What's This Disorder Called? (Also a Rant)

Someone I unfortunately know has a habit of coughing on purpose every waking moment of his life. It's a habit; he's not physically ill. I don't think it's Tourette Syndrome. O.C.D., perhaps? Oh, yeah it's definitely O.C.D. I also want to find out how it got developed, but asking him would be pointless because he is too prideful and doesn't know how to communicate nicely; he is usually rude to people, especially when he thinks he's being ridiculed. Help me out here, please...

This is the ******* who ruined my life before; I'm never letting it happen again.


I'm posting this as my sense of mental well-being is functioning poorly and I'm feeling very vulnerable and snappy, so I apologize for this post which I'm sure many would consider annoying.

I know where you're coming from...I've got a manager at work who is exhibiting a very similar behavior. Chronic caughing, hawking, sniffing, etc. Supposedly it's stress-induced, but I've also heard people saying it's a variation of Tourette's without phonic tics.

I've definitely seen it getting worse when he has to take care of all his procrastinated work (he's terrible at organizing himself) and when his incompetence is exposed. Speaks for the stress induction. Most coworkers and even managers know he's horribly insecure though. Tries to distract from this by putting others on display for mistakes he's made. Absolutely incapable of doing any task by himself or taking responsibility. Sadly he's the second-best paid person at the company and well in with the boss, so he's practically untouchable.

That's all the insight I have. I'm sorry you have to put up with that too. I know how annoying this behavior can be...maybe it would be more forgivable if these guys weren't generally unpleasant people on top.

Sometimes it's just a habit that people have. They don't realise they are doing it. If you politely mention it to them, perhaps they will try and refrain from doing it if they realise it is annoying to people around them.

Habits can be a difficult thing to explain although this coughing might be a way of showing how he is uncomfortable about a situation and wants someone to identify a recurring issue in which words cannot describe. Try thinking what occurred prior to the cough identifying the cause of it. For example if he were in this conversation he would likely cough at the harsher phrases typed.

Probably is just cognitive dissonance (facts or events oppose his world view) Guilt trip (his self steem considerations are opposed too), passive agressive behavior (he will do something rude or antagonic to whatever the flow of events suggests be done) and shyness (for whatever reason) possible due to choleric humor....