[euthopianking (OP)]

Hello everyone. I want to gather as much information as possible. I have had a problem with my tongue, and yet I have not been able to convince the doctors with what it is to help me.

When I was very young, I started playing with my tongue by grinding my teeth against one side of my tongue (I did this without being aware of it). I started doing this around the age of 13. It became a habit that stayed with me for another 5 years, until I turned 18. At that age, one side of my face had grown much bigger than the other side. Also the smaller side had more acne. However, I did not notice the reason why I had an deformed face until when I was 19, one day, I stuck my tongue out in front of the mirror and saw that my tongue looked like a curve. No matter how much I tried centralizing my tongue, it had a curve on the left side(the bigger side).

A thought came into my mind; my tongue is unbalanced, and it is relevant to my face. As I remembered my childhood, how I used to grind one side of my tongue, I realized why it has turned this way. Since I had no medical insurance, and could not go to the doctor to explain all of this, I started healing myself. I did the grinding on the opposite side. Which is far more complicated than just simply grinding one side, there is actually a hole that I started poking with a toothpick and grinding with my teeth that traveled from one side to another in a very very VERY slow speed. I'd say about an inch ever 2 months of grinding and poking everyday. Don't even mention the pain, although I'm used to it(How do muscles are grown? when they are torn apart, and once they rest, they start to reproduce. and tongue is a muscle).

Unbelievable, I started seeing some improvements after 7 months of pioneering. Now, it has been a year and a half since the start of my work and I've had some remarkable changes. Although, it's still not done yet and I want to have a professional to help me out with it, I still have not been able to convince ANYONE about my problem.

Yes, I have an unbalanced tongue, that I believe can only be solved by surgery.
It would be wonderful if anyone can help me gather evidence and information on how to convince my doctor with what this is.

I feel as if I'm the only one with this problem in the ENTIRE universe. I've searched after search after search after search and I have not found ANYTHING that matches my problem.

Thank you all.

[Evie]

I suggest seeing a plastic surgeon, not a general practioner. And maybe a psychologist.

[RD]

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) (previously known as Dysmorphophobia and sometimes referred to as Body dysmorphia) is a psychiatric disorder in which the affected person is excessively concerned about and preoccupied by an imagined or minor defect in his or her physical features. The sufferer may complain of several specific features or a single feature, or a vague feature or general appearance, causing psychological distress that impairs occupational and/or social functioning, sometimes to the point of complete social isolation. It is estimated that between 1%-2% of the world's population meet all the diagnostic criteria for BDD.

Individuals with very obvious and immediately-noticeable defects should not be diagnosed with BDD, however culture and clinician bias may play a significant part in the subjectivity behind determining what physical appearance is considered 'normal' and in whom the disorder is diagnosed. BDD combines obsessive and compulsive aspects, linking it, among psychologists, to the obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. The exact cause or causes of BDD is unknown, but most clinicians believe it to be a complex combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors.

Onset of symptoms generally occurs in adolescence or early adulthood, although cases of BDD onset in children and older adults is not unknown. BDD is often misunderstood to affect mostly women, however research shows that it affects men and women equally. The disorder is linked to significantly diminished quality of life and co-morbid major depressive disorder and social phobia...

Many individuals with BDD have repeatedly sought treatment from dermatologists or cosmetic surgeons with little satisfaction before finally accepting psychiatric or psychological help. Treatment can improve the outcome of the illness for most people...

individual's who are treated with SSRI's often report that their defect has gone - that they no longer see it. However, this may be due to a change in the individual's perception, rather than a change in the visual processing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder

When I was very young, I started playing with my tongue by grinding my teeth against one side of my tongue (I did this without being aware of it). I started doing this around the age of 13. It became a habit that stayed with me for another 5 years, until I turned 18. At that age, one side of my face had grown much bigger than the other side. Also the smaller side had more acne. However, I did not notice the reason why I had an deformed face until when I was 19, one day, I stuck my tongue out in front of the mirror and saw that my tongue looked like a curve. No matter how much I tried centralizing my tongue, it had a curve on the left side(the bigger side)...

I want to have a professional to help me out with it, I still have not been able to convince ANYONE about my problem.

Yes, I have an unbalanced tongue, that I believe can only be solved by surgery.

It would be wonderful if anyone can help me gather evidence and information on how to convince my doctor with what this is.

[Evie]

Yep, RD, I agree with you and kind of got that idea myself.


eutho...disregard my earlier statement and go with the psychologist, not the plastic surgeon.