derived since the Extra Show
As many of you may know, the show "Extra" had ran a spot on Adult Thumb Sucking that included this Web Site. Since then, there had been a barrage of surveys filled out by visitors to this site who suck their thumb. It has taken time to process these surveys, the results of which are listed on this page. Believe it or not, though, I still have at least 30 or more surveys left to do, and that hasn't, as of yet, included updating the new Statistics Page. In the near future, these results will be summarized and added to the "Statistics" section. It is there that you will see more clearly the total picture. In the meantime, you can see and, in a sense, meet the small numbers of adult thumb suckers who are part of, perhaps, this nation's largest populated secret. Where e-mail addresses are listed, the individual would welcome e-mail correspondence and is also listed on the Pen Pal Page.
Tracey, age 23, from Florida, has sucked her right thumb all her life. She never needed braces and there’s been no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep and while watching TV. Her parents scolded and used bitter solution. She does it to because it feels good. She places a finger over her nose.
“I have a habit of picking fuzz from a blanket while I suck my thumb.”
She wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, is a former smoker, has never known ATSers, is high school educated, overweight, white and born 1st of 2 children.
K, age 21, from Texas, has sucked her left thumb from birth till 8 and then continued again about age 14. Her teeth never needed braces but her thumb has a callus. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading and only when alone. Her parents scolded and used bitter solution. She does it because it feels good and imparts a feeling of security. She didn’t use a pacifier, is a smoker, never knew of other ATSers, is college educated, overweight, white, and born 3rd of 3 children.
“I sucked my thumb when I was little. I quit when I was about 8, but when I got to high school, about age 14, I couldn’t take the stress and started sucking again.
"I have a blanket. My mother took away my baby blanket that I sued when I was 8, but I adopted another blanket to use as my security blanket. I cannot sleep without it.” “In my freshman year in college, during my first sorority, we had a retreat thing and I fell asleep early. I tried very hard not to suck my thumb, but sometimes it just migrates to my mouth in my sleep. Some of the other girls found me with my thumb in my mouth and thoroughly ridiculed me. It eventually led to me dropping out because they all thought I was a baby.”
C, age 22, from New York, has sucked her fingers all her life. Her teeth never needed braces and there’s been no affect on her fingers. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading and only when alone. Her parents scolded and teased her. To her, it’s a habit that feels good and offers a sense of security. She does place a finger over her nose and “strokes her ears.” She was breastfed, never smoked, never knew other ATSers, has an advanced degree past college, is just right in weight, white and born 3rd of 3 children.
Anonymous female, age 23, from California, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth never needed braces but her thumbnail is worn looking or has marks on it. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and with her family. Her parents teased her but really didn’t care that much. To her, it’s a habit that feels good. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, has known other ATSers, is overweight, white and born 2nd of 3 children.
“A friend and I were watching TV in the 7th grade and I looked over and she was sucking her thumb. I said, ‘hey, me too!’” [I guess they both continued this into adulthood, since this vignette was given to explain the conditions of discovering an ATSer. Editor]
KC, age 22, from Utah, has sucked her thumb and other fingers her whole life. She needed braces and has a callus and red marks on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading and only when alone. Her parents scolded, teased and used bitter solution. She does it because it’s a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose and, “yes, I have an old shirt of my father’s. It is soft and is so old, it is starting to fall apart.” She was breastfed, used a pacifier, never smoked, never knew other ATSers, is college educated, overweight, white and born 1st of 4 children.
“I was down stairs and a friend of my sister’s came down and caught me. She totally saw me and just pretended she didn’t see. I was totally embarrassed.
“I used to suck the thumb of my right hand. I switched to the pinkie of my left hand after my mother repeatedly applied a bitter tasting nail polish to my thumb nail to stop the thumb sucking.
“I also find that the callus is not as obvious on my left hand.”
Kristina, age 19, from Minnesota, has sucked her right thumb all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked but there’s been no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and only when alone. Her parents scolded, spanked and used bitter solution. For her, it’s just a habit she can’t quit. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose but, instead, “twirl my hair”. She wasn’t breastfed, used a pacifier, never smoked, never knew other ATSers, is college educated, overweight, white, heterosexual, born 1st of 3 children and heard about this site from the show Extra. buffalofish@hotmail.com
Gail, age 42, from Missouri, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth are crooked but there’s been no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep and while watching TV. Her parents scolded, spanked, teased and used bitter solution. She does it because it feels good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose.
“I twist my hair and sometimes pull it out with a knot in the end of it and play with it while I have my thumb in my mouth.”
She was breastfed, didn’t use a pacifier, is a smoker, hasn’t known of other ATSers, is high school educated, overweight, white and was born 2nd of 3 children.
“I had braces on at age 38 and have slowed down my thumb sucking a lot. When I see my teeth getting crooked, I put my retainer in.”
Patty, age 53, from Michigan, has sucked both her thumbs all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked but there’s been no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading and only when alone. Her parents used bitter solution but eventually understood. To her, it’s a habit that feels good. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose but will, “twist my hair with the other hand most of the time.” She never smoked, hasn’t known of other ATSers, was college educated, overweight, white and born 1st of 5 children.
“I was so happy to see the story on Extra because I really did think I was the only person that had this habit. Thank you for this site.”
J, age 35, from the Midwest has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth never needed braces but her thumb looks different. She indulges as she works or studies, while watching TV, driving and only while alone. She places a finger over her nose. Her parents used bitter solutions. For her, it’s a habit that feels good. She is college educated, overweight, white born last of 3 children, is heterosexual and heard about this site via a search engine. She has known other adult thumb suckers. “I almost can’t help but suck my thumb, especially around pets, dogs, cats.
“A friend of a friend I know sucks their thumb. We’ve never talked about it to each other. He’s a musicia
“I’m constantly getting nailed. I think people are too polite to say anything.”
Carole, age 39, from New York, has sucked her right thumb all her life. She needed braces and there’s a callus on her thumb. She indulges to sleep and while watching TV. Her parents were understanding. She does it for security. She places a finger over her nose, wasn’t breast fed, never smoked and has known other adult thumb suckers. She is college educated, overweight, white, heterosexual, is an only child and heard about this site from the TV show “Extra”.
“I walked in on a co worker one time and noticed. I didn’t say anything.
“I told my husband that I do it when I’m overtired.”
Chrisco, age 23, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She needed braces but there’s no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep. Her parents scolded and used bitter solutions. For her it’s a habit. She places a finger over her nose, was breast fed, used a pacifier, was high school educated, is just right in weight, white born 2nd of 3 children, is heterosexual and heard of this site from the TV show “Extra”.
Mercy, age 21, from Massachusetts, has sucked her right thumb all her life. She needed braces and her teeth are mildly bucked. Her thumbnail is worn or with marks. She indulges to sleep and only when alone. Her parents scolded, spanked, teased, grounded, used bitter solutions and told people to embarrass her. For her, it’s just a habit giving her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose and uses a pillow case. She wasn’t breast fed, is college educated, overweight, white, an only child, is heterosexual and heard about this site via a search engine.
Diane, age 25, from New York, has sucked her left fingers all her life. Her teeth are crooked or mildly bucked. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading and with her family. Her parents understood and didn’t care. To her it’s a habit that gives her comfort. She was breast fed, never smoked, is college educated, very overweight, white, born first of 2 children, is heterosexual and heard about this site from someone she knows.
“Thank God I don’t have any story embarrassing enough to even remember.
“The fingers I always suck are the middle and ring fingers of my left hand, together. They don’t look different, but it seems to me the skin and nails are always a little softer, less ‘worn’! In my ‘method’, my tongue protects them from my lower teeth and my mouth is sufficiently open that they’re not pressed hard against my upper teeth, so no callus-but, as I stated, I do have an overbite, which is probably a result.”
Heidi, age 36, from Delaware, has sucked her right thumb all her life. Her teeth never needed braces but her thumb looks different. She indulges to sleep, while studying, watching TV, reading, driving, masturbating and only when alone. Her parents scolded and used bitter solution. To her it’s a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, is a smoker, is high school educated, overweight, white, born last of 3 children, is a lesbian and heard of this site from the TV show “Extra”.
“I have always had a ‘blankie’. Until recently, it had to be that one particular blankie. Now I have several replacements, as I must carry my ‘security blankie’ everywhere, without it I feel insecure. Though I do not suck my thumb in public, I generally handle my blanket when stressed or upset, or just to feel better. Blankies are great. Well, it was very interesting when I had my first relationship, lasting ten years. My thumb sucking didn’t bother her. Other than that, there haven’t been any times I’ve been caught. Also, another girlfriend didn’t mind either, which blows my mind because I figure a lot of people would be mean to me if they knew my ‘habit’. But some special people are not bothered and that’s very special.
“I was very happy when I saw on TV that there were other people like me. It made me feel less ‘sick’ for my habit. I really appreciate the bravery of all the people that I’m reading about in this site who also think thumb sucking’s okay. *smile* I wish everyone could understand.”
Melanie, age 22, from Iowa, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She needed braces but there hasn’t been any affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep and while watching TV. Her parents scolded, teased, used bitter solutions, told people, but eventually understood. For her it’s a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose but always strokes her hair. She was breast fed, never smoked, is college educated, underweight, white, born 1st of 2 children, is heterosexual and heard about this site from a search engine.
Catherine, age 17, from North Carolina, has sucked her right thumb all her life. She quit at age 10 only to start again as a teen due to anxiety. She needed braces and it hasn’t had an affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and only when alone. Her parents were understanding. She does it for reasons not listed in the survey, “when I want something, usually having to do with the opposite sex, but not for erotic reasons.” She places a finger over her nose and used “soft things” when she was younger. She was breast fed, used a pacifier, never smoked, is high school educated, just right in weight, white, born 1st of 2 children, is heterosexual and heard about this site from a search engine.
“In public, when I get anxious or depressed or in need of something, the tip of my thumb subconsciously migrates and rests in between my lips. My best friend knows this and she can always tell something is wrong.
Breanna, age 19, from Ohio, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She needed braces but there’s been no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while studying, watching TV, reading, driving but only when alone. Her parents teased her. It’s a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose and uses a bunny. She was breastfed, is a smoker, is college educated, overweight, white, born 1st of 2 children, is heterosexual and heard about this site from the TV show “Extra”.
“When I was younger, I had a bunch of toys I would suck my thumb with. Now it’s a little bunny that I’ve had for years, about 10 years. I never leave home without him. His name is Smooshie.
“[If caught], I just play it off like I am scratching my nose, no biggie, or just chewing my thumbnail.”
Pam, age 33, from California, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She needed braces and it hasn’t affected her thumb. She indulges to sleep. Her parents scolded her. She does it because if feels good. She was breastfed, didn’t use a pacifier, never smoked and has known of other adult thumb suckers through third parties. She was college educated, is just right in weight, white, born 1st of 4 children, is heterosexual and heard of this site through a search engine.
“I read about a man in an Ann Lander’s column once and heard about a neighbor’s daughter in her 30’s who still sucks her thumb.
“In college, my roomate woke me up and I was sucking my thumb. I just pretended I wasn’t aware of it and took it out and looked at her perplexed. I was mortified!
“Now that I have small children of my own, I don’t want them to find out I do this. I stopped for a couple of years once and then started up again. My husband thinks i still don’t or maybe he just doesn’t bring it up.”
Michelle, age 20, from Miami, Florida, has sucked her right thumb all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked and her thumb looks different. She indulges to sleep, while studying, watching TV, anywhere, even in public. Her parents teased her, used bitter solution, but finally understood. For her it’s a habit that feels good, engendering a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose and uses a pillow. She was breastfed, didn’t use a pacifier, never smoked and has known other ATSers, is college educated, just right in weight, Latino, born 1st of 2 children, is heterosexual and heard about this site via a search engine.
“I have a little pillow that I touch while sucking my thumb.”
“My mom used to suck her thumb, mostly to go to sleep though.
“I really don’t care what people say, but I hate the reaction or comment, ‘you suck your thumb?’, especially wnen they just saw me do it, or ‘what does it tast like?’, uhhh, nothing! But, since I’m very open about it, I don’t get embarressed by it unless it turns into a BIG subject of WHY I suck my thumb!
Timothy, age 24, from Illinois, has sucked his left thumb all his life. He never needed braces and his thumb looks different. He indulges to sleep, while studying, watching TV, reading, driving, masturbating but only when alone. His parents spanked, teased, used bitter solutions and told people. It’s a habit that feels good, providing a sense of security. He places a finger over his nose and uses pillows. He wasn’t breastfed, used a pacifier, is a former smoker, was college educated, is right in weight, white, born last of 2 children, is heterosexual and heard about this site from the TV show “Extra”.
“I have to have 2 pillows, one for my head to rest on and the other to put over my head. I usually smell this one while sucking my thumb. It puts me at ease and comforts me.
“While I was in college, my roomate and his girlfriend used to hear me talk in my sleep, so they got up and came over to my bed to see what exactly I was saying. Well, my roomate and his girlfriend were awake on the other side of the room. We had a divider between us. I was laying next to them yelling, ‘no’, and then I began to swear at whatever I was upset with in my dream. After they came over to hear what I was saying, and as soon as they lifted the sheet hiding my bed, they just saw me laying there sucking my thumb. They both thought it was cute and they told a lot of people, but nobody seemed to care.
“I would just like to thank you for providing a safe place for all of us to suck our cyber thumbs!”
J, age 18, from New York, has sucked her right thumb all her life. Her teeth are crooked and it hasn’t affected her thumb. She indulges to sleep and only when alone. Her parents understood. It’s a habit that feels good, providing a sense of security. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose but uses the soft inside of a sleeping bag. She was breastfed, never smoked, is high school educated, right in weight, white, an only child, heterosexual and heard about this site via a search engine.
D, age 47, from California, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked and there’s no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading and while masturbating. Her parents scolded, teased, spanked and used bitter solutions. It’s a habit that feels good, giving her a sense of security.
“It quiets my mind, allows me to concentrate without stress. I probably would have been a better test taker if I could have sucked my thumb in school or during tests."
She doesn’t place a finger over her nose, but uses pieces of fur, cloth or down. She is a former smoker, has an advanced degree beyond college, is overweight, white, born 1st of 2 children, is a lesbian, and heard about this site from the TV show “Extra” and from someone she knows.
“I was shamed by my parents for sucking my thumb from the earliest time I can remember. I was filmed by my parents, in order to humiliate me. My grandmother pointed out a very old woman with very disfiguring arthritis in her hands and told me that was caused by thumb sucking- of course, I believed her. When I as 12 or 13, my mother ‘caught’ me and asked if I thought I could find a husband who would accept seeing me suck my thumb, so as to convince me that thumb sucking was completely unacceptable. I have only let the most intimate people in my life know my horrible secret.
“Just the act of typing the above comments felt very scary and yet, somehow, a little freeing. I feel quite liberated n many aspects of my life, BUT NOT in the area of sucking my thumb.
Nikki, age 21, from Louisiana, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth are extremely buck, sticking out when her mouth is closed, and her thumb looks different. She indulges as she goes to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading, driving in a car, with friends and family, during sex or masturbation, anywhere, even in public. Her parents accept and understand her habit which she just can’t quit because it feels too good. She places her finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, isn’t a smoker and has known of other adult thumbsuckers, learning about them in school. She has a high school education, is overweight, black and is the 1st born of 2 children. nikkic@eatel.net
Raven, age 26, from Texas, has sucked her right thumb all her life. Her teeth never needed braces and her habit hasn’t affected her thumb. She indulges going to sleep, while watching TV, but only when alone. Her parents scolded, spanked and used bitter solution. It’s just a habit and feels good. She twists her hair with her left hand while sucking her thumb. She was breast fed, used a pacifier, and, is a smoker. She has known other adult thumbsuckers, “Two of my best friends in high school....” She was college educated, is just right in weight, is black/American Indian and was born 1st of 2 children. ravenlovechild@hotmail.com
Julie, age 22, from Georgia, has sucked her right thumb all her life. Her teeth are severely bucked, sticking out when her mouth is closed, and her thumb looks different. She indulges going to sleep, when working or studying, while watching TV, while reading, but only when alone. Her parents scolded and spanked her, and used bitter solution. To her it feels good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breastfed, didn’t use a pacifier and isn’t a smoker. She is high school educated, overweight and white. She was 5th of 5 children.
“When I was 16, I remember my sister saying, ‘ Thank God you don’t suck your thumb anymore.’ I had just taken it out of my mouth.”
Kayla, age 20, from California, has sucked her left thumb her whole life. She needed braces but it hasn’t affected her thumb. She indulges going to sleep and with her family. To her, it just feels good. She didn’t use a pacifier and isn’t a smoker. She is college educated, just right in weight, is white and 1st of 2 children. “I still have my baby blanket.”
Rob, age 20, from Wisconsin, has sucked his left thumb his whole life. He teeth are crooked and he has a callus, with the thumbnail worn or with marks on it. His thumb also looks different. He indulges going to sleep and only when alone. His parents were understanding and doesn’t care. For him, it’s a habit, feels good and gives him a sense of security. He doesn’t place a finger over his nose, was breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier and is a smoker. He was high school educated, is overweight, white and 2nd born of 2 children.
“I mainly do it alone or while laying down with my cat that I’ve had since I was 4. Nice to see that I’m not alone.”
Had wanted to be in Pen Pal listings, but email address was changed.
Scott, age 28, from California, has sucked both his thumbs all his life. His teeth are mildly bucked and his thumb isn’t affected. He indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading, driving, but only when alone. His parents scolded and used bitter solution but eventually understood and accepted. He does place his finger over his nose. He wasn’t breast fed and is a former smoker. He was high school educated, is overweight, white and was born 2nd of 3 children.
“My wife is a finger sucker. On my 28th birthday I went to stay at my parent’s place at the beach. My brother-in-law was also staying there. He woke up early with a camcorder and filmed me sucking. I am a closet sucker and was very embarrassed.
“I was wondering if anyone else has heard of problems with oversized tongues because of tongue muscle build-up from the sucking.”
Jen, age 29, from East Coast USA, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked and her thumb looks different. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading and with her family. Her parents have been understanding. She does it to feel good and secure, having experienced trauma. She places her finger over her nose. She was breast fed, smokes, college educated, just right in weight, is white and born 2nd of 2 children.
“I have an old teddy bear that I stroke while I suck my thumb.
“Last night I fell asleep with the TV on and woke up at 4am, opened my eyes and saw a story on thumbsucking on Extra! I was happily sucking away, half asleep, wondering if I was dreaming. When I woke up today, I had to check out this website which was briefly mentioned in the story. Cool Site!
“I don’t actually suck, but rather place it in my mouth, against the roof, and my tongue does all the work. Does anyone else have this phenomena, where if you put your thumb against the roof of your mouth, your tongue starts to undulate? “I did have braces when I was 13 until I was 17, but never wore the rubber bands that would’ve corrected my bite. So I ended up with slightly bucked teeth and an open bite. I just recently had all my teeth capped and think I should probably stop or cut down sucking now so my caps aren’t affected.
“I am married, and openly suck my thumb in front of my husband and my mother. I also opening sucked in front of various roommates in college, etc. I’m not ashamed of it, it is so comforting and makes me feel safe and happy.
“If anyone thinks it’s weird, well, that’s their problem, isn’t it? My husband now will occasionally suck his thumb if he is sad or upset, ha!
“Anyway, I’d love to hear from any other happy thumb suckers out there! Email me! IKelly8902@aol.com
Taffy, age 55, from Vermont, has sucked her fingers all her life. She needed braces and her fingernails look worn or have marks on them. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and while reading, but only when alone. Her parents scolded, teased and used bitter solution. She does it to feel good and because it gives her a sense of security. She wasn’t breastfed, didn’t use a pacifier, is a former smoker, college educated, overweight, white and born 1st of 3 children.
“I have an old linen dishtowel which is, unfortunately, becoming very shredded right now. It is quite old but it takes so long to get a new one just right.
“Both of my siblings still suck their thumbs. My brother has died, but my sister still sucks her thumb.
“I have kept it very secret, but on the rare occasions when I was seen, I just pretended I was asleep and beginning to wake up. “I told ex-husband and ex-boyfriends that they might notice me thumbsucking occasionally, but that it just happened in my sleep. If someone walked in when I was awake, I’d pop the finger out of my mouth. The fact that I suck my middle finger rather than my thumb has made it easier to confuse others and to hide what has been my life-long secret. “I call my finger sucking an “organic tranquilizer.” I’d be interested in hearing what term others use to describe thumbsucking and what it does for them.”
Scott, age 30, from Kansas, has sucked his left thumb all his life. His teeth are crooked but there is no affect on his thumb. He indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading, driving, with family and while masturbating. His parents used bitter solution but finally understood and accepted it. To him, it’s a habit making him feel good and with a sense of security. He doesn’t place his finger over his nose, wasn’t breastfed and is a smoker. He is college educated, overweight, white, and born 1st of 3 children.
“My younger sister sucks her thumb.
“When I was in the Marine Corps for 6 years, I had quit, but once I got out I started again.”
Chuck, age 19, from Minnesota, has sucked his right thumb all his life. He needed braces and his thumb looks different. He indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading, driving but only when alone. His parents teased, used bitter solution and told people. He does it to feel good and obtain a sense of security. He wasn’t breastfed, doesn’t smoke, was college educated, is overweight, of mixed race and was born 2nd of 2 children, each raised separately.
“I have always had a security blanket to take with me wherever I go. I even made a small patch of it to take with me if I have to. I have migrated to 4 blankets over a period of 15 years.” Keeblerelf@usa.net
Scott, age 29, from Utah, has sucked both his thumbs all his life. He needed braces but his thumb isn’t affected. He indulges to sleep, while watching TV and only when alone. His parents didn’t care. It’s a habit that makes him feel good. He doesn’t place a finger over his nose. He wasn’t breastfed, didn’t use a pacifier, never smoked, was college educated, is just right in weight, is white and born last of 2 children.
“I suck my thumb with the nail facing up. While sucking on it I make a fist with my other hand and rest it on top of the sucking hand. Then I rub under my nose, my upper lip area, with the knuckle of my other thumb not being sucked.”
Robb, age 32, has sucked his right thumb all his life. He needed braces and has a thumb callus and worn or marked thumbnails. He indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, driving and with his family. His parents had scolded, teased, used bitter solution and told people about it. For him, it’s a habit that feels good and gives him a sense of security. He doesn’t place a finger over his nose, used a pacifier, is a smoker, was college educated, is just right in weight, is white and 1st of 2 children.
“I rub my left little finger on my upper lip. “My childhood dentist placed a retainer with spikes in my mouth, which just caused callused holes in my thumb. I was teased horribly by my family about the holes.” rfulgham@inreach.com
Jennifer, age 25, from Boston, Mass., has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth never needed braces and there’s no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading, driving and during sex or masturbation. Her parents teased her but eventually didn’t care. For her it’s a habit that feels good and imparts security. She places a finger over her nose, wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, was college educated, is overweight (but comfortable with it), is white and is 3rd born of 4 children.
“I have never been caught, at least no one ever told me that they saw me. People that I have dated seriously knew and my fiancé knows but it doesn’t seem to bother him. When he found out, he took it in stride and never made fun of me.
“I also only suck my thumb mainly when I am at home, never in public. I taught myself never to let anyone I did not know see me suck my thumb.
“I have a four year old son. Whenever I suck my thumb around him, he tells me to take my fingers out. Of course, I listen. By the way, he doesn’t suck his fingers or thumb and never did.
“I saw the piece on Extra and went on-line right away. Thanks for having this site.” boodrago@banet.net
Nicole, age 24, from California, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She needed braces but there’s been no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading and while driving. Her parents spanked and told people. She sucks her thumb to feel good and achieve a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose, was breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, was college educated, is overweight, white and 1st of 2 children. nicole9031@aol.com
Gus, age 34, from Ohio, has sucked his left thumb all his life. His never needed braces, but his thumb looks different. He indulges to sleep and when he drives. His parents scolded and used bitter solution. It’s a habit for him that enhances the feeling of security. He places a finger over his nose, was breast fed, used a pacifier and never smoked. He is college educated, overweight, white and is an only child.
“I try to make like I had just a finger in my mouth trying to itch or feel inside my mouth.”
Jennifer, age 29, from Los Angeles, California, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She never needed braces and there’s no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and only when alone. Her parents teased and used bitter solution. For her, it’s just a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, is a smoker, used a pacifier, is college educated, overweight, white, and the 1st born of 3 children.
“I have 2 different blankets. Without them I can’t suck my thumb.
“My girl-friend caught me one time and she is okay with it. I also have a childhood best friend who knows I do it too. I still won’t do it in front of either one though. I’m still embarrassed by it.” WebMstrss1@aol.com
Laura, age 39, from California, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She has a thumb callus and didn’t answer the question about her teeth. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading, driving and with her family. Her parents didn’t care about it. She does it because it feels good. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. Laura was breast fed, is a former smoker, is college educated, overweight, white and the 3rd of 3 children.
“As I got older, I shared with friends. Two of them actually told me that they suck their thumbs. I am not embarrassed of my thumbsucking.
“I don’t have a story. I was fairly open about my thumbsucking. I was told by my parents that it was O.K.
“You need to make your web page easier to get to. I am glad to see this subject being discussed because there are some many children out there who believe that their self worth is less, due to the fact that they suck their thumbs. I believe that this keeps me off drugs and centered. I would encourage any parent to reevaluate their position.”
Sam, age 37, from New York City, New York, has sucked his right thumb all his life. He needed braces but there’s been no affect on his thumb. He indulges to sleep, while masturbating and only when alone. His parents scolded, teased him, told people and used bitter solution. His does it because he feels that it’s erotic and feels good to do. He places a finger over his nose. He wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, has an advanced degree beyond college, is just right in weight, is white and is 3rd of 3 children.
“It’s been somewhat painful. My ex-wife was probably the cruelest to me about it. She used to wake me up by yanking my thumb out of my mouth. She often taunted me, even in public or in front of our son. When my son started sucking his thumb, she would berate both of us, telling him he didn’t want to grow up to be a big baby like his daddy.
“Anyhow, I’m more interested in finding cause to celebrate being an adult thumb sucker than reliving the bad stuff. I’m particularly interested in corresponding with other men. Drop a line if you have the inclination.
Amanda, age 17, from South Carolina, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She needed braces and there are red marks on her thumb, which also looks different. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and with her family. Her parents scolded, teased, used bitter solution, told people, but eventually understood. To her it’s just a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, used a pacifier, never smoked, is high school educated, just right in weight, white and an only child. “I like to smell and touch something soft.” winniep@bellsouth.net
Amy, age 23, from Illinois, has sucked left thumb and other fingers all her life. Her teeth are crooked and she has a permanent callus. Her thumbnail is worn looking with marks on it. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying and while watching TV. Her parents scolded, teased, told people and used bitter solution. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, used a pacifier, is a former smoker, is high school educated, overweight, white and 1st born of 2 children.
She has, “a teddy bear that my husband gave me.”
“Anytime I spent the night with someone new, I told them about my thumb sucking, whether it was a platonic girlfriend or a boyfriend.”
Barb, age 46, from Michigan, has sucked her right thumb all her life. Her teeth never needed braces and there’s been no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep and only when alone. Her parents scolded her. She does it because it feels good. She places a finger over her nose. She doesn’t smoke, wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, is college educated, overweight, white and 2nd born of two (brother is 16 years older). “I sometimes like to rub my left hand over the cool spots on my pillow.” “My husband has caught me before, but he thinks I’m immature anyway, so he has never said much. I do it only when I’m alone. “I was astonished to find that there were so many other adults that sucked their thumbs. I thought that I must be off mentally to still be sucking my thumb. Thank you so much for the knowledge that I’m not alone. I found out about the site on the TV show Extra. I wish I was as brave as those people and didn’t have to feel embarrassed.”
Taleena, age 19, from Florida, has sucked her left thumb since after 3 years old. Her teeth are mildly bucked but there has been no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, as she works or studies and with her family. Her parents spanked and used bitter solution but ultimately understood. She does it to feel good. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, used a pacifier, never smoked, is high school educated, is mixed white/oriental, just right in weight and born 2nd of 2 children.
In commenting on her relatively late start, she wrote: “I don’t know exactly why. I just did, I think. It was because of stress and emotional circumstances but I didn’t have a hard life, it just started. Because sucking my thumb relaxed me, I did it more and more.
“I do it while holding my stuffed animals or just cuddling up in bed. I also rub my index finger on my nose.
“When I was younger my adult baby-sitter used to do it.” “It’s funny, I never really sucked my thumb in front of anyone but my family. What I would do is right when I see someone coming, or they walk by, I act like my thumb was hurt or I pull it out right away. I still do that, in force of habit. I don’t want anyone to know.
“I just wanted to write that I saw the Extra show on thumb sucking and just thank you! I am a 19 year old student who has been trying to quit because I would get teased by my family and everyone else who first meets me. But now, because of the show, I know that I’m not weird and it is such a big relief. Thank you!”
Anonymous female, age 38, from unknown, has sucked both her thumbs all her life. Her teeth never needed braces and there’s no affect on her thumb. She indulges while watching TV and reading, only when alone. Her parents scolded, teased and used bitter solution. She does it because it feels good. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She didn’t use a pacifier, is a former smoker, is college educated, just right in weight, white and 3rd born of 4 children.
“I rub a blanket.”
Mike, age 27, from New Jersey, has sucked his right thumb all his life. His teeth never needed braces and there’s no affect on his thumb. He indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading, driving and during sex and masturbation. His parents teased, told people and used bitter solution. He places a finger over his nose. For him it’s a habit that feels good. He used a pacifier, never smoked, is college educated, overweight, white and is 4th born of 4 children.
“Yes, I have my baby blanket still, and love the soft edge.” ledvern@aol.com
Anonymous, age 25, from Michigan, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She never needed braces but she has a thumb callus. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading and with her family. Her parents are understanding. To her it’s a habit that let’s her feel good. She places a finger over her nose. She used a pacifier, was college educated, is just right in weight, white and born 1st of 3 children. “I have a ‘blankie’ that I like to rub while I suck my thumb.” “ In elementary school, there were three of us who go caught sucking our thumbs. We were kept in for recess to be talked to by the teacher and told we shouldn't do that in school. “I told my boyfriend that I sucked my thumb when we were dating. He thought it was strange at first, but accepted it and now we are happily married.
“I found out about this webpage by watching “Extra". I thought I was alone. I never knew there were so many adult thumb suckers. It makes me feel so much more 'normal'.”
Viva, age 31, from New Jersey, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked and she has a thumb callus. Her thumb also looks different. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and reading. Her parents scolded, teased and used bitter solution. She does it because it feels good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, is a smoker, is college educated, just right in weight, white, and born 1st of 4 children.
“I have always had a satin edged blanket. Whenever I stay in hotels I am overjoyed when the bed has a nice satin edged blanket on it. When I was younger I would not be able to sleep without one. Now it is just an added bonus.
“My step-father always said that I would never get married as long as I continued to suck my thumb. Oddly enough I still suck my thumb and I am single. Never have any of my lovers complained about my thumbsucking. In fact some have found it quite endearing.
“I have always wondered if I would have given up thumb sucking if my mother hadn’t died when I was 9. Perhaps.”
Ana, age 25, from Georgia, has sucked her fingers all her life. She never needed braces but has calluses on her fingers. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and driving. Her parents scolded, spanked, teased and used bitter solution. She indulges because it feels good and gives her a sense of security. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, used a pacifier, never smoked, was college educated, is very overweight, Latino and born 2nd of 3 siblings. “I originally had a pillow, but through the years, it is now just the pillow case. I hate having it washed and it has a name...Baba. “My husband is a wonderful man....Once, I lost my Baba in a reclining chair and he practically took it apart....2 hours later looking for it...HE FOUND IT! “I would like to know a percentage as to thumbsuckers and child abuse PLEASE!” trazom57@aol.com
Cindy, age 43, from New Jersey, has sucked her right thumb all her life. Her teeth are crooked and she has a thumb callus. She indulges while watching TV and only when alone. Her parents scolded and used bitter solution. To her it’s a habit that feels good. She places a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, is a former smoker, never knew another adult thumb sucker, is college educated, just right in weight, white and born 2nd of 2 children.
Patty, age 34, from Illinois, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She never needed braces but her thumb has red marks on it and her thumbnail is worn or has markings. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading and only while alone. Her parents didn’t care and were understanding. To her it’s a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She didn’t use a pacifier, never smoked, hasn’t known of other ATSers, was college educated, is overweight, white and born 3rd or 3 children.
“I touch and smell the end of an old pillowcase.
“I was sitting at my kitchen table and a neighbor walked up to my door, looking for her daughter. She spotted me in the window, and I was immediately horrified. I then acted as if I had a cut on my finger and it was bleeding. I was about 30 years old at the time.
“I saw the clip on EXTRA about this subject and your E-mail address. I immediately felt a great deal of happiness at hearing that there are other adult thumb suckers. I have lived so long being embarrassed, and thinking that maybe there was something wrong with me. I can’t express my sense of peace at knowing that I am not alone, and that I shouldn’t be so embarrassed by the fact that I really enjoy sucking my thumb. Thank you.”
Dana, age 27, from British Columbia, Canada, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth never needed braces and her sucked thumb is shorter than the other one. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading and with her family. Her parents scolded and used bitter solution but ultimately understood. She does it because it feels good. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. He wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, never smoked and hadn’t known other adult thumb suckers, is high school educated, overweight, white, heterosexual, born 1st of 2 children, and heard of the site through the show “Extra”.
“touching satin, silk, or my husband’s inner ankle, inner wrist, thigh, any soft skin, groin. So, of course he has no problem with my thumb sucking.
“I only thumbsuck at home, so only my husband, daughter, she’s only 2, and my mother know about it. My husband thought it was strange when we first started dating and would say, ‘get that out of your mouth’ all the time. But, as we dated and I discovered I like to rub his skin while I thumbsuck, he decided maybe it’s not such a bad habit.
“My sucked thumb is shorter than the other by about a centimeter I would say.”
Cameron, age 24, from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She never needed braces and had no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading, driving and with friends and family. For her it’s just a habit. She places a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, never smoked, never knew other ATSers, has an advanced degree beyond college, is underweight, white, heterosexual, heard about this site from the show “Extra”, and is an only child. “I went to Oxford University and one day my room mate, Gary, caught me sucking my thumb and he didn’t tell anyone.” intalian_girl22@yahoo.com
Keith, age 39, has sucked his left thumb all his life. His teeth are mildly bucked but there’s no affect on his thumb. He indulges while working or studying, watching TV, reading, driving and only while alone. His parents scolded, spanked, teased and used bitter solution. He does it because “it relaxes me and I truly do enjoy it.” He doesn’t place a finger over his nose. He strokes his upper lip. He wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, never smoked, is college educated, just right in weight, white, heterosexual, heard about the site through the show “Extra”, has seen another adult thumb sucker, “I spotted one as she drove by me in a car”, and was born 2nd of 3 children.
Matthew, age 18, from New Orleans, Louisiana, has sucked his right thumb since after age 3. He needed braces and his thumbnail is worn or has marks on it. He indulges to sleep, while watching TV, and while reading. His parents scolded but ultimately understood. It’s a habit that feels good. He places a finger over his nose. He was breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, never smoked, never knew other ATSers, is high school educated, is just right in weight, white, heterosexual, heard of this site from the show “Extra” and was born 3rd of 3 children.
“I used to rub cotton in pillows but ruined too many. Now I use a comforter blanket which is falling apart.”
Marlena, age 21, from Pennsylvania, has sucked both her thumbs all her life. She never needed braces and has had no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, driving, with her family or only when alone. Her parents used bitter solution. She does it to feel good. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, used a pacifier, never smoked, never knew other ATSers, is college educated, just right in weight, white, heterosexual, heard of this site from the show “Extra”, and was born 2nd of 5 children.
“I like to push the skin at the very bottom of my thumb up to my lips.
“I’ve been caught many times by my college friends and they usually just laugh.” marli@udel.edu
Sean, age 22, from Seattle, Washington, has sucked his left thumb all his life. His teeth are crooked and his thumb looks different. He indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading and only when alone. His parents scolded, spanked, teased, grounded, used bitter solution and told people. For him, it’s a habit that feels good, giving him a sense of security. He places a finger over his nose. He wasn’t breast fed, is a smoker, hasn’t known of other ATSers, is high school educated, just right in weight, white, and an only child. “This site is cool. I don’t know any one else that isn’t a kid that sucks their thumb. I am 22 and have never met another guy that did this still. I don’t feel so weird now. Thanks.”
Debbie, age 37. from New York, has sucked both her thumbs all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked but there has been no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and while masturbating. Her parents used bitter solution. To her it’s a habit that feels good. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, was high school educated, is just right in weight, black, heterosexual, heard of this site from the show “Extra”, has heard of other ATSers and was born 4th of 7 children.
“My younger brother and my uncle on my mother’s side are both thumb suckers.”
Brian, age 41, from New York, has sucked his right thumb all his life. He never needed braces but his thumb has red marks on it and the thumbnail is worn or with marks. He indulges to sleep, while watching TV, driving and only when alone. His parents scolded and used bitter solution. He does it because it feels good. He places a finger over his nose. He wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, isn’t a smoker, never knew other ATSers, is high school educated, is very overweight, white and born 1st of 3 children.
“I have always had a soft blanket to feel. I usually rub the blanket over my mustache while sucking my thumb or feel my hair, sometimes with the same hand of the thumb I’m sucking or with the other hand. I don’t know what it is, but, the combination of sucking my thumb and rubbing something soft is just the most incredible feeling there is for me.
“I was room mates with my best friend from high school, when he walked in on me while I was watching TV. He never has teased me about sucking my thumb, but has teased about my blanket, probably because of the condition it was in.” brianb58@earthlink.net
Ellen, age 27, somewhere in the USA, has sucked her right thumb all her life. Her teeth never needed braces but her thumbnail is worn or has marks on it. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading and only when alone. Her parents used bitter solution, told people, but eventually didn’t care. For her, it’s a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, never smoked, never knew of other ATSers, is college educated, overweight, white and was 1st born of 2 children.
Heather, age 50, from Canada, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked and there’s been no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep and only when alone. Her parents used bitter solution. She does it because it feels good. She places a finger over her nose. She didn’t use a pacifier, is a smoker, never knew of other ATSers, is high school educated, is right in weight, white and was born 3rd of 3 children.
“I place my right wrist between my left thumb and index finger so I can feel the little bones move on my top lip.” heat4her@sprint.ca
Jane, age 49, from Brooklyn, New York, has sucked her right thumb and other fingers since after 12. She needed braces and has a callus on her thumb. She indulges while working or studying and while watching TV. Her parents scolded her. She does it because it feels good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, is a former smoker, has known other ATSers, has an advanced degree beyond college, is just right in weight, white and was born 2nd of 2 children.
“My brother does. He is mentally ill, my mother was telling me. This was a couple of years ago when he was 40. She was being critical.
“I am a social worker. One of my clients, a drug addict, noticed that my finger was yellow. She commented that her daughter also sucked her thumb and said it was cute. I smiled and went on with the interview.
“As mentioned, my thumbs are yellow, well past the point of red.”
Rachelle, age 20, from Michigan, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked but it hasn’t had an affect on her thumb. She indulges anywhere, even in public. Her parents used bitter solution but eventually were understanding. She does it because it feels good. She places a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, is a former smoker, has known other ATSers, is high school educated, overweight, white and born 8th of 10 children.
“I take my right hand and fold it over my left so I can play with my upper lip. “My best friend in high school sucked her thumb even more than I and my cousin, who is 28, sucks her thumb too.
“Well, the hardest thing was doing it around my dad because he always seemed to look at me funny, but I eventually grew out of that.
“Me and my sister, who is 17, both suck our thumb and my mom and husband, who are really our only family, don’t mind at all. They are very supportive and that helps.” squishypolarbear@hotmail.com
Claire, age 30, from Hockeytown, Michigan, has sucked right thumb all her life. Her teeth are crooked, though it hasn’t affected her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading and driving her vehicle. Her parents used bitter solution. She does it because it’s a habit that feels good, giving her a sense of security. she doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, never smoked, never knew another ATSer, is high school educated, underweight, white, found out about the site on the show “Extra” and is an only child.
“I have an old twin comforter, about 13 years old and very worn out. I don’t wash it because I like the way it smells, even it’s not a good smell. My boyfriend would like me to wash it, but understands why I don’t. The blanket is a bonus to have. I don’t always need it.
“The hardest was telling my boyfriend. I was so worried that he would not be comfortable at all with it. It actually took me almost an hour to spit it out. When I finally told him, he was, like, ‘That’s the big secret? Sheesh, I thought you were going to tell me you’re a man!’”
B, from southeast USA, age 41, had sucked her right thumb until she was 37 when she made “an enormous effort that really took all my strength and willpower, to quit.” The answers here depict her situation at the time just previous to deciding to quit. Her teeth are crooked and she has a callus and red marks on her thumb. She indulges to sleep and while watching TV. Her parents scolded, spanked, used bitter solution and told people. For her, it’s a habit that feels good. Just doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, is a former smoker, never knew of other ATSers, is college educated, very overweight, white and born 3rd of 3 children.
“I used to clutch a blanket with my fingers and rub it over my upper lip while sucking. When asked about this as a little girl, I’d say I was ‘softing’ it.
“I never knew other adults did this. Of course, I thought I was an extreme aberration, although my sister sucked until she was about 12 or so.
“My mother used to say I was going to be ‘walking down the aisle with my g-d thumb in my mouth.’ She would smack it out of my mouth, sometimes just smack me in the face. She painted bitter stuff and hot pepper stuff on it, used tape on my hand, etc. She mostly just tried to shame me out of it. My dad didn’t seem to mind, but sometimes my two sisters, especially the one non-thumbsucking on, used to make fun of me or get me in trouble by telling on me.
“Once I went to a dental school to have my teeth cleaned. My teeth weren’t terrible, but they were kind of pushed together and I would really love to have braces. The professor came over with several students, examined my teeth, and then asked me, point-blank, if I regularly ‘sucked on anything.’ He said my teeth were in a ‘highly unusual arrangement.’ I’m sure I turned 50 shades of green, and admitted that I umm, sucked my thumb, only in my sleep of course. I protested believably. Several of the students just looked at each other and I know they were thinking, wow, what a psycho, a grown woman sucking her thumb. If only they knew I did it when I was wide awake, too. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. I never went back to that dental school.
“I learned to hide it until I was with people I was comfortable around. Of course, all the men in my life had identical fantasies of replacing my thumb with their penises. I never ever felt normal, though, and tried and tried to quit, even think I *had* quit for a long time until I woke up in the middle of the night with my thumb in my mouth. One day, when I was 37, I just decided it was time to stop it. I put a bandaid around my thumb, so the foreign texture would make me realize I was trying to suck. I slept terribly for about 2 nights. The 3rd night, I slept through and haven’t gone back since. I subconsciously inserted my thumb a few times, just out of so many decades of habit, but it felt so weird in my mouth after the first few days that I didn’t want to do it any more. So I guess you could call me a successful quitter, even though I still have some other security and esteem related issues. After reading your pages, however, I’m wondering if I should restart! I still practice ‘softing’ by lightly rubbing something soft back and forth against my upper lip. In the winter my lips are dry and I have a habit of picking at the skin on my upper lip until it bleeds. I have a permanent scar from doing this.”
Jo, age 26, from Ohio, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She needed braces and has a callus and red marks on her thumb with a thumb nail that is worn or marked up. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading, driving, during sex or masturbation, with her family and only when alone. Her parents spanked, told people but finally understood and didn’t care. She does it because it’s a habit that feels good, giving her a sense of security and because of earlier trauma. She places a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, never smoked, never knew of other ATSers, is college educated, white and is the 1st of 2 siblings, her sister having died, though, at the age of 7 when Jo was 2. “I use a stuffed doggy. I smell him and scratch and pick at him. I used to do this with powder puffs, but I always lost these when I was a little kid. “When I was in my teens, I was riding in the car with my mom. I leaned back in my seat and started sucking my thumb. My mom wanted to stop and get something to eat. Well, I fell asleep, and, when I awoke, I found myself being stared at by a group of little kids in the window of a McDonald’s restaurant. Oh, how embarrassing. “I am so amazed that there are other people like me. I believe if it, thumb and finger sucking, helps people release tension and relax, then go for it. However, I still do not feel that liberated to come up in public and reveal I suck my thumb. I think it is something that I wish to do in the comfort of my own home.”
Katonya, age 31, from Florida, has sucked her right thumb since after age 3. She needed braces but there is no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, with her family, during sex or masturbation and only when alone. Her parents used bitter solution but finally understood and didn’t care. To her, it’s a habit that feels good, giving her a sense of security, and is connected with earlier trauma. She places a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, never smoked, have known other ATSers (in her family), is high school educated, very overweight, of mixed ancestry, and is an only child.
Adrian, age 31, from Missouri, has sucked both his thumbs all his life. He needed braces but it didn’t affect his thumb. He indulges to sleep, while watching TV, during sex and during masturbation. His parents were understanding. He does it because it feels erotic and gives him a sense of security. He wasn’t breast fed, used a pacifier, never smoked, never knew of other ATSers, is college educated, just right in weight, is an American Indian and was born 2nd of 2 children.
“I hold onto my teddy bear as I suck my thumb.” dare70@aol.com
Sandra, age 17, from Nevada, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She never needed braces but her thumb looks different. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading and only when alone. Her parents didn’t care. To her, it’s a habit that feels good. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, used a pacifier, never smoked, never knew of other ATSers, is high school educated, just right in weight, white, and an only child. lilsandra_69@yahoo.com
Marnie, age 18, from Australia, has sucked her right thumb all her life. She never needed braces and it hasn’t affected her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading and with her family. Her parents teased her. She does it because it feels good. She places a finger over her nose. She wasn’t breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, is a smoker, has never known of other ATSers, is college educated, overweight, of mixed ancestry and born 3rd of 3 children.
“I tend to tilt my head to the left as I suck.
“It is not my experience really, but, when I was about 13, I attended a new school in England. I was incredibly surprised to discover 3 or 4 girls who openly sucked their thumbs at school. One of them was even very popular and she was very mature and worldly. I couldn’t’ believe that they weren’t worried about being teased. However, as much in awe as I was, I still couldn’t bring myself to admit my habit. Even now, only my immediate family is aware of it.
“The embarrassing stories were a hoot.”
Jen, age 22, from Minnesota, has sucked her left thumb since after age 7. Her teeth never needed braces but she has a thumb callus. She indulges to sleep, with her friends, but otherwise only when alone or while having sex and while masturbating. Her parents scolded, spanked, grounded and teased, but eventually didn’t care. She does it from trauma and because if feels good and gives her a feeling of security. She places a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, used a pacifier, never smoked, has known other ATSers, is college educated, overweight, white and has 4 half siblings, unknown where she ranks in order of birth.
“I use a special teddy bear given to me by my best friend. The other adult thumb suckers that she knows “are friends of mine and I have been there when they are upset. Instead of laughing, I told them I did it too. Now it’s something we share.
“My thumb sucking experiences I’ve shared with my best friend and that person would kill me if I told.
“I like the pen pal section. It helps to know we’re not alone. The pictures make me feel cozy. I would like to know if any of my fellow thumbsuckers have home pages or have found other sites on this subject because this is the only one I can find.” jennybear2000@yahoo.com
Nikki, age 18, from Wisconsin, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth never needed braces though her thumb looks different. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading, driving, with her family, but otherwise only when alone. Her parents teased and used bitter solution. For her, it’s just a habit that feels good and provides for security. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She used a pacifier, was breast fed, never smoked, never knew of other ATSers, is high school educated, overweight, white, and 1st born of 2 children. “I have a blanket I like to smell.” “When I was in the 7th grade, I went to summer camp and one of my roommates interrupted me while I was comforting myself from home sickness. “I’m so happy to come across this. I don’t feel so alone anymore. I will definitely show my family and make them understand that I am still normal.”
Jay, age 29, from Canada, has sucked his left thumb since after age 3. His teeth are crooked and he has red marks on his thumb. He indulges to sleep, while watching TV and reading. His parents scolded and used bitter solution. He does it because it feels good. He places a finger over his nose and uses a teddy bear. he was breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, is a former smoker, hasn’t known of other ATSers, is high school educated, just right in weight, white and is an only child.
Karen, age 47, from California, has sucked her right thumb all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked but it hasn’t affected her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while reading and only when alone. Her parents scolded, teased and used bitter solution. She does it because it’s a habit that feels good. She places a finger over her nose and uses a pillow “I’ve had for years”. She wasn’t breast fed, is a former smoker, hasn’t known other ATSers, is college educated, overweight, white and is 1st of 4 children.
“I try to be very nonchalant when someone walks into the room. I don’t do it when anyone else is around. I just try to act like it’s no big deal. My family is aware of it, but I’m too embarrassed to do it when anyone else is around.
“Just knowing that there are other adult thumbsuckers our there, I don’t feel so different.”
Molly, age 17, from Canada, has sucked her right thumb since after age 3. Her teeth never needed braces though her thumb has red marks on it and her thumbnail is worn or marked. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading, and had. Her parents spanked her for it. She does it because it feels good. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose, but “I love my blanky.” She was breast fed, used a pacifier, never smoked, never knew other ATSers, is elementary school educated, just right in weight, white and born 2nd of 2 children.
John, age 49, from California, has sucked both his thumbs all his life. He never needed braces and there is no affect on his thumb. Hi indulges to sleep and only when alone. His parents used bitter solution. He does it because it feels good, and for spite, he likes being different. He places a finger over his nose and “I like to rub a cloth, or shirt, etc. between fingers of my free hand.” He is a former smoker, never knew of other ATSers, is high school educated, just right in weight, white and born 2nd of 3 children.
Karen, age 27, from England, has sucked her right thumb all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked and she has a thumb callus. Her thumb also looks different. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and while masturbating. Her parents scolded and used bitter solution. She does it as a result of trauma and because it feels good. She places a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, never smoked, has known of other ATSers (“teens”), has an advanced degree beyond college, is overweight, and born 2nd of 3 children.
She had an interesting experience, “trying to teach my sisters the different ‘techniques’ of thumb sucking.”
Lisa, age 27, from New York, has sucked both her thumbs all her life. She needed braces, but her teeth are still mildly bucked and she has red marks on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading and only when alone. Her parents scolded, teased, told people and used bitter solution. To her it’s a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose and “I flip the corners of a sheet or pillowcase.” She wasn’t breast fed, is a smoker, has never known other ATSers, is college educated, overweight (but feels that that is just right in weight), white, and is an only child. “Great site. There is no way I find this permissible and do not understand how you can come out with this stuff to loved ones, etc. I find it very humiliating that I still do this at my age. I would up and move my whole life if any of my friends or my boyfriend found it. It is a habit that symbolizes the inability to cope, whiny narcissistic behavior. Ugh, I hate that I do it. I think it is great if you feel comfortable, but I just can’t accept this.”
Jennifer, age 20, from Ontario, Canada, has sucked her right thumb all her life. Her teeth are severly bucked, sticking out when she closes her mouth. Her thumb, though, has no affect. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and only when alone. Her parents used bitter solution but eventually understood. To her, it’s a habit that feels good, giving her a sense of security and it is related to earlier trauma. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, used a pacifier, never smoked, never had known other ATSers, is high school educated, overweight, white and born 1st of 2 children.
Steve, age 49, from Washington, has sucked his left thumb all his life. His teeth are crooked and mildly bucked but there has been no affect on his thumb. He indulges to sleep, while watching TV and only when alone. His parents scolded and used bitter solution. He does it because it feels good and gives him a sense of security. He doesn’t place a finger over his nose. He was breast fed, is a former smoker, hasn’t known other ATSers, is high school educated, very overweight, white, and born 1st of 2 children.
Jennifer, age 27, from California, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She needed braces and her thumb looks different. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, and while reading. Her parents scolded and used bitter solution. To her, it’s a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose, but has “always rubbed my feet or face with a silky or smooth material, such as bathing suits, pajamas, or the lining of some blankets or clothing.” She wasn’t breast fed, used a pacifier, never smoked has known other ATSers, has an advanced degree beyond college, is underweight, white and born 1st of 2 children.
“My grandmother told me that my aunt sucked her thumb at least into her 20’s and my still.”
Jen, age 17, from New York, has sucked her fingers all her life. She needed braces and her fingers look different. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and only when alone. Her parents understood. To her, it’s a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose, but has “a favorite blanket which I had since I was an infant. I usually carry it with me when I’m sucking my fingers, which is ONLY done in the comfort of my own home.” She has not known of other ATSers, used a pacifier, is high school educated, is just right in weight, white, and born 3rd of 3 children.
“Ummm, well, I was sleeping over my friend’s house and when we started to go to bed, I just stuck my fingers in my mouth, like it was automatic. But, at first she was teasing me, but now my best friend understands that I can’t help it.”
Susan, age 46, from Mid-Atlantic, USA, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth never needed braces but her thumb looks different. She indulges to sleep. Her parents scolded, spanked, teased and told people. She does it because it feels good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose and has to “have a satin edging on a blanket, that while I suck my left thumb, I work and feel the edging. It is highly stimulating for instant pleasurable gratification and emotional release.” She was breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, is a former smoker, has never known of other ATSers, has an advanced degree beyond college, is just right in weight, white and 1st born of 3 children.
“When I was 5 years old, my parents left me in the car while they went shopping, which was a normal circumstance for them to do. Adults would walk by our automobile on their way to shop and look in at me. They would comment on how beautiful a child I was and then scold me about sucking my thumb, and give me terrible looks.
“When I went away to college, I sucked my thumb in total secret. “When I got married, I had to quit all together, and guess what? I gained about 75 pounds. I started sucking my thumb AFTER the divorce and lost 85 pounds. I am now remarried, and keep my weight in check and remain emotionally stable by sucking my thumb for comfort whenever I darn well feel like it. Usually at night to relax and fall asleep, even after sex.”
Karra, age 20, from California, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked and her thumb looks different. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and with her family. Her parents used bitter solution but finally understood. To her, it’s a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security and is associated with trauma. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose but uses an “old silk blanket I had since birth. Oddly enough I like to smell it.” She was breast fed and has known of other ATSers, is high school educated, is just right in weight, white and born 2nd of 2 children.
“My close cousin does it all of her life and we both have silk blankets that we couldn’t possibly live without.
“I’ve lost so many little blankets. Thank God, my cousin gave me one of hers. I’m always losing it around the house. I love it more than life itself and I take it with me everywhere. My cousin and I call them the Suki or Babby. There is a history of family blankets which are cherished and had many kinds of names but my cousin and I are the only adults that suck thumbs too.
“The process of rubbing two sides together is also very relaxing and is called Sukying. My brother steals mine.
“My dad wants me to put cat pee in it when I go to bed. Thank God I was never teased at school or elsewhere. But in 7th grade, I told my classmates and they understood, although I couldn’t do it during school. All my friends know and they’re very understanding, all 2 of them. I hope that someday I will stop, but I’ve tried before and I think I would rather be quitting cocaine. I’m attached and I wish it was only at bedtime. bkpm@pacbell.net
Jennifer, age 24, from West Virginia, has sucked both her thumbs all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked and there’s no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep. her parents didn’t care. To her, it’s a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose. she was breast fed, is a smoker, has never known of ATSers, is high school educated, just right in weight, white, and born 2nd of 3 children.
Elizabeth, age 39, from New York, has sucked both her thumbs all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked with no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and reading. Her parents told people. She indulges because it feels good. She places a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, didn’t use a pacifier, never smoked, has not known other ATSers, has an advanced degree past college, is very overweight, black and born 1st of 6 children.
Anji, age 30, from Oklahoma, has sucked her right thumb all her life. She never needed braces but her thumbnail is worn or with marks on it and looks different. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading, and while driving. Her parents scolded and used bitter solution. To her, it’s a habit that feels good. She places a finger over her nose and uses, “my pink blanket that I got in middle school.” She never smoked, never knew of other ATSers, is college educated, underweight, white and an only child.
An interesting experience was, “telling my husband. At the time he thought it was cute. “I’m about to move in with a boy friend. It’s time to tell him. ONCE AGAIN I AM SCARED. He has noticed the thumb but didn’t say anything.
“I can’t believe THERE ARE more like me. My mom told me in grade school about a story in ‘Dear Abby’, so today I did a search and found this site. I feel BETTER about me. LOVE THE MADONNA PIX! I wrote about this in my diary on line, ‘finding this site, feeling normal.” dollfinn@hotmail.com
Jessica, age 20, from West Coast, USA, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She needed braces and her thumbnail is worn looking or has marks on it. Her thumb also looks different. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading, but only when alone. Her parents used bitter solution but eventually understood. To her, it’s a habit that feels good. She doesn’t place a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, is a smoker, has never known another ATSer, was high school educated, is just right in weight, white, and is an only child.
Cara, age 33, from Louisiana, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth are crooked and mildly bucked and her thumb has red marks on it. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV, reading, driving, with her family, and during sex and masturbation. Her parents were understanding. For her it’s a habit that feels good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose. she wasn’t breast fed, never smoked, has not known another ATSer, is college educated, overweight, white and born 4th of 6 children.
“I was afraid to let my boyfriend, now husband, know I sucked my thumb. One day I slept over at his house, on the couch. He said he heard a strange sound coming from the front of the house. He thought it was his parents. Well, needless to say, it was me sucking my thumb. I was slurping or suckling. He questioned me the next day. I lied, mostly of embarrassment. After we were married, he found out. I don’t remember how he did but, it was OK with him. He loved me and he never tried to get me to stop. After 6 years of marriage, we had our first child, a boy. I prayed that he wouldn’t be a thumb sucker. He wasn’t. Four years after that, we had a daughter. Well, like me, she was born with her thumb in her mouth. For some reason, it didn’t bother me. She sucked her thumb until she was 2-1/2 years and by her own doing. Don’t ask me how, but she gave it up. I am glad that my kids don’t do it, mainly for their teeth.
“I saw your feature on “Extra”. I am so glad to know that adults suck their thumbs. I thought I was alone. I will be a regular to your site. Thanks for being brave enough to make a site like this for people who suck their thumbs.
Holly, age 26, from Utah, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth are straight and she never needed braces. She has a permanent callus and red marks on her thumb. She indulges as she goes to sleep, while watching TV, and while reading. Her parents scolder her and used bitter solution. For her, it's a habit, it helps her to feel good and gives her a sense of security. She places a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, isn't a smoker and has never known of other adult thumb suckers.
"When I was in 3rd grade the teacher caught me sucking my thumb. She made me stand in front of the class and then took a ruler and smacked my hand five times until my hand was red and swollen."
She has a High School education, is just right in weight, is racially white and was the 2nd of 2 children.
Jody, age 22, from Florida, has sucked her left thumb all her life. She has never needed braces but her thumb has red marks on it. Her thumbnail is worn or has marks and looks different. She indulges as she goes to sleep, while watching TV, while reading and with her family. Her parents scolded, spanked, teased and used bitter solutions to try to stop her. For her it's just a habit, it feels good. She places a finger over her nose. He wasn't breast fed, didn't use a pacifier, is not a smoker and never knew another adult thumb sucker. She has a High School education, is very overweight, white and is birth #2 of 3 siblings.
"When I was 16 I had my wisdom teeth pulled and was doped up on medication. My boyfriend, now my husband, walked in and caught me. A year after we were married I confessed I did it. He doesn't mind.
"I used a blanket until I was 10 but never gave up the thumb. I use it to relax and to sleep. I do the finger over my nose thing and the rubbing of my nose.
"I have been married for four years and my husband accepts it 100%. My thumbnail is really short and the thumb is a lot smoother. I am really glad to know I am not the only adult thumbsucker out there.
Crystal, age 22, from California, has sucked her right thumb all her life. She's never needed braces. Her thumb looks different. She indulges as she goes to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, driving and masturbating. Her parents scolded and used bitter solutions. It's just a habit she can't quit and it feels good. She doesn't place a finger over her nose, never used a pacifier, isn't a smoker and hasn't ever known other adult thumb suckers. She has gotten an advance degree beyond college, is just right in weight, white racially and is an only child.
Frank, age 39, from Michigan, has sucked his left thumb all his life. His teeth are mildly bucked but he doesn't show any effect on his thumb. He indulges going to sleep, while masturbating and only when alone . His parents scolded, teased, used bitter solution but finally accepted and understood. It's a habit, feels good and feels erotic. He derives a sense of security through it. He doesn't place a finger over his nose. He wasn't breast fed, used a pacifier, and is a smoker. Education level was High School, is just right in weight, is white, and is the youngest of 2 siblings.
"I love to suck my thumb when making love. My wife caught me sucking my thumb while I was asleep. She didn't say too much but she knows I do it.
"This is a great site and I did think I was the only one at this age doing this. Now I know I'm not. Great job putting this together and I'd love to hear from other people in the same boat as I. His e-mail is slick@mail.portup.com.
Derek, age 21, from Ontario, has sucked his left thumb all his life. He needed braces and has a callus on his thumb. He indulges while going to sleep and watching TV. His parents scolded, spanked, grounded, used bitter solution and told people about his thumb sucking. For him it's a habit and feels good. He is High School educated, overweight, white and 2nd born of 3 siblings. He doesn't place a finger over his nose but,
"sometimes I breath through my t-shirt collar, like a security blanket, probably because I used to have a favorite cloth that was a t-shirt. My parents hid it from me and then threw it away. It was a blue silk jersey."
Derek was breast fed, used a pacifier, and has known of other adult thumb suckers,
"On a trip to Scotland I was surprised to find out that one of my cousins sucked her thumb. Up until then I thought I was the only one. Also, my younger brother still sucks his thumb at 15 years of age, but I don't know if he kept doing it because he saw me or because it is in my family genes. I still hope to this day that he tops, because the world still doesn't seem to accept thumb sucking. Hopefully one day they will.
"My parents doen't want us to suck our thumbs, if they see us the say, 'hey', to get us to realize what we are doing. I just hide the fact that I do it from them. It's just easier.
Christie, age 22, from New Jersey, has sucked her right thumb all her life. She needed braces but it hasn't effected her thumb. She indulges going to sleep, watching TV, while reading, with her family and anywhere, even in public. Her parents teased her and used bitter solution but now doesn't care. Thumb sucking feels good and allows her to feel secure. She places a finger over her nose.
"My thumb sucking is associated with the smell of things, mine, my mom's or a pet's hair, clothes, blankets, and, since I was younger, I have always had a rabbit's foot key chain which was and is my usual ritual other than my hair."
She wasn't breast fed, didn't use a
pacifier and was never a smoker.
She is college educated, just right in weight, is white and is the 1st of
2 siblings.
"I knew a former classmate from
elementary school who used to suck her two middle fingers but I have not
seen her since the 8th grade.
"I have always sucked my thumb so everyone that knows me really doesn't say anything except that I should stop. My parents still tease me a little about it but they know I let it go in one ear and out the other. I suck my thumb as a form of relaxation. It makes me content. I understand it is a form of oral fixation but I don't hurt anyone else when I do it, as smokers do, so it really is none of anyone's business. I don't care who see or knows that I do it."
Jennifer, age 25, from Texas, has sucked her left thumb all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked and her thumb looks different. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and reading. Her parents scolded, teased, used bitter solution and told people. It feels good and makes her feel secure. She places a finger over her nose. She was breast fed, didn't use a pacifier, was never a smoker, is college educated, white and an only child.
"I have an old, now ratty, pillowcase made of ticking that I have had since a child. I have to have it to sleep comfortably and almost always travel with it if I'm in familiar or friendly surroundings."
Kim, age 19, from Kentucky, has sucked her right thumb all her life. She needed braces and her thumbnail is worn or has marks on it. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and only while alone. Her parents scolded, spanked, teased and told people to get her to stop. It's a habit. She doesn't place her finger over her nose. She wasn't breast fed but used a pacifier. She is a former smoker. She is college educated, is just right in weight, is white and is the 3rd born of 3.
"I told my new fiance that I sometimes sucked my thumb in my sleep and he did ok with the idea."
Sally, age 46, from Tennessee has sucked her right thumb all her life. She needed braces but it hasn't affected her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while working or studying, watching TV, reading and with her family. Her parents used bitter solution but finally understood and doesn't care. It's a habit, feeling good and giving her a sense of security. She had suffered trauma and feels that added to it's need. She places her finger over her nose and usually uses a cotton t-shirt from her husband after he's worn it and it's soft. She'll wash it, though, if it is dirty. She is not a smoker, is college educated, right in weight, white race and is the 1st born of 2 siblings.
"Both of the men in my life- a boyfriend and now my husband knows. The boyfriend didn’t like it but my husband has always been supportive.He always wanted me to feel my best. He thinks of it as part of me. My daughter, 13, knows and is ok with it. It’s hard to do it in front of my daughter,but she seemed to not mind, she seems to sense that I need to do it and it calms me down and can put me to sleep or immediately relax me, one sniff and I'm there. She doesn’t suck here thumb. She used a pacifier, but never had need of the thumb.
"I stopped thumb sucking for a brief while, 11 to 13, but then my parents divorced and I went back to it for security. I also stopped it for a year when I met my husband, but I finally told him about it because it enhances my life and makes me a grounded person. He was shocked at first and thought it was a joke, but he soon found out it wasn’t. Now he says he can’t imagine me without it.
"I’ve been in and out of hospitals alot for physical reasons and I asked him to take it out at night so no one will know, and he does. He waits until I’m alseep and than takes it out.
"I’m college graduate plus a an extra 2 yrs. of training in another department of the same type of work. I’m not a stupid person, I just know what makes me feel good and know if something helps in this crazy world, and you’re not hurting someone, you should be able to do what makes you be the best you can."
Gretchen, age 19, from North Carolina, has sucked both her thumbs all her life. Her teeth are mildly bucked but there is no affect on her thumb. She indulges to sleep, while watching TV and driving. Her parents scolded and spanked her. It's a habit that allows her to feel good. She places her finger over her nose, wasn't breast fed, used a pacifier, is a smoker, is college educated, right in weight, white race, and born last of 5 siblings. E-mail at sweetbaber@chickmail.com.