A nontechnical term for a minor repetitive movement or activity. Sometimes a nervous habit consists of involuntary twitches and facial tics, such as in Gilles de la Tourette’s syndrome and some forms of dyskinesia. Voluntary nervous habits, such as nail-biting and thumb-sucking, are common in young children. All nervous habits increase during periods of tension or anxiety, and may be severe in some forms of depression, anxiety disorder, or drug withdrawal.
Nervous habit |
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