Stress!!!

[fifi65]

Hi I am a carer for my elderly mother have been for just over 3yrs now, this past year I have developed a awful habit of chewing my tongue and cutting it off my teeth. Dentist, doctors are putting it down to stress, has anyone else ever experienced anything like this?

[jenny lucas]

No, but it definitely does sound like stress, and not in the least surprising.

My bro used to tear his cuticles to pieces till they bled, when stressed over our mum (she had MH).

'Psychologically'. I wonder whether tongue chewing is because you have to endlessly 'bit your tongue' in the figurative sense, ie, stifle what you want to say (or perhaps yell?)(or even scream your head off????)

in a practical sense, are there any particular triggers that set you off, do you think?

Personally, I always think that when it comes to stress, we are like 'buckets'. If we pour in too much stress into ourselves, we start to fracture at the seams....the stress has to 'come out' somewhere, usually in unpleasant ways, as you are currenty experiencing.

When did you last have a break from caring?

[bowlingbun]

Stress comes in many different forms. When you know you are so seriously stressed, it's time to get rid of some of it. Can I ask for a bit of information about the person you care for. Age? Illness? When did you last ask Social Services to update your Carers Assessment? When did they last update your carees Needs Assessment? Do you get regular time off?

[Melly1]

Hi Fifi,
I clench my jaw when stressed and also get a kind of twitch with my mouth/ lips too. This goes away when life is ticking along and reoccurs when the stress returns.

What outlets do you have for coping with stress?

Have the docs suggested ways to deal with the stress?

Melly1