How to Deal with Tic Nervous: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

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How to Deal with Tic Nervous: 10 Steps (with Pictures)
How to Deal with Tic Nervous: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

Video: How to Deal with Tic Nervous: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

Video: How to Deal with Tic Nervous: 10 Steps (with Pictures)
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Nervous tics are involuntary and repetitive movements that are very difficult or impossible to control. They usually involve the face, neck, and limbs, are very common in childhood and are often diagnosed as Tourette's syndrome or tic disorder, depending on the severity and duration of symptoms. The exact cause of tics is difficult to diagnose, but they are usually related to nervousness, anxiety or medication side effects. Learning to deal with tics is important, especially during childhood, when there is more chance of solving the problem, although this is not an exact science.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Dealing with nervous tics

Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 1
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 1

Step 1. Be patient and don't assume the worst

If your child has repeated tics, don't believe right away that this will become a permanent behavior. Be patient and supportive, trying to understand how stress at home, at school or at work (if he is an adult) is influencing this behavior. In most cases, childhood tics disappear within a few months. On the other hand, a nervous tic that develops into adulthood is unlikely to resolve on its own.

  • If the person has had a tic for a year or more, Tourette's syndrome is a possible diagnosis. If symptoms are mild and controlled, the problem may go away.
  • Emotional, psychological and physical stresses are related to most neurotic disorders. So watch your little one's routine to understand their sources of stress and alleviate them when possible.
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 2
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 2

Step 2. Don't be frustrated with the diagnosis

There are no laboratory tests to diagnose nervous tics, so the cause of the problem is often a mystery. Don't be too worried or frustrated with the situation, especially if the problem is in your child, as this is something common and disappears in a few months. Research the subject on the internet (obviously, only from reputable sources) to understand the condition and how common it is among little ones.

Some serious disorders that can cause nervous tics need to be ruled out by the doctor, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), uncontrollable movements caused by a neurological problem (myoclonus), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and epilepsy

Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 3
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 3

Step 3. Don't focus too much on the problem

Most doctors and psychiatrists recommend that relatives and friends do not draw too much attention to tics, at least at first. Attention to the problem is believed to cause more stress and make the situation worse. It's very difficult to find the balance between taking an interest in the problem without nurturing it, but you can do it.

  • Do not imitate the tics, even as a joke, as this can make the person more nervous and uncomfortable.
  • If the problem doesn't go away within a few weeks, ask the person what is bothering them. Repetitive movements, such as coughing or sniffling, can also be caused by allergies, chronic infections, or other illnesses.
  • Choosing a treatment depends on how much the tics disrupt the person's life, not how embarrassed you are about the situation.
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 4
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 4

Step 4. Look for some form of psychological treatment

If the tics are severe enough to cause social problems at school (in the case of a child) or at work (in the case of an adult), therapy can help a lot, especially if the treatment is focused on psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral interventions. In sessions, the person must be accompanied by a close relative or friend to support them.

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy includes habit reversal training, which helps to identify the need for tics and repetitive behaviors, teaching the patient to fight them voluntarily. Tics are usually "partially voluntary" movements, as they can be suppressed for a period of time, resulting in accumulated discomfort until the tic is performed.
  • Psychotherapy involves more of a conversation with the patient and helps with associated behavioral problems such as ADHD and OCD.
  • Depression and anxiety are also common problems among people with nervous tics.
  • Tics are difficult to get around completely with therapy, but the process can reduce their intensity.
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 5
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 5

Step 5. Talk to a doctor about medications

There are certain remedies that help to control nervous tics and reduce the effects of associated behavioral problems, but this depends on whether the condition is considered to be short-term or long-term and whether the patient is an adult or a child. Medications cannot be prescribed for children with temporary tics, but they can in cases of severe Tourette's syndrome. They alter symptoms and behaviors, but are often accompanied by serious side effects that should be evaluated by a health care provider.

  • Medications that work by blocking dopamine in the brain include: fluphenazine, haloperidol and pimozide. Although paradoxical, side effects include an increase in involuntary and repetitive tics.
  • Botox injections paralyze muscle tissue and are helpful in controlling mild, isolated cases of tics in the face and neck.
  • ADHD medications such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) and dextroamphetamine (Adderal) can reduce nervous tics, but they can also make the problem worse.
  • Central adrenergic inhibitors, such as clonidine and guanfacine, can increase impulse control in children, reducing nervousness.
  • Anticonvulsants used for epilepsy, such as topiramate, can also help eliminate tics in people with Tourette's Syndrome.
  • Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that medications reduce the symptoms of nervous tics. To control the incidence of unwanted side effects associated with medications, doses start small and gradually increase until effects appear; then, the dosage must be maintained or reduced.

Part 2 of 2: Differentiating Tourette's syndrome from tic disorder

Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 6
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 6

Step 1. Pay attention to age and gender

Nervous tics caused by Tourette's syndrome usually start between 2 and 15 years of age, with the average being 6 years. The syndrome usually lasts into adulthood, but begins in childhood. Tic disorder also usually appears before adulthood, but it lasts for less than a year.

  • There are many similarities between the two conditions, including age at onset, but Tourette syndrome usually appears a little earlier because of the strong genetic relationship.
  • Tics that begin in adulthood are rarely diagnosed as Tourette or tic disorder, as their onset in childhood is part of diagnosing these conditions.
  • Men are about three times more likely to develop the problems, although women have higher incidences of other psychological and behavioral problems.
  • Tourette's syndrome is hereditary and there is usually a genetic relationship between most cases.
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 7
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 7

Step 2. Note the duration of the tics

This is one of the main factors that help differentiate the two conditions. To be diagnosed with tic disorder, a child must have symptoms daily for at least four weeks, but less than a year. On the other hand, to diagnose Tourette's syndrome, tics must occur for more than a year. In other words, it takes time and patience to get an accurate diagnosis.

  • Most tic disorders resolve in a matter of weeks or months.
  • Tics that last more than a year are considered chronic, until enough time passes to make the diagnosis as Tourette.
  • Tic disorder is more common than Tourette - a US study revealed that 10% of American children develop the disorder, while 1% of Americans (adults and children) are diagnosed with Tourette. On the other hand, about 1% of Americans have mild Tourette's syndrome.
  • It is estimated that there are about 200,000 cases of severe Tourette syndrome (children and adults).
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 8
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 8

Step 3. Observe the tics

For a diagnosis of Tourette, the person must have at least two motor tics and one vocal tic for more than a year. Motor tics include excessive blinking, wrinkling the nose, grimacing, biting lips, turning the head or shrugging. Vocalizations include simple grunts, repetitive throat clearing, and yelling out words or phrases. In the case of the syndrome, several motor and vocal tics can appear in the same child.

  • On the other hand, children with tic disorder usually have a single motor or vocal tic; there is rarely more than one at a time.
  • If the child has any tic disorder, it is very likely that the problem is the disorder and it will go away in a few weeks or months.
  • Repetitive words and phrases are considered a complex form of vocalization.
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 9
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 9

Step 4. Note the complexity of the tics

Tourette's syndrome varies from moderate to severe depending on the repetitiveness of the tics and usually involves more complex movements with various parts of the body and rhythmic movements such as shaking the head with the tongue out, for example. On the other hand, people with tic disorder show some complex movements, but less frequently.

  • The initial symptoms of both problems are facial tics such as blinking the eyes, raising the eyebrows, wagging the nose, grimacing and sticking out the tongue.
  • Initial facial tics are usually replaced or added to rapid movements of the neck, trunk or limbs. Neck movements typically throw the head to one side.
  • The tics of both conditions usually happen several times a day (in flare-ups) practically every day. Sometimes there are breaks of a few hours and the tics do not happen during sleep.
  • Nervous tics actually look like nervous behaviors (hence the name) and can get worse when there is stress or better when the person is calm.
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 10
Deal With Neurotic Twitching Step 10

Step 5. Keep an eye on associated conditions

A reliable predictor of possible nervous tics is whether the person has other disorders such as ADHD, OCD, autism or depression. Serious problems at school related to reading, writing or math can also be risk factors for developing nervous tics.

  • OCD behaviors include intrusive thoughts combined with anxiety and repetitive actions. For example, excessive worry about germs and dirt can be combined with the person washing their hand several times during the day.
  • About 86% of children with Tourette syndrome also have some other mental, behavioral, or developmental condition, usually ADHD or OCD.

Tips

  • Nervous tics usually disappear over time and do not occur during sleep.
  • Tourette syndrome has a strong genetic connection, whereas tic disorder has more to do with environmental factors (stress, abuse, diet, etc.).
  • According to research, Tourette's syndrome may involve brain abnormalities and irregular amounts of neurotransmitters - mainly dopamine and serotonin.

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