obsessions - switching lights on & off

[forbsay]

Hello

 

My son used to do this very frequently. I spoke to a lady who helped me with my son and the easiest way to stop this is to put cellotape on the light switches/plug switches - believe me - it works!

 

Forbsay

[witsend]

Hi forbsay, i'm intrigued by this one because my son has alwyas had this habit and it can drive me nuts at times. Sorry to be a bit dim (dim - lights geddit? ) but do you mean put sellotape over the switches so you can't move them or just put strips of tape over so they feel different? Just thinking it must be a bit irritating to have to remove the tape each time you want to use the switch yourself - thanks Witsend.

[Canopus]

Good electrical suppliers sell switches that can only be operated using a special tool or the corner of a credit card.

[forbsay]

Hi Witsend

 

Just put the tape over the switch once you have put the light on. I don't totally remove the tape when I want to switch the light off................ I don't find it much hasstle to be honest.

 

By the way, I like your pun!

 

Forbsay

[lisann]

Hi we bought remote opperated light swithes and I hide the remote works with your normal tv remote and easy to fit works a treat !!

 

Lisa

[Mike_GX101]

I went through an episode of this too when I was about 12/13. I had this belief that if I didn't do it I'd be jinxed with something bad. I used to go through rituals where I'd say "If I do this, this and this and I do it by such and such a time then I'll be safe".

 

With the lights it was "I have to turn them on and off 3 times otherwise something bad will happen". Third time lucky, as they say!

[indiscreet]

Mike, when did this stop? And did you get over it by yourself?

 

 

[Mike_GX101]

I seem to recall the frequency of it dissipated when I got myself a girlfriend and the more friends I made at the new school I'd recently started, the less I did it. I guess what happens is that the jinx-myth gets debunked when you realise other people don't do it and aren't having bad things happening to them - the belief wears thin after a bit and you don't do it any more because there is nothing to fear any more.

 

It's like fearing the boogie man's going to get you from under the bed only to realise the boogie man is actually a crumpled-up blanket with glitter stuck to it. Debunk the myth and you debunk the fear which causes the behaviour.