out on this job.

― Soukesian, Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:43 (twenty years ago)

i saw an old (65-70) lady in Safeway once wearing what was obviously a green/white cannabis leaf bandana as a neckscarf type thing and somehow resisted the urge to make "tokey-tokey" motions to her, wink and say "aii?"

― g-kit (g-kit), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:45 (twenty years ago)

An Irish predeliction, it appears

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:45 (twenty years ago)

Those last three posts are just examples of backing out from doing hilarious things. Pussies. (xpost)

― Andrew (enneff), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:46 (twenty years ago)

Lately, I've been getting the urge to repeatedly slam myself in the forehead with blunt objects. (And not in a joking "ha ha, the internet makes me want to bash my head against the wall, either.) But I think that might have something to do with the depression headache.

― Mrs. Cranky (From Crankytown) (kate), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:46 (twenty years ago)

I get it alot. The "swerving into concoming traffic" thing is a common one. I kind of assume everyone has these things to some extent, it just depends on how your imagination works. Obviously they're not overpowering though or I'd be dead.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:46 (twenty years ago)

I get this kind of thing a lot too, it's kind of reassuring to know I'm not alone! I used to get urges to stand up in school assemblies and tell the headmaster to fuck off, I think that's the earliest I can remember...

I used to find it quite disturbing, but I think I'm used to it now.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:52 (twenty years ago)

yeah, school assembly! i had that nearly every day.
"FUCK THIS, I'M GOING BOWLING!" and stuff.

― g-kit (g-kit), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 08:54 (twenty years ago)

i almost bought vegan food the other day

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 09:54 (twenty years ago)

I often get the urge to slam my car hard into the car in front of me, just to see what it would be like. I never do it, though, and the one time I did talk to Bloke about it he looked so terrified that I have never discussed it with him again.

I also sometimes feel like throwing my backpack into the Liffey and watching it be devoured by the sinister black fish that swim there.

But most often I want to throw myself off heights and jump under trains. Man, I want to jump under trains so BAD! I do not do these things though.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 09:59 (twenty years ago)

Although the strongest urge I ever had to do something like this was on the Tube at Hammersmith, when I looked at my companion and thought "I could just step off this train right now, right before the doors close, and you would never find me again. I would disappear. I would be gone before you would ever get back and find me" and I started to pick up my bag, and I was going to do it, I really was, but then the doors closed and we continued in silence to Heathrow.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 10:02 (twenty years ago)

Sometimes when I'm driving at night I think, I'll keep going, but I don't, I turn towards home.

― estela (estela), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 10:08 (twenty years ago)

Accentmonkey, three days later:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v253/RavenessM/Caps/Anyone.jpg

(sorry)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 10:13 (twenty years ago)

I was walking through town the other day and saw this WPC. It was on a narow path so I almost had to push past her, and as I did so I had a strong urge to caress her arse or even, maybe, grab her and kiss her. Which then turned into asking if I could use her handcuffs on her, and then maybe her truncheon - in a naughty way.
I realise this is more of a kinky urge - though I don't have a big thing for WPCs or women in uniform or anything - rather than a potentially dangerous one. Though it might not have been in my best interests. Then again, who knows?

― David Merryweather Goes To Far (scarlet), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 10:13 (twenty years ago)

Often, when in the backseat of a car, I have the notion to open the door and fling myself out. Especially if you could do it without the people in the front noticing.

― clive (Clive), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 10:15 (twenty years ago)

Look, if you had one shot, one opportunity, to seize everything you
ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it, or just let it slip?

(david xpost, sorry henry)

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 10:16 (twenty years ago)

I get that every time I'm in a minicab
xpost

― beanz (beanz), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 10:18 (twenty years ago)

I can relate to a lot of these but mostly it isn't an urge on my part, more of a what if...? What if I fall forward just as the tube train approaches, what if the car door opens and I tumble out, what if I suddenly stumble and go flying off the bridge... ?
What if I cop a feel of a lady cop's fit arse?

― David Merryweather Goes To Far (scarlet), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 10:23 (twenty years ago)

A couple of years ago during root canal surgery I had a sudden strong urge to playfully bite the dentist's finger. I didn't succumb but I really wanted to do it. I think the nitrous oxide played a part in this.

― estela (estela), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 10:25 (twenty years ago)

I think this is OTM, and is why it doesn't disturb me as much if I get one of these bizarre thoughts, I think it's more that I like to imagine the consequences of really inappropriate behaviour rather than actually wanting to do it.

(xpost)

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 10:26 (twenty years ago)

most people who are pathologically afraid of heights are not actually afraid of falling, but afraid they will hurl themselves over.

YES. For me, it seems to be getting worse.

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 11:21 (twenty years ago)

When I'm in the canteen at work drinking a hot drink, I always gets this bizarre urge to just throw it in the face of one of the people near me. It's never anybody I particularly dislike either.

― Michael Philip Philip Philip Avoidant (Ferg), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

Sometimes, when I'm with my mates, I suddenly get this strong feeling that one of them is about to say something really offensive and someone will punch them hard in the face and a fight will start. Sometimes I get this feeling so strongly that I have to go home. Which is silly, really, because my friends are the least physically intimidating people you could possibly meet (by which I mean that they are peaceniks, not that they are weedy).

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 13:20 (twenty years ago)

I keep thinking that one of these days I'm gonna use "Fuck you" in place of "Thank you", but it's gonna be a polite and friendly "Fuck you"... just to see if anyone notices the difference.

One of my front teeth is cosmetically thickened with bonding, which I've had the desire to pick off for years.

I also get the balcony-jumping urge.

I'm guessing that these are examples of low-grade OCD at work.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 13:43 (twenty years ago)

I thought this thread was going to be about voting to abolish the "death tax" or something.

― Draw Tipsy, ya hack. (dave225.3), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 13:46 (twenty years ago)

The fear of heights thing is OTM-- I do this a lot. What frightens me is usually not the height but the notion that there's nothing to stop me from doing such an insane and catastrophic thing as throwing myself off. Maybe that says something about how much we depend on laws, guardrails, and various other externally imposed safety measures to control our behavior, that when they are removed we have this exhilarated but frightened feeling, because the only thing controlling us then is ourselves. I find it very telling.

― Laura H. (laurah), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 13:49 (twenty years ago)

Have you ever been driving along in a car and had the sudden urge to veer off into oncoming traffic?

Yes. I also

- have looked down through an open area at a three story mall and wondered, if I jumped, would I break my legs or die?

- walked out into the water at the beach and wondered how long I'd be able to just keep swimming

- stood on the railing of a balcony to see if I'd fall over or not

― luna (luna.c), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 15:47 (twenty years ago)

I totally understand all of this. I do it, too. Sometimes I have to follow through the whole process in my mind -- you know, imagine myself in a hospital bed, unable to walk -- so I don't think about it anymore. But the idea that your whole life can change with one split-second decision has always both scared the fuck out of me and been fascinating.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 15:54 (twenty years ago)

sometimes I think about posting something offensive but I always chicken out because of the possible repercussions

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 15:58 (twenty years ago)

Go for it, I'm right behind you.

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 16:00 (twenty years ago)

i have this issue with bridges, and the hurtling off of them. i'm not really afraid of heights, though. it would probably be better if i were.

on a more mundane level, i drink a fair bit.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 16:01 (twenty years ago)

I got an acoustic guitar for my birthday last year (something I'd asked for 10 years ago!) and when I opened the box and lifted the guitar i had the most compelling urge to just smash the thing! The thought itself was just so intoxicating!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 17:14 (twenty years ago)

When on the motorway, if a car in the third lane isn't actually overtaking the car to their left, I get the overwhelming urge to give them a nudge to get them out of the way!

― Mark P-a- (Assumed persona), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 18:13 (twenty years ago)

i have the balcony/elevated walkway moments.

also, when this happens to me in other contexts, i usually just shrug it off and hit "Submit" anyway. This probably explains some things.

― kingfish completely hatstand (Kingfish), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 18:44 (twenty years ago)

I'm afraid of heights, and it's definitely because I don't trust myself. I also don't like waiting for the subway. My reasoning is "the only thing stopping me from hurling myself under the oncoming train is my sanity. Do I feel lucky? Well, do I, punk?"

I heard once that this sort of impulse can be a symptom of OCD, which makes sense, since I used to have that as a kid. What about anyone else here with these zany urges? You down with OCD?

― matlewis (matlewis), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 19:10 (twenty years ago)

(YEAH YOU KNOW ME)

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 19:26 (twenty years ago)

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Overpowering urges to do things that probably aren't in your best interests - does this happen to you?