chewing on clothes

[angee354]

my son has had ADHD since he was 4 and he is now 8. does his chewing on his clothes have anything to do with this or is it because he has stress?


This discussion is related to constant chewing of shirt sleeve.

[TammyZ]

I too have a child who chews or sucks on everything who also has ADHD and I have noticed since starting her meds she is much calmer but I also notice that her chewing and sucking have increased.  I can't understand why this would be occurring.  She is 7 years old now and I am hoping she will outgrow her sucking habit.

[angee354]

i'm hoping that my son stops chewing on his clothes like yours did. my child is on medication and yes he chews regardless. when he has had a bad day at school it seems worse. i do belive it is a part of stress but how can i make his life less stressful. it's so sad!

[angee354]

i understand why you are asking about the misdiagnosis but he does have it. he is a mess without it. he acts like a normal child while on the meds. thankyou for your insite on the mention of stress.

[musicmama]

My son has ADHD.  He has also be diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder.  He used to chew on his clothes when his meds wore off, or if he had a particularly bad day.  Now, at age 11, he doesn't chew on his clothes even on tough days. . .but he has moved on to other things.  Is your child on medication?  If he is, does he chew on his shirt when he has had his meds?  Good luck and God bless.

[jdtm]

Just curious - are you sure your son suffers from ADHD?  Chewing on clothes or other things is a sign of stress/anxiety and chewing becomes a coping/comfort mechanism.  I mention the ADHD issue as anxiety can mimic the behaviours of ADD/ADHD and sometimes a misdiagnosis can occur.  Is your son on medication for hyperactivity?  If he is and the medication is working, then I assume the diagnosis is probably correct.  If he is on meds and the medication appears not to be working, then it is possible a misdiagnosis has occurred.  Just wondering ....