Understanding Tic Disorder

Story by Benji Mallory. Photo courtesy of Neurofeedback Alliance.  

I have had episodes that look like I have a tic disorder. I have had moments of head jerking and repeated hand clapping. One time, it got so bad that I had to go home because it was hard for me to focus in class. While I was having my episode, it did appear that I was locked up a little bit in my head and hands, not moving at all. After that episode, I went to the doctor to run tests and to find out what was wrong. A couple of days later I was told I have FND, Functional Neurological Disorder.

Some people, like myself, may have uncontrollable sudden movements in many different ways in under one minute. If you see a person having repetitive movements, then more than likely a person may have a tic or Tourette’s. Tourette’s Syndrome is a condition of the nervous system that causes people to have “tics.”  

Tics are sudden twitches, movements, or sounds that people repeatedly do. People who have tics cannot stop their bodies from doing these things. What are the symptoms or first sightings of Tourette’s Syndrome?

Symptoms: 

  • Blinking, wrinkling the nose or grimacing 

  • Jerking or banging the head 

  • Clicking fingers 

  • Touching other people or things 

  • Coughing, grunting or sniffing  

  • Repeating a sound or phrase— in a small number of cases, this may be something obscene or offensive 

Signs And Symptoms of Tourette Syndrome: 

  • Simple Motor Tics: eye blinking and other eye movements, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, and head or shoulder jerking 

  • Complex Motor Tics: Facial grimacing combined with a head twist and a shoulder shrug 

Types Of Tics Disorders: 

  • Provisional Tic Disorder: one or more motor tics or vocal tics 

  • Chronic Motor Tics: a condition that involves quick, uncontrollable movements or vocal outbursts 

  • Tourette Syndrome: The much less common tic disorder 

When the tics start to build up, it can feel like a lightning bolt going through your whole body. A tic attack is basically all your tics moving more repeatedly and out of control. Tic attacks last for maybe 15 minutes to several hours. Triggers that cause a tic attack sometimes come from stress or anxiety, but the cause is usually unknown. Unfortunately, Tourette's Disorder has no cure. The treatments available are only used to control tics that could affect everyday life.  

Treatment: 

  • Medications that block or lessen dopamine 

  • Botulinum (Botox) injections 

  • ADHD medications 

  • Central adrenergic inhibitors 

  • Antidepressants  

Benji Mallory is a senior at Friendship Collegiate Academy.

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