While the image of a thumb-sucking toddler is familiar, this seemingly innocent act sometimes persists into adulthood. Colleen Raphalo from Alberton confirms that she started thumb-sucking as a baby and never stopped since because it is a comforting behaviour for her.
“My experience with thumb sucking is just not so nice; you just can’t stop, and it’s very embarrassing and addictive. I usually get triggered by stressful situations to suck my thumb when I’m sad, even when I’m angry. So it plays a huge role because it soothes my heart, calms me down, and brings so much comfort,” Raphalo admits.
“I have tried to stop many times by wearing cloves when I went to bed and tying my thumb. It just didn’t work. I would do anything to stop it.
“If anyone has a child who is thumb-sucking, they need to stop them as early as possible. It ruins teeth. It ruins the jaws. I was born with the most perfect set of teeth, but now they are ruined and it’s hard to fix them as I don’t have the money to.”
Colleen Raphalo
Trigger for trauma
Pamela Phakathi from Durban says she has been sucking her thumb for as long as she can remember. Now 38 years old, she still does it to comfort herself.
“I think what made me start sucking my thumb was losing my mother because my grandma says I picked it up after losing her, so I guess it could be a trigger or trauma.
“Sucking my thumb gives me comfort and helps me sleep. I also enjoy it when I’m lonely, sad, or just bored in public. I have had my aunts put chillies, aloe vera, and stuff on it, and I did stop for a while, but I ended up sleepwalking, so I just continued sucking my thumb. It made my teeth bigger, which I have been trying to fix forever, but the thumb is always there. I just can’t help it,” says Phakathi.
Cape Town-based psychologist Mncedisi Zulu explains that already within childhood, even within the womb of a mother, ultrasound scans have shown that the fetus will already be thumb-sucking, and then that continues even after birth.
“The causes vary. For some, it just helps as a substitute for being fed if they’re not being breastfed, so it’s used as a comfort. Others might suck various fingers, not just their thumbs, to allow that comforting behaviour; it just makes them feel secure.
“It’s soothing or helps them fall asleep, which may continue into their teenage years and adulthood.”
Psychologist Mncedisi Zulu
From a few studies from different perspectives, Zulu says it has been highlighted that one of the most common causes of adult thumb sucking is a learned response that originates from childhood.
Creates a feeling of comfort
“Babies begin sucking their thumbs to relax and feel a sense of comfort and safety. This behaviour may extend to adulthood for similar reasons. It sometimes manifests in different situations, such as when you are relaxing, or it can just be a response to stress or anxiety.”
“Another common cause of thumb-sucking in adulthood that studies have highlighted is the significance of trauma. It’s possible that some adults who suck their thumbs experienced some form of trauma during childhood and turned to that behaviour to help them calm themselves during those times when they were still young, which continued up until adulthood. Another common reason is sometimes just out of boredom, where people involuntarily just suck their thumbs as a distraction.”
Zulu points out that there are particularly no serious negative psychological effects of thumb sucking, but rather the external in terms of social stigma that one might experience, and that creates some shame.
“Physically, you might experience blisters due to excessive dump sucking, your teeth might be misaligned, and there can be changes at the top of your mouth.
“Sometimes you might find yourself experiencing oral infections, and if you wash your hands before thumb sucking, you might not expose yourself to various infections, and the extreme end might sometimes be difficulties with speech, such as lisp.”
According to him, for some people, thumb sucking is beneficial because it’s soothing. But, of course, it has negative impacts when it becomes extremely excessive.
To stop thumb sucking, Zulu says the method will depend on why they thumb suck.
“It is important to identify the triggers – the causes in their life that prompt them to suck their thumb. So, if it’s maybe related to stress, one can look at stress-relieving activities such as meditation, deep breathing, and exercising. If it’s related to trauma, then, if possible, they can seek professional help or speak to someone that they trust.
“If they believe it’s out of boredom, they can maybe find a stress ball or some sort of item to vegetate with. Other means can include putting something like nail polish or a foul-tasting substance on the nails that will put them in a position of not wanting to put their thumb in their mouth.”
Zulu also points out the importance of parents being more mindful of such behaviours among their children. “Yes, it’s normal for children to thumb-suck, but we also have to look age-wise. If it’s now leaning towards primary school or high school, then something needs to be done within that space.”
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