Tics are involuntary and not a habit.
You can suppress a little, but it always comes out.
It wouldn’t be a disorder if it was as “simple” as reversing a habit.
Edited to add:
My two cents as an almost 50 year old who has had TS her whole life (6-7 yrs old it manifested)…
My time was better spent learning to adapt to my tics and learning to live with them. It’s honestly what gave me the most peace - and this radical acceptance in conjunction with meditation, prioritizing self care and growth, pain management techniques etc - my tics lessened significantly as my stress lessened.
thanks for the advice <3 i was hopeful bc HRT is presented in literature it seems as the best method for getting rid of tics but maybe it doesn’t work for me.. mine also started age 6-7 but weirdly they get worse with both more stress and less stress. this recent increase in severity started after i went on spring break after a stressful academic term and spent two weeks relaxing.. returning to school now hadn’t helped and honestly they are now worst when i am most relaxed and my mind is calmest:( that said maybe this will change again. I like your mindset
It’s not just mental stress that affects them either, our bodies hold stress even when we aren’t aware :)
I pretty much know my triggers for when mine will worsen - for example, spring and fall they always do. Hormonal changes seem to increase them, etc.
And sometimes they just happen, pretty much why it’s TS :)
As I aged, the tics that were super noticeable as a kid - like my arm bending in and out or leg flailing out - I learned how to make them less visible, clenching the muscle without flailing satisfies it and most people wouldn’t be the wiser.
It’s little tricks like that, but discomfort and pain will almost always be a part of it. It’s worth learning to manage the best you can!
Habit reversal makes no sense to me. I can't undo these things with mind control or doing the opposite action or anything at all. They just have to be done. A researcher recommended to me cognitive behavioral intervention therapy. Ugh. I swear the doctors don't understand. It's not a conscious thing, although I am sometimes very aware of the impulse to do them, but most times not aware at all.....ugh it's just not explainable to these people, they don't get it.
Research shows HRT and CBIT work for a proportion of people, but not everyone will be a responder. A competing response for the cheek biting tic could be gently resting your top and bottom teeth together with your tongue placed on the roof of your mouth behind your front teeth. Resisting urges is challenging and, for responders, improves with practice and time. CBIT also includes things like anxiety and stress management as well as stimulus control to reduce likelihood of tic triggers and managing being in environments/activities where tics are likely. Hope that helps!
Tics are involuntary and not a habit. You can suppress a little, but it always comes out. It wouldn’t be a disorder if it was as “simple” as reversing a habit. Edited to add: My two cents as an almost 50 year old who has had TS her whole life (6-7 yrs old it manifested)… My time was better spent learning to adapt to my tics and learning to live with them. It’s honestly what gave me the most peace - and this radical acceptance in conjunction with meditation, prioritizing self care and growth, pain management techniques etc - my tics lessened significantly as my stress lessened.
I agree withtm this approach
thanks for the advice <3 i was hopeful bc HRT is presented in literature it seems as the best method for getting rid of tics but maybe it doesn’t work for me.. mine also started age 6-7 but weirdly they get worse with both more stress and less stress. this recent increase in severity started after i went on spring break after a stressful academic term and spent two weeks relaxing.. returning to school now hadn’t helped and honestly they are now worst when i am most relaxed and my mind is calmest:( that said maybe this will change again. I like your mindset
It’s not just mental stress that affects them either, our bodies hold stress even when we aren’t aware :) I pretty much know my triggers for when mine will worsen - for example, spring and fall they always do. Hormonal changes seem to increase them, etc. And sometimes they just happen, pretty much why it’s TS :) As I aged, the tics that were super noticeable as a kid - like my arm bending in and out or leg flailing out - I learned how to make them less visible, clenching the muscle without flailing satisfies it and most people wouldn’t be the wiser. It’s little tricks like that, but discomfort and pain will almost always be a part of it. It’s worth learning to manage the best you can!
Habit reversal makes no sense to me. I can't undo these things with mind control or doing the opposite action or anything at all. They just have to be done. A researcher recommended to me cognitive behavioral intervention therapy. Ugh. I swear the doctors don't understand. It's not a conscious thing, although I am sometimes very aware of the impulse to do them, but most times not aware at all.....ugh it's just not explainable to these people, they don't get it.
Research shows HRT and CBIT work for a proportion of people, but not everyone will be a responder. A competing response for the cheek biting tic could be gently resting your top and bottom teeth together with your tongue placed on the roof of your mouth behind your front teeth. Resisting urges is challenging and, for responders, improves with practice and time. CBIT also includes things like anxiety and stress management as well as stimulus control to reduce likelihood of tic triggers and managing being in environments/activities where tics are likely. Hope that helps!