Alexander Center > Common Conditions > Habit disorders

Common conditions

This section includes conditions that can be evaluated and treated by Alexander Center professionals.

	[ hide list ] A B C | D E F | G H I | J K L | M N O | P Q R | S T U | V W | X Y Z Asperger's disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Auditory processing disorder Autism spectrum disorders   Bed-wetting, soiling Bed-wetting (enuresis) Behavioral problems Childhood apraxia of speech Chronic motor tic Developmental disorders Developmental dyslexia Emotional disorders Fluency disorder, stuttering Habit disorders Learning disorders Mathematics disorder Mixed receptive and expressive language disorder Pervasive development disorder Phonological disorder Psychophysiological disorders Soiling (encopresis) Speech, language disorders Tic disorders Tourette's syndrome Written expression disorders No conditions are available for this section.

Habit disorders

Habit disorders are repeated actions carried out by children, especially in times of stress. These repeated actions include thumb sucking, nail biting, teeth grinding, picking at skin and rocking. Habit disorders are found in children with or without developmental disorders.

Most children grow out of these habits, but when they do not and the action begins to affect their social life or their self-esteem, it is considered a disorder. For example, a child sucking his or her thumb at age 10 is likely to be made fun of and to feel ashamed.

Treatment

Options for treatment include seeing a dentist (for thumb sucking and teeth grinding), a family doctor, a child psychologist or a child psychiatrist. Your doctor will determine if medication (which is rare), therapy or both are needed.

Therapy includes hypnosis, relaxation techniques and habit reversal. If medication is used, it is generally an antidepressant aimed at lowering anxiety levels.

Services

Biofeedback and self-regulation 
Medical assessment  
Medication management 
Therapy