Tongue chewing, also known as tongue-biting or tongue-sucking, is a body-focused repetitive behavior characterized by the repetitive biting or chewing of one's own tongue. Individuals engaging in this behavior often apply excessive pressure on their tongues using their teeth, resulting in tissue damage and potential pain.
Tongue Chewing
Tongue chewing, also known as tongue-biting or tongue-sucking, is a body-focused repetitive behavior characterized by the repetitive biting or chewing of one's own tongue. Individuals engaging in this behavior often apply excessive pressure on their tongues using their teeth, resulting in tissue damage and potential pain.
Living with tongue chewing can be challenging, but it's essential to remember that you are not alone. Connecting with support groups or seeking therapy can provide valuable insights, empathy, and strategies for managing this behavior effectively. Furthermore, loved ones and friends can play a critical role in offering support and understanding.
Signs and Symptoms
The causes of tongue chewing can vary from person to person. Some potential factors that may contribute to this behavior include:
Anxiety and Stress: Tongue chewing can serve as a coping mechanism for individuals experiencing heightened levels of stress, anxiety, or tension.
Sensory Stimulation: Some individuals engage in tongue chewing to seek sensory stimulation or to satisfy an oral fixation. In addition, some people engage in tongue chewing after an initial insult that results in a different sensation on the tongue, a sore, rough, or tender spot that then attracts attention to that spot. Much like chewing gum, tongue chewing is also movement and can satisfy the need to move when one is in a sedentary situation.
Neurological Factors: Certain neurological conditions, such as sensory processing difficulties, Tourette's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may be associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in tongue chewing.
Impacts and Effects
While tongue chewing may provide temporary relief or stimulation, it can have several negative consequences. These can include:
Physical Discomfort: Tongue chewing can cause soreness, inflammation, and pain in the tongue and surrounding oral tissues. Repeated biting or chewing may lead to open sores, ulcers, or infections. Sometimes, these results can actually lead to more tongue chewing.
Dental Issues: Excessive pressure on the teeth from tongue chewing can contribute to dental problems, such as tooth fractures, gum recession, and misalignment.
Social Impact: Tongue chewing may affect an individual's self-esteem and social interactions due to visible signs of tissue damage, discomfort, or bleeding.
Treatment
Fortunately, there are various treatment approaches available to manage and reduce tongue chewing. Comprehensive Behavioral Treatment (COMB, a form of CBT) and habit reversal training (HRT) can be effective in helping individuals identify triggers, develop alternative coping mechanisms, and modify their tongue chewing behavior.
Choosing a therapeutic provider to support your BFRB journey is a process that takes time. Patience and persistence are key to finding your own level of success.
Medications used for OCD and other anxiety disorders have been tested on subjects with BFRBs with limited success. There has not yet been any single medication or combined medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of BFRBs.
