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habitual lip and cheek biting

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October 20th, 2009
Ive been biting my lips and cheeks since I was a little kid. I recently made a disaster of my mouth while chewing and it has been swollen and sore for days.

I am trying to quit this habit. However, Im not sure how to go about it. Ive been trying to keep my mouth busy by chewing gum, however I have TMJ so chewing gum makes my jaw very sore and painful.

From what I've read this problem is cause by stress/anxiety and is a form of self injury.

If you used to do this and quit how did you quit?
Also, what should my next step be? Should I see a doctor? Can they even help me with this?
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Dtype
replied November 10th, 2010
I have had this biting problem ever since high school. I'm 65 now so I've been at it a long time. I've searched the web for years for a cure, but never found one. Then, just by fate I suppose, during a general disscussion about phycology my friend told me about a book written by Eckhart Tolle "The POwer of Now". Kind of deep, but interesting. I worked with his suggestions and without noticing it my cheek biting stopped. It has only been a few weeks, but that, for me is all the success I need to that: 1) I can quit. and 2) Tolle is spot on with his thinking. For me anyway.
The book isn't very expensive. Actually it's free in a pdf format on the internet.

Your post is pretty old but I hope this will help someone else like it helped me.

B
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