stop chewing the inside of my mouth

No bitting at all…one thing is for sure…every time I decide to write about it, I can stay w/o doing it…I’m quite sure that this increases awareness…as as everyone here says, if you can avoid the first bite…you are safe…but if you slip, it will be chewing for hours…Let’s see if I will survive the next hours, until we go to bed…and tomorrow…a week day…will keep the results here, during this critical phase…cheers, Andy.

Need to focus on stopping…I’ve been trying to find something on the web to make me stop…it’s so involuntary that it is difficult to stop…in the past days I could stay free from bitting during weekends, an sometimes during the week days…but at night, it’s getting back…I’m quite sure that meditation will help to increase awareness…and maybe there might be something on Chinese medicine that will assist with anxiousness reduction…I’m so ashamed that I can not get rid of this…I was checking something about tics and tourette’s syndrome…there is a list on an article that includes mouth bitting as a tic…see this link…
http://www.tourettes-disorder.com/symptoms/tics.html#ticlist

But point is that there is no clear advice on how to quit…well, hopefully I will find a way to stop during my vacations early August…will stay away of the messy work environment and maybe sometime w/ my wife and kids abroad will be good…

I need to find some sort of medical advice or psychological advice…sometimes I feel that I will not be able to do it alone, without some sort of medication…I’m still under homeopathic treatment, to reduce anxiousness and stress, but for that specific thing is not helping much…good luck to all of you that are feeling the need to quit that…good luck to me too!

Cheers,

Andy

Wow … I knew I wasn’t alone but I never thought this would be on 43Things! I’ve had this habit for as long as I can remember. I find it to be a figety habit – it isn’t a sign of OCD or anxiety disorders – that is no more weird than tapping your feet, just more destructive. The only thing I have found to help is chewing gum – it gives my mouth something to do but I still find myself chewing the inside of my mouth so this isn’t working too well. I’ve tried to make myself stop, but it is such a strong habit and one that is quite unconsciously done that I don’t know how to make myself stop.

My God, That’s so hard…it’s been very difficult to control…sometimes I can take through the weekends, but on the week days I totally destroy my mouth inside…it’s involuntary that I really don’t know what to do…need to refocus on NOT doing it. I would really appreciate if one of you could send d tips on how to stop…I need to get my mouth guards back! Cheers.

Im 15 and i do the same thing I chew the skin around my finger nails and the skin in my mouth. I dont know how my habit of pilling the skin of the sides of my finger nails started but I do know how the other habit started. I’ll tell you I started chewing the skin in my mouth from accedently bitting my cheeks then after awhile I form a habit. I been doing this for years.

My skin is naturally enlarged at each corner of my mouth. One time I bit the skin on my left really hard and I have been biting it for two years. I thought that was why, but after reading this site, I realize it is an extension of some nervous fidgeting I have been doing all my life.

Before that I played with my rings. Once I got a valuable wedding ring, I stopped so I wouldn’t loose it. Before that I would twist and play with my earrings. I stopped wearing them, but I sometimes find myself playing with my naked ear, especially the cartlidge at the top. I like to fold it backward and pop it back. Sick. I know.

I have also been a leg shaker for my entire life and I must move my foot back and forth at night in order to get to sleep. I really just cannot sit still.

I am a very motivated and impatient person. I am wondering of all of this means I have ocd. I never thought I did because I am messy and only selectively a perfectionist.

I am so glad to see that I am not the only biter/fidgeter.

Man!!! I thought I would quit when my dentist told me I had to get caps over my teeth because I’ve worn them down so much for chewing on the inside of my mouth. And yet, right now, my cheek is bleeding like crazy because I bit it through again…. This is the worst habit…

The area I was chewing on is finally starting to heal so much that it feels nice and smooth and doesn’t feel like it’s going to “puff up” again tomorrow. I still chewed today, but it’s slowly decreasing and I think I’ll be able to stop chewing again within the new few days.

Note to self: NEVER let yourself slip into this habit again.

I would say this nasty habit fluctuates with my moods and situations. I notice when under extra stress or when I’m just not able to communicate the way I want to -it seems to get worse – isn’t anybody listening TO ME!!! lol – well not very funny – that cancer threat sure scares me – and my little son only 7 years old seems full force into this horrific habit – he grinds his teeth at night too – I am worried about both his and my dental health – and my jaw is aching right now as I type so I know I have TMJ – and now it is keeping me up at night – I have asked 3 qualified accupuncturists about it and all looked at me like I had three heads!! So if nothing else, at least this is comforting to know there are others out there with this same problem – I had no idea until now.

i do this all the time. i have pieces of dead skin and shit there now. in fact im doing it right now. i need to stop!!