# Excessive swallowing



## mazzystar (Feb 1, 2010)

Does anyone have this? This is my main physical symptom, and it occurs fairly frequently. I never know when its gonna happen, but it happens most when I try to stop it from happening, either if someone is looking at me and we're having a one on one conversation, OR, in a situation where I believe it shouldn't be happening. Trying to stop it makes it worse. 

Anyone else been through this physical symptom? Any advice?


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## OKdOut (Feb 22, 2008)

throat clearing can be a sign of Tourette's Syndrome.


First off, Tourette's Syndrome affects a lot more people than is generally realized, and the disorder of unknown cause, is actually a lot different from what most people think it is. Tics are abrupt, repetitive movements and sounds, that the person frequently performs, semi-voluntarily, but become harder to resist the harder one tries to resist them.

While most people are aware of the similarities between SA and Autism, Tourette's Syndrome also share many similar features and in some people it's very hard to differentiate which of the three disorder is present.
Because the tics can become a repetitive nuisance, the person may become overly self conscious, thus resembling SA,or their repetitive motions and actions may seem autistic like to others.

 _ *Tourette's Syndrome : Tics, Obsessions, Compulsions*_*: **Simple Motor Tics*
_Sudden, brief, meaningless movements_
Eye blinking, eye movements, grimacing, nose twitching, mouth movements, lip pouting, head jerks, shoulder shrugs, arm jerks, abdominal tensing, kicks, finger movements, jaw snaps, tooth clicking, rapid jerking of any part of the body.
*Complex Motor Tics*
_Slower, longer, more purposeful movements_
Sustained looks, facial gestures, biting, touching objects or self, throwing, banging, thrusting arms, gestures with hands, gyrating and bending, dystonic postures, copropraxia (obscene gestures).
*Simple Phonic Tics*
_Sudden, meaningless sounds or noises_
*Throat clearing*, coughing, sniffling, spitting, screeching, barking, grunting, gurgling, clacking, hissing, sucking and innumerable other sounds.
*Complex Phonic Tics*
_Sudden, more meaningful utterances_
Syllables, words, phrases, statements such as "shut up," "stop that," "oh, okay," "I've got to," "okay honey," "what makes me do this," "how about it," or "now you've seen it," speech atypicalities (usually rhythms, tone, accents, intensity of speech); echo phenomenon (immediate repetition of one's own or another's words or phrases); and coprolalia (obscene, inappropriate, and aggressive words and statements).​


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## Stargirl09 (Dec 14, 2009)

I know most cases aren't the sweary kind but don't bandy the word Tourettes around cos it's one of the worst things a person can be beset with as a mental illness.

Actually, I don't think it's a mental illness in the usual sense of the word, it's condition that the last psychiatrist I went to see explained that was inherent, it was there already predisposed in the mind of the sufferer and something like bullying could trigger it or it would just become apparent in adolescence, sometimes even evident in kids.

I know theres many version of it, a range of tics etc but in my case and I'd hazard in the original Mazzy case it's prolly just a strange effect of tension. Stress is a killer, birds pull their feathers out when they're stressed, I lost alot of hair when I had a nervous breakdown so I think my swallowing problem is a throwback to that.

I always thought of it as like the tide had gone out in my brain, leaving like a wooden pole that a seagull might perch on and the wet contours of the sand stretch back miles. Well that pole stuck out of the sand represents the basic automatic functions of my body that somehow got exposed and the tide never came back in. So I just function, dwelling on my own reflexes and not really living 'in the flow' of the sea.

I wouldn't usually go round the block with analogies but that's one that I've always had and felt like a true summary of what's going on 'upstairs', just like sometimes my behaviour analogy is like dealing with a 'demanding baby'. The thinking analogy is very spartan and naked.

Don't underestimate S.A's many faces, if you think about it everytimes you go into a social situation you feel uncomfortable (more or less) so you become self conscious, the more you focus on that unpleasant internal sensation the more you try hide it, relieve it yet this makes it worse cos it draws more attention to you and actually increases the tension you feel.

The tide had already gone out in my mind when I was sat behind these 2 girls chatting in a van on the way home from work, I'd had the nervous breakdown and my brain was stripped down to it's bare core, like the soaked foot of the pole, I never spoke to anyone for hours upon hours of work in plastic factories, dragging mail bags into cages or putting leaflets in envelopes so when I swallowed loudly while I was sat behind them I felt paranoid.

My brain was fragile, impressionable and empty. The next day I stared at the ceiling when I woke and it seemed like it wouldn't go away I thought 'why am I swallowing when I don't need to?' since then it has never stopped, I didn't take it seriously at first & it didn't stop me going to 6th form college, there was even a time it went completely but when I choked in the van on the way to my later job as an office cleaner I knew that had set it back.

Times when I've forced myself to sit in class have made me think 'I don't care' about that reflex so not caring seems to be a sign of progress. I think it's possible to overcome but it's been so stubborn that it's felt almost like it's NOT me doing it sometimes.

sorry for the length of this post.


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## mazzystar (Feb 1, 2010)

Thanks for the responses guys, they are both very interesting.
Stargirl - I think we have the same symptom!

It really is my only physical symptom, but because it is so visible and so obviously reveals fear, it is a pretty crap one to have!

I think what u said about it being a physical symptom of the inner stress is very true. It happens in the strangest of places, like I can be talking to someone I dont even like, and I certainly dont want to impress them or anything, and I'll get the swallowing thing! So that kinda ruled out it being anxiety over them liking me, so what am I anxious about? And what r u anxious about sitting behind two complete strangers? It really is a conundrum isnt it?

I almost wonder if I am uncomfortable with my negative emotions, like I'm a bad failure if I feel dislike for someone, or if I feel uncomfortable or anxious or angry or bored...etc etc. Somewhere along the line, I took on a warped perception that happy,confident people dont feel anxious or afraid or sad...that cant be right!!
Perhaps we need to embrace our negative feelings instead of trying to oust them all the time. This would take the pressure off us to never feel anxious, thus rendering the anxiety helpless, AND GIVE US PERMISSION TO BE JUST HUMAN!

I'm going to give this real go, maybe u should too and let me know if it helps at all. I wish u luck!


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## OKdOut (Feb 22, 2008)

Stargirl09 said:


> I know most cases aren't the sweary kind but don't bandy the word Tourettes around cos it's one of the worst things a person can be beset with as a mental illness.
> 
> Actually, I don't think it's a mental illness in the usual sense of the word, it's condition that the last psychiatrist I went to see explained that was inherent, it was there already predisposed in the mind of the sufferer and something like bullying could trigger it or it would just become apparent in adolescence, sometimes even evident in kids.


I'm curious as to why you would say that Tourette's is "one of the worst things a person can be beset with as a mental illness".

Today, science generally agree that Tourette's is more of an un-explain neurological disorder rather than a psychiatric disorder. And most people only have very mild symptoms which aren't always noticeably.
Considering that there's nothing wrong with emotions and cognition, only the motor functions, it doesn't seem that bad a condition to me, especially in comparison to SA.

Just an outsiders perspective. I Thought it would be helpful to broaden the field in order to more fully understand and eventually cure the condition.


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## LooknUpnCali (Jan 18, 2010)

Hmm I can relate to the swallowing. I think its due to increased stress of dealing with anxiety over the past 2 years. More than normal than ive ever experienced. Even tho it was the sweating, stuttering n the redness. these physical anxiety symptoms felt horrible. I thought I had fibromylagia. And the inside of my body felt like it was tingling or needles pricking in my body. I thought my increased swallowing was side effect of medications, maybe, but ive always been on the same medications for the past 4 years. but yeah ill b sitting or walking, dont matter where i am, and out of nowhere it just starts. Its frustrating, but easily as it comes, it leaves, not even noticing that its gone. So dont know about n e one else I think its due to anxiety.


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## aguy1010 (Feb 10, 2010)

Don't believe that its necessarily Tourette's or really any sort of mental problem... I have had TMJ problems for a long time now (its a joint above your jaw that gets irritated), I had really bad teeth alignment until I got braces (again after having them as a kid), this made me have terrible swallowing mechanics and my mouth would get dry a lot so I would swallow more, this sort of problem continued even after I got the braces off, now I have finally figured out why... its because of wearing my retainer at night, as well as sleeping in the wrong position... some people (such as me) just seem to have a lot of sensitivity in their jaws, necks and mouths which can lead to a lot of awkward problems...

I have now started sleeping on my back, using a tempurpedic pillow and pillow under my legs (you have to do this to avoid back problems)... I force myself on my back by putting large pillows at my sides while I sleep so when I try to turn I realize why I shouldn't...

now that I have started to feel what its like to not have as much pain in my face I have realized that basically what wearing the retainer at night and sleeping on my stomach side was doing.. it was pinching nerves that were numbing up my face essentially which made me have spasms while swallowing and things like that... I think even if you don't have pain you may still be experiencing some of this. Anyways, I still need to wear my retainer so I just wear it a few hours before bed

I still have some sensitivity about my swallowing, I feel like sometimes my face and neck have a lot more movement than a "normal" person, but there is just no way it is any sort of mental problem because I have done a lot of physical therapy exercises and its a constant problem, even when my problem was at its worse it happened just as often when I was alone than when I was in public / social situation.. I think that may be a good test... to notice if the problem is just when you're around people or all the time

As far as tourettes... I think you need to look at possible physical causes first because like when I had the severe jaw pain and dry mouth problems I'm sure I cleared my throat and things like that more often and had some jaw spasms but it simply wasn't anything that I could do anything about it, it was just a physical problem so its just something to think about


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## Falcons84 (Feb 8, 2010)

mazzystar said:


> Does anyone have this? This is my main physical symptom, and it occurs fairly frequently. I never know when its gonna happen, but it happens most when I try to stop it from happening, either if someone is looking at me and we're having a one on one conversation, OR, in a situation where I believe it shouldn't be happening. Trying to stop it makes it worse.
> 
> Anyone else been through this physical symptom? Any advice?


I have the same EXACT problem as you!


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## neurotic1 (May 17, 2009)

I think even normal people when stressed do this, exactly why i don't know. I think its very closely related to breathing, its not just your throat that's restricted but also your breathing, and other parts of your body under stress. I think some of these things become automatic when we think about them, if you start to do it all the time, its partly because you think about it, or rather it become your automatic reaction to stressful situations. Other people lose there voice or speak quieter, some start to shake, some get red in the face. I think its partly that, the thinking about it and something you've gotten used to doing, its automatic. 

If you worry about it, it only gets worse, I found with other things that if you focus on something else and try not to stop yourself from feeling like that, then you will reduce its effect, just let it happen, stress makes it very hard though.


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## Stargirl09 (Dec 14, 2009)

Mazzystar, yes, looks like we have the exact same problem. I've had it for so long and it's so obvious to people that my tutor told me to get out of the classroom once and said I was irritating.

I didn't think it was that obvious but people always pick up on it and I'm always so terrified I'm going to choke so I keep swallowing just to be sure theres nothing at the back of my throat.

It's also the reason I'm not keen on taking medication cos they make my mouth dry as does smoking and drinking and choking with a dry mouth is bad, it's the end of whatever you had going; a conversation, a good mood. BAM! goodbye! Thats why I don't bother doing or saying anything much cos in the end I have egg on my face.

My mouth is always dry pretty much. Things that set of choking are: the cold which makes the throat muscles contract, speaking to an important person, being tense for a sustained length of time eventually results in a muscle contraction.

General stress can also increase the likelihood of choking such as over the Christmas period, when leaving one job and going into another or exams coming up.

I get the most extreme tension just before I swallow (and I mean *extreme* tension, like my heart is gonna stop) and then it all goes after I've swallowed until the tension builds up again and I get scared that I'll have to swallow again soon so it's obviously a way to relieve tension which also seems to cause tension.

The best thing to do is not think about it and to do that you have to change the way you think which IS possible. Good luck to you too!


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## shychick2 (Oct 20, 2008)

I think it is a stress symptom e.g. shallow breathing, sweating, adrenaline responses.


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