Forums » Smalltalk » Tourettes and Tics

I don't really know anyone I can complain about this too (no one really gets it) so I guess I'm just complaining here.

I have a tic where I click my tongue on the left side of my mouth. It's been SO BAD these past few days (I've had multiple fits) that the roof of my mouth is now blistered and it's painful. It sucks so bad, I really hate it. These aspects of tic disorders that aren't as fun hardly get talked about. I can't express how incredibly frustrated and tired of this I am.

Anyone else have similar experiences? Know ways to help? Or even ask questions? I love socializing after all haha I'd love to share some of my experiences.

Afraid I don't know enough to help or even quite know what to ask, but I do always appreciate the chance to learn more about things others experience.

I don't think I have any tics or such, but I might be able to sort of relate? While it's not to the extent that it's ever even been looked at as a potential disorder, I'm a bit prone to body picking sorts of behaviors. Nothing extreme or significantly damaging, but it can sometimes cause some minor agitation or get in the way a bit of other activities that I should be doing. Overall, nothing that's more than a very minor problem. Also all stuff more along the lines of urges or maybe compulsions, rather than the more motor/muscle/nerve-focused things that I... think tics are? (Please correct me if I've got that wrong!)

...I also refuse to stop eating kiwi fruit even though one kiwi can totally wreck my mouth. Stupid protein-dissolving enzymes.... I don't get them very often, at least. That's entirely a choice, though.

Okay, and I guess it's worth mentioning seizures. The really identifiable ones have been extremely rare for me, though, and we've been unable to determine whether or not I get some of the really subtle ones, too. I have a number of symptoms, but it's all stuff that could also be explained by other stuff I've got going on, and tests have never shown anything out of the ordinary.

I don't have tics or tourettes, so I can't actually relate to your struggles, but I can at least give light on a similar sort of issue I have with my own ADHD. I have an issue with impulse control, and from what I understand with tics and tourettes it is kind of similar with the fact there's something in the brain that prevents you from controlling it or stopping it, and it's like a completely involuntary thing. If I'm understanding that right? Please, absolutely correct me if I'm way off, but still coming from what I understand at least...


I have a picking issues where I can't let a lot of scabs heal on my body and I've picked badly enough to cause harm to my skin and body, even caused plenty of infections because of the lack of impulse control not to stop picking despite knowing it's making the sores and skin areas worse.
Ontop of that, I can have impulse reactions that happen due to that lack of impulse control. I'm bad about interrupting people, interjecting where it isn't welcomed, speaking over people, and what I feel is the worst of it is my impulse to drop out of conversations without warning because I was drawn towards something else and end up getting stuck in a hyperfocus dopamine chasing montage where I'll leave people hanging, let someone down that was waiting on me, end up struggling to meet deadlines, and procrastinate things to a point that it's almost self-sabotaging.

I don't have tics or tourettes, but I can at least say that having things that are sometimes out of your control can be a really big pain. Not being able to stop your body or mind from doing something that's hurting you or those around you, to me, feels like a struggle with being a failure or incompetent. It's horribly hard to deal with and I'm sorry you're struggling with something like that right now.

Tics and tourettes are also sadly popularized for their "cute" and "quirky" nature, but I've seen a lot of influencers who show the ugly side of tics. One girl I watch and follow shows the part of her tics where she hits herself, breaks her own things, and has hit and hurt others because of her tics. She shows the part of it that people ignore and make sure to create a more educational side to how people struggle with tics rather than the people who popularize it with it somehow just being this cute and quirky habit.

I totally understand, I suffer from this condition. I have an odd tic where I need to jerk my side over so much that it feels like I'm about to rip my spleen open. Or I squeeze my hands together or tense the joints in my hands hard and clench up.

I have an odd one where I'll repeat the last few words of what I just said, but only via my lips. No words escape or noise, my lips just mimic what I just said. I used to get accused a lot when I was younger of mouthing people off because of it
Oddly the whole mask mandates were a positive for me in that regard, no one would ever notice I do it

One thing I do, is if I have a very compulsive and harmful/dangerous tic, is I try to replace it with another tic.
I used to twirl my finger in my hair and rip out tons of hair, especially when stressed, I absolutely ruined my bangs and it hurt like hell.

So whenever I got the urge, I ran my hand through my hair instead, or I moved my fingers around a lot, trying to develop a new tic

Sometimes that doesn't work, and you can only do preventative measures. I chew my tails compulsively, it is my stress relieve. (Like smoking is for some) so I put gloves on to prevent me from chewing.
If it were possible, there are roof guards for your mouth. I'm not certain if that work for you but for some this would

Something to note, stress often makes tics worse. If there is anything stressing you out, distracting from it or dealing with the stress if you can will likely reduce the ticking.