Tourette Syndrome & Tic Disorders Support Group

My daughter started having Tics when she was two years old...She is five now and last year she was diagnosed with TS. From what her neurologist told us any kind of Tic that lasts for more than a year without having had gone away for more than two months at a time is TS. TS or Tics become more aggresive when you get tired, excited, anxious or nervous...etc....The more you try to stop it the more they will occur. One can learn to control their tics..ie...school, work etc but once the individual is home or comfortable in a certain surrounding they tend to have "outburst". It would really be helpful to you if you go and seek professional help for the tics you are experiencing.....take your father along with you so that he too can learn about this condition. Making fun of you is only making matters worse for you. You ARE NOT alone!

ahh thanks, i never knew the difference.
when i come back from holidays ill go see a doctor

First of all you need to go see a doctor and get a diagnosis.

Your father is not being very supportive and needs to read up on Tourette's and/or tics, he needs to understand that you cannot help it and needs to be there for you. It's not something you can help.

There are various medications that help, but what I recommend is cognitive behavioral therapy. It worked wonders for me. I learned techniques to calm my anxiety and tics to the point that I don't have them.

Do not feel stupid, you should not. I know it feels foreign and strange to be moving in a way that isn't necessary. But you are not alone.

Just as you would anyway, get plenty of rest, stay on a healthy eating regimen (lots of fruit and veggies and foods that contain water) and you will find that the better you take care of yourself, the less you will feel the need or aggravation to tic.

You are DEFINITELY not alone!!! My daughter has had her tic, something similar to face scrunching, for quite a few years. My husband used to get upset and yell for her to stop doing that but we had a talk and he realizes now that it's not something she can control, at least not all the time. She does Tae-Kwon-Do and in the middle of a test she would be stopping to "TIC" so to speak. You could tell she really tried to control it but as soon as she was done forget it..it all came out. You know someone cannot control it if they do it in a room full of people and the attention is already focussed on them the still do the tic. Everyone has something different about them, EVERYONE!!! For some people that is having a tic. I'm sure your dad doesn't mean to be hurtful but he should really educate himself on the subject and maybe he could understand you better...I'm still looking for something that may help...meds don't seem to work for my daughter but I'm determined to find something...Good luck to you and your dad!

hey its "the daughter" i know exactly how you feel you feel very alone i get so upset i scream into my pillow sometimes.Just to let out all of the anger twords it. I especially do it in school and every body looks at me and give me the "FREAK" look. And since i cover my nose and mouth while im doing it some people think im sneezing. And about your dad mine used to do the same thing and sometimes still does but the only thing i can say is dont take it to heart, because he doesn't know what your going through.and only my really good friends know about it and they dont make fun of me they even help keep my arms down ('cause i put my hands up when i do it) so dont worry

Hi, if youu do not have a "diagnosis" then it may be hard for others around you to take it seriously. I did not think my daughter had TS.. I just thought she got into some annoying habbits and I would get frustrated when she could not stop when asked to.. eventually the ticing got worse and along with it came other symptoms.. it was then that I looked at my husband and said.. this is wrong.. something is not right.. and from that moment on I never once made comments to her or pointed it out.. things change. Maybe you should go to your dad and say "Hey, I try to stop but can not so can you please take me to see the doctor.." I hope that helps..