Jul 24, 2011 -
comments
I'm going to paste what I posted in the Neurology forum. I got one generic response from a doctor, but I'm looking for people with experience or knowledge that can help me determine what I need to do first and what to expect:
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I'm not really sure what I should be asking, but I need some information on TIC disorders and the differences between those and Tourette's. As long as I can remember I've had these "nervous habits" (that's what my Mom always referred to them as). Things like making noises or twitching my head, tensing abdominal muscles in a certain, repetitive way. blinking my eyes, crossing my eyes, etc. They will be active for awhile, sometimes more than one at a time, then they will go away for awhile. Now, as an adult, I am seeing a correlation where they are popping up with intensity during my most stressful times. Currently I have one that I guess could be described as flexing and the tendons in my neck and I have done it to the point where my jaw is stiff and sore and my head hurts. I've also found that I have been gritting my teeth/clamping my jaw shut a lot.
Is there medication or therapy for something like this? How do you get diagnosed? It's driving me crazy. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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I think I've avoided bringing this up for a long time. I never really thought it was something like a disorder...I just figured it was just some stupid way I handled stress. It wasn't until I had an intake appt with a psychologist for my daughter that he mentioned something to me about it. AFter listening to me talk about her, out of nowhere, he says "have you ever been diagnosed with tourette's or a tic disorder?" I was like "Uhm excuse me?". Then he proceeded to tell me about a couple of tics he had observed while I was talking. I just kind of blew it off, like he was a wacko or something. But, the seed had been planted and it got me thinking. Then recently when DH and I started marriage counseling the therapist said something about me possibly having signs of ADD or ADHD (which I have NEVER been told before). I then brought up the tic thing and she said "It's funny that you brought that up, I was going to ask you about that because of what you've been doing with your hands" So now I'm really wondering if there isn't something screwed up in my head.
I want to know if there are other symptoms associated with these disorders OTHER than the tics. What kind of therapy/medication is used. How long does is usually take for some relief from these annoying things? I feel like I'm going crazy because the tics I currently have are making it hard for me to sleep and eat. My jaw and head hurt all the time and I feel like a freak out in public. :(