Tics?

[Krickit6]

Hi there! I'm wondering, have you had any experience with tics and OCD? I had a few tics here and there that only seemed to spike when I got really stressed, but... One day, I finally decided to try medication for my OCD and it made the tics much worse. Even though I stopped the medication after only a few months, the tics have not really gone away, and I'm struggling with how to handle them. Not only are they embarrassing sometimes, but also my body just hurts and is exhausted from performing them all the time! Any thoughts or suggestions to share? Thank you so much!!

[pile_o_neurons]

Hi there,

What sort of tics do you experience? You might be interested in my recent post:

healthunlocked.com/my-ocd/p...

Hang in there...

[Krickit6 in reply to pile_o_neurons]

Wow, thank you for sharing this post with me! I had missed it, but it's great. I never thought of tics as compulsions, and I've also never heard of Touristic OCD! This is all very interesting. My tics tend to be more facial, like opening my lips or my eyes really wide or rolling them a certain way, but when I get particularly stressed out, the movements get bigger and involve larger parts of my body, like my hips, shoulders, and back. My body hurts.....

Thank you, again, for sharing!! Good luck to you, too!

[pile_o_neurons in reply to Krickit6]

"Opening my lips" strikes a chord with me. I often need to open (just a bit) the right side of my mouth, sometimes sucking in a little bit of air, or slightly licking the right corner of my mouth. Similar to someone who commented on my post, most of my "tic-like compulsions" (for lack of a better term) affect the right side of my body. It's gotten a bit better since I switched medications. It seems like there is surely something neurological going on there (to state the obvious ...)

Do you have any ability to repress the urges, even temporarily?

I hope your body feels better soon!

[Hidden]

I was diagnosed with Tourette's when I was sixteen. What I struggle with mostly, is severe OCD, as an older adult. As a child, though, I had all kinds of ticks. I managed to suppress them in elementary school for the most part. I remember one kid laughing at me calling me "earthquake", so I know that I did have ticking episodes in elementary school, but no-one ever seemed to express concern. Just the other kids. I think tics are tied to emotions. They also tend to wax and wane.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Also, just want to say that, yes it is truly exhausting, especially when you are alone. Mine involve my arm, leg, and index finger. There is a chance, they will go away over time. You should also contact the Tourette's Association of America to find out the latest strategies for treatment. Tourette's and OCD very much go hand in hand. tourette.org

[Krickit6 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for sharing!! My little brother was diagnosed with Tourettes when he was like, 5... But I don't remember myself having tics until later, like in my 20s or maybe even 30s! I will look up the Association you mentioned. Thank you!! Take care!