You are not even close to being crazy. Tmj and anxiety (stress) are very much related. I would almost go as far and say that if there was no stress or anxiety in this world, tmj would not have its nasty hold on so many people (long-winded sentence there myself).

You are exactly on the right track with bite splints and ssris. An important tip about the ssris, though (prozac works much better for me than zoloft), there are reports out now that ssris can cause night-time bruxism. What a paradox. They increase seratonin in your body, which helps to relax you but at the same time, can cause clenching.

I was on a low dosage of prozac for several years before the clenching came back. These same reports state that if a very small dose of buspar (and something else I can't remember) will counteract this problem and allow the ssri to work, as it should. (buspar is an old anti-anxiety drug and both buspar (low dose) and ssris can be taken together.) so, I now also take 7.5 mg. Of buspar with the prozac and it has helped tremendously. My tmj (of 26 years) is managed most of the time.

There is no real simple answer to the big question - “why do we clench or grind our teeth when under stress or anxiety?” many believe it has to do with an imbalance in our bites. I agree but there’s more to it, i’m sure. Bite splints probably help because they “balance” the bite and maybe just having something in the mouth says something to our sleeping brains. But they do help especially when you get a well-made bite splint and have it adjusted every once in a while.

I know many people do not like taking anti-d’s. But if they work, take the medication. I am an example of someone who did not take any medication for at least 18 years after waking up one morning with a locked jaw and excruciating pain. Now that I am supposedly mature and wiser, I can say I was stupid. My quality of life during those years was downright miserable, all because of tmj. I missed out on so much. Fighting to stay upbeat was almost more tiring than just showing my misery. I believe that only because of my faith did I get through those years alive. I also rebelled against the opinion that tmj and depression are related. Well, it’s not depression as much as it is stress and anxiety living in this too fast country. Yes, I have a huge anatomical problem with my small lower jaw and bad bite, and played a wind musical instrument semi-professionally for years, which all contributed to my tmj, but keeping my stress level as low as possible makes the biggest difference. I also want to say that posture (especially in front of the computer) also is a big issue with tmj.

You thought you were long-winded, and I tried to keep it short. Honestly. Please know that you are quite normal. What you are doing is good. Now you have to work at lowering your stress and anxiety levels (which everyone has to different degrees). You should probably also have your bite splint looked at to see if it needs any adjusting. Take care.

God bless…
carol

I have been a tmj sufferer for the past 10 years. I've done my research,I've tried everything including a bite guard, chiropractor, massage therapist, pain management (trigger point injections, accupuncture) jaw excercises, meditation, breathing and for the past two months I have been having anxiety to the point of panic attacks. I have built up a fear of opening my mouth at the dentist and to eat. I went to my doctor a couple of days ago after a bad panic attack where I didn't want to go to work or be around anyone. He gave me Xanax and if that doesn't work he told me to try Prozac. I'm still deciding. The only thing I know is, I don't want to live with these fears anymore.