Misuse

In the Alexander technique, the term ‘misuse’ refers to a person’s inappropriate responses, whether thoughts, actions, or behaviour that cause them to misuse themselves in a way that disturbs their innate balance and harms the way their whole psychophysical being functions.

Misuse is a form of harmful doing. FM Alexander referred to misuse as “energy directed against itself”.

The ultimate cause of misuse, in Alexander's understanding, is the universal habit of endgaining.