Involuntary Jaw Movements When Stressed

Reader’s Question

I have frequent crying spells during which, I sometimes have rapid, involuntary (up and down) movement of my jaw — aka “jaw chomping.” I have noticed that I sometimes want to move my jaw like this when I am angry or irritated but resist the urge to do so in front of others. Is this common in depressed individuals or might it indicate a different disorder (e.g., psychosis, schizophrenia)? I do not take any medications.

Our Consulting Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

Emotional distress is not only an emotional event in our lives, but a chemical event as well. Emotional distress changes our neurochemistry and body chemistry. Sometimes those chemical changes create muscle tension as when a person is so stressed that their neck is stiff or they develop muscle cramps. Common physical manifestations of stress include twitching muscles below the eyes for example.

You are likely describing a type of stress-produced TMD or “TemporoMandibular Disorder”. We all have heard of people who become so angry that they clinch their teeth. This works the same way. Your emotional distress may activate jaw movement similar to folks who grind their teeth at night when stressed. Some people under stress get tension headaches, some eye twitches, some chest pain…and you — jaw movements. It’s probably a good indication that your level of emotional distress is beyond just crying spells. You may be moving into a clinical depression with anxiety/agitation. I would recommend consulting your physician as a starting point. “Frequent” crying spells tells me you may benefit from an antidepressant medication and perhaps a long-acting anxiety medication. It’s not psychosis/schizophrenia but when TMDs are produced by your level of distress, it’s a clear sign that the level of emotional distress is becoming clinically significant and requires treatment. You might also consider learning and practicing relaxation techniques as well as stress-reduction strategies.

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