Common “problem” behaviors and speculations about their causes
Ruth Myers MD, James Salbenblatt MD, Melodie Blackridge MD
“High pain tolerance”
- A lot of experience with pain.
- Fear of expressing opinion.
- Delerium
- Neuropathy (disease of the nerves)/many causes
Fist jammed in mouth/down throat
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Eruption of teeth
- Asthma
- Rumination
- Nausea
Biting side of hand/whole mouth
- Sinus problems
- Eustachian tube/ear problems
- Eruption of wisdom teeth
- Dental problems
- Paresthesias/painful sensation
- (e.g., pins and needles) in the hand
Biting thumb/objects with front teeth
- Sinus problems
- Ears/Eustachian tubes
Biting with back teeth
- Dental
- Otitis (ear)
Uneven seat
- Hip pain
- Genital discomfort
- Rectal discomfort
Odd unpleasurable masturbation
- Prostatitis
- Urinary tract infection
- Candidal vagina
- Pinworms
- Repetition phenomena, PTSD
Waving head side to side
- Declining peripheral vision or reliance on peripheral vision
Walking on toes
- Arthritis in ankles, feet, hips or knees
- Tight heel cords
Intense rocking/preoccupied look
- Visceral pain
- Headache
- Depression
Won’t sit
- Akathisia (inner feeling of restlessness)
- Back pain
- Rectal problem
- Anxiety disorder
Whipping head forward
- Atlantoaxial dislocation (dislocation between vertebrae in the neck)
- Dental problems
Left handed or fingertip handshake
- Frightening previous setting
- Pain in hands/arthritis
Sudden sitting down
- Altlantoaxial dislocation (dislocation between vertebrae in the neck)
- Cardiac problems
- Seizures
- Syncope/orthostasis (fainting or light-headedness caused by medication or other physical conditions)
- Vertigo
- Otitis (thrown off balance by problems in the ear)
Waving fingers in front of eyes
- Migraine
- Cataract
- Seizure
- Rubbing caused by blepharitis (inflamation of the eyelid) or corneal abrasion.
Pica
- General: OCD, hypothalamic problems, history of under-stimulating environments
- Cigarette butts: nicotine addiction, generalized anxiety disorder
- Glass: suicidality
- Paint chips: lead intoxication
- Sticks, rocks, other jagged objects: endogenous opiate addiction.
- Dirt: iron or other deficiency state
- Feces: PTSD, psychosis
General scratching
- Eczema
- Drug effects
- Liver/renal disorders
- Scabies
Self-restraint/binding
- Pain
- Tic or other movement disorder
- Seizures
- Severe sensory integration deficits
- PTSD
- Parasthesias
Scratching stomach
- Gastritis
- Ulcer
- Pancreatitis (also pulling at back)
- Porphyria (bile pigment that causes, among other things, skin disorders)
- Gall bladder disease
Scratching/hugging chest
- Asthma
- Pneumonia
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Costochondritis/”slipped rib syndrome”
- Angina
Head banging
- Pain
- Depression
- Migraine
- Dental
- Seizure
- Otitis (ear ache)
- Mastoiditis (inflammation of bone behind the ear)
- Sinus problems
- Tinea capitis (fungal infection in the head).
Stretched forward
- Gastroesphageal reflux
- Hip pain
- Back pain
Smearing feces*
- Polyps
- Enlarged prostate gland (males only)
- Hemorrhoids
*Behavior and possible causes added by David Pitonyak
Reprinted with permission from Ruth Myers, MD