tics
Question:
Hi all. i am new to this group, although I have been monitoring for some time now. I have a question for others out there. Recently I noticed that I am getting new tics. They seem to happen from things I start out doing conciously but only for a sort period, then cannot stop doing them. For instance, about a month ago my jaw started hurting, so I flexed my muscles a little by moving my mouth around & chewing alot with nothing in my mouth. The pain went away, but I find myself mimicking these movements unconciously now. Another example: When I was watching the TV series Bewitched seven or eight years ago I thought it would be cool to "pretend to be magic" by wiggling my nose. That lasted a few weeks, but I still today wiggle my nose. In fact that is my most annoying tic to me (Besides the jaw thing). I wondered if anybody else has noticed this type of behavior, and how long it usually lasts. BTW, i have prety much outgrown my TS at age 24. My verbal tics are minimal at most, but bodily tics are lessened from six years ago. i am 24 and was diagnosed with MILD case of TS at age 10. Thanks for replies. Eric
Response:
Eric, my daughter experiences this phenomenon often. If she does something and I say to her "What was that?" she’ll tell me not to even talk about it or it will turn into a tic. We tend to stay away from those conversations. Occasionally an old tic will show up and she will know I notice and just when I’m looking at her she’ll just tell me to not say a thing. So, I think it sounds like something others probably do too. Nanci
Response:
On Tue , 20 Feb 1996, Eric E. Boyle wrote: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi all. i am new to this group, although I have been monitoring for > some time now. I have a question for others out there. Recently I > noticed that I am getting new tics. They seem to happen from things I > start out doing conciously but only for a sort period, then cannot > stop doing them. For instance, about a month ago my jaw started > hurting, so I flexed my muscles a little by moving my mouth around & > chewing alot with nothing in my mouth. The pain went away, but I find > myself mimicking these movements unconciously now. Another example: > When I was watching the TV series Bewitched seven or eight years ago I > thought it would be cool to "pretend to be magic" by wiggling my nose. > That lasted a few weeks, but I still today wiggle my nose. In fact > that is my most annoying tic to me (Besides the jaw thing). I wondered > if anybody else has noticed this type of behavior, and how long it > usually lasts. BTW, i have prety much outgrown my TS at age 24. My > verbal tics are minimal at most, but bodily tics are lessened from six > years ago. i am 24 and was diagnosed with MILD case of TS at age 10. > Thanks for replies. > Eric
ERIC I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH. I HAVE A BROTHER THAT HAS TS. WE WERE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL TO VISIT A FRIEND. ON THE WAY IN HIS FOOT HIT THE CURB AND HE COULD NOT GET PASSED THE CURB. HE HAD TO KEEP TOUCHING IT WITH HIS LITTLE TOE. SOMETIMES IT IS FUNNY AND AT OTHER TIMES MY HEART BREAKS. I DON’T HAVE TS SO I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MUST BE GOING ON IN HIS MIND. I KNOW HOW PEOPLE MAKE FUN OF HIM AND HOW IT HURTS. I WISHED THERE WAS SOMETHING I COULD DO FOR HIM OR TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN HE HAS TO PUT GLOVES ON HIS HANDS AND WARE THEM IN THE SUMMER TO KEEP FROM BITTING HIS NAILS OR PICKING HIS NOSE. ALL HE HAS TO DO IS SEE SOMEONE DO IT AND HE IS STUCK WITH IT. IF YOU OR ANYONE ELSE HAS A BROTHER OR SISTER THAT HAS TS PLEASE RESPOND. HOW DO YOU HANDLE IT?
Response:
You handle it with as much patience and understanding as you can muster up and ignore what is the obvious. Be his friend and maybe try and help those who don’t understand to understand. Nanci
Response:
In article <4gbt7n$…@news.midusa.net>, ebo…@tri.net (Eric E. Boyle) writes: > They seem to happen from things I >start out doing conciously but only for a sort period, then cannot >stop doing them.
Yes, I do this too. I will see someone do something and I may imitate it consciously to see what it feels like but then it sometimes becomes my tic. I also notice that when I’m around others with TS I tic much more than I usually might. I have also noticed sometimes that people who are around me who do NOT have TS seem to mimic some of my tics for a short time and they aren’t doing it maliciously. They just seem to pick them up for a short while. Richard
Response:
Now that I know my son’s tics are just that I respond to them like background noise. People have the amazing ability to choose what they will place their attention on. I don’t feel my clothes on me unless I choose to. I don’t hear thw whir of the fifty other computers in this room unless I choose to. I don’t focus on my son’s tics unless I choose to. We all screen out what is background or unimportant input into our brains. Our brains help us do it. It frees us to pay attention to significant information and stuff that affects our survival. I’m also aware that it is harder to do this when you think you should do something to help… to fix it. You can ask him. Do you need help when this happens? Do I just ignore it? It is normal everyday behavior for him and worrying about other peoples responses is mjust an added layer of stress on top of his feelings when he gets "stuck". I just refuse to add to it. When he gets a new tic I ask him if it is causing him any problems. I want to be his ally if he is having problems in any area. If it isn’t bothering him I just stop noticing it quickly and we do all the other stuff life is about. Sometimes we laugh about a tic. I want him to have humor as a tool he uses. If you think about it people spend a lot of time reacting to something that is just noise and sometimes they need a little help getting back on track. I wonder if it may not be easier for us because we are greggarious people. A shy person would have a hard time laughing at themselves or others in public. Being noticed is a delight to some and a torture for others. I’m aware that in this area what works for us may be wrong for someone else. CindySometimes
Response:
> Hi all. i am new to this group, although I have been > monitoring for > some time now. I have a question for others out there. > Recently I > noticed that I am getting new tics. They seem to > happen from things I > start out doing conciously but only for a sort period, > then cannot > stop doing them. For instance, about a month ago my > jaw started > hurting, so I flexed my muscles a little by moving my > mouth around & > chewing alot with nothing in my mouth. The pain went > away, but I find > myself mimicking these movements unconciously now. > Another example: > When I was watching the TV series Bewitched seven or > eight years ago I > thought it would be cool to "pretend to be magic" by > wiggling my nose. > That lasted a few weeks, but I still today wiggle my > nose. In fact > that is my most annoying tic to me (Besides the jaw > thing). I wondered > if anybody else has noticed this type of behavior, and > how long it > usually lasts. BTW, i have prety much outgrown my TS > at age 24. My > verbal tics are minimal at most, but bodily tics are > lessened from six > years ago. i am 24 and was diagnosed with MILD case > of TS at age 10. > Thanks for replies. As somebody who’s has TS since 6, and who’s 31 now, I’m not so sure you do "outgrow" Tourettes. I was diagnosed TS just last November, also with a "mild" case, and I still get new tics appearing. Most of the time I can control them, and thank goodness none of my tics are particularly disruptive. I’m not exactly flailing about. You might have read some of my recent posts WRT running my fingernails down a certain wall, and things like that. I also have repetitive phrases that do disappear after a while, only to be replaced by something new. Current phrases: "Wouldn’t you rather be German?" (!) and, unfortunately, one involving the name of a co-worker, (fortunately, it’s neither common nor derogatory, and this person does know about my TS), which I hope doesn’t last too long. There’s also other stuff I have to put up with, stuff that’s more because of the ADD and OCD that goes hand in hand with my own Tourettes. Do you have to put up with these? They can be debilitating in their own ways–mood swings, distractions etc. Thanx…PSB. Internet replies to: p…@delfax.onlink.net
Response:
Paul Brandreth <Paul.Brandr…@f707.n225.z1.fidonet.org> wrote: >Current phrases: "Wouldn’t you rather be German?" (!) >and, unfortunately, one involving the name of a co-worker
Over the intercom: "Kitty, Kitty, pick up!" Me a moment later: "Meow". My most common mantra: "Can I go home" (even when I’m home). — Mark Odegard mlom…@nyc.pipeline.com
Response:
>>Current phrases: "Wouldn’t you rather be German?" (!) >>and, unfortunately, one involving the name of a co-worker > Over the intercom: "Kitty, Kitty, pick up!" > Me a moment later: "Meow". > My most common mantra: "Can I go home" (even when I’m > home). At least the two I mentioned are more or less harmless. A couple I’ve had in the past were "Heil Hitler" and "Niggers kill!", (not "Kill niggers", for some reason. Now, I’m neither racist nor a Nazi, indeed, proud to be quite the opposite, and fortunately was always able to control these around most people–especially around blacks. It could have been quite embarrassing, if not actually damaging to my health, that I was able to do so. Has anybody had particularly nasty experiences involving repetitive phrases? Thanx…PSB. Internet replies to: p…@delfax.onlink.net
