#(tic disorder)

“But they don’t tic all the time!” That’s literally normal for tic disorders.

“But they have really complex tics!” Complex cases exist.

“But they’re cringe and have Tourette’s!” Teenagers are like that.

“But I’ve never see them actually tic!” It’s not always visible.

But this leaves out so, so much. There's the premonitory urge, where you can feel it build up. There's also people who can suppress their tics, whether consciously or not. But when they are described as involuntary I think it makes people think of more like a muscle spasm—something truly, completely out of our control that no amount of will can influence. Then people go "Oh. Well. They're not like that, I must not have tics. I must just be faking it." And yes, of course we reassure people that you can't fake something on accident, but the point is that "involuntary" describes tics in a way that is technically correct but doesn't accurately convey the actual experience of having them. And I worry that it may push people away from seeking a diagnosis, and possibly just towards more intense self-hatred.

As kids, we're often told we just don't have enough discipline, or we're just acting out, or we have behavioral issues, or whatever. Some of my family members think I wasn't hit enough as a kid. Growing up, my tics were constantly called "bad habits" that my family thought could be broken. So many of us probably already suffer from imposter syndrome about it on some level just because of the brainworms the adults in our lives gave us.

I am clinically diagnosed with tourettes, and have been for a long time. And I still sometimes find myself going "Am I faking it? I've been able to control some of them very well, that doesn't seem right. What if no one else experiences tics like this and I have some weird, unknown mystery disorder that no one knows about?"

Tic disorders are like the "make you look and feel like a liar disorders" in my opinion lol. It feels fake. The fact that you can feel the tics coming and know which ones they are makes you FEEL like you can/should be able to control it. If you just try a little harder. If you just expend a little more energy. If you're just more disciplined. You were able to control that one tic one time, a little bit. Why can't you just do that? For all of them? Forever?

(it's very common in tourettes, especially in tourettic OCD)

someone laughing at their own tics isn't a sign of faking!

(everyone deserves laughter and healthy coping mechanisms)

having tics that reference something related to a conversation or something in the environment isn't a sign of faking!

(its very common in tourettes)

having tics from other content creators isn't a sign of faking!

(its called echolalia, and its very common in tourettes)

having tics that appear 'dramatic' or 'forceful' isn't a sign of faking!

(a clinical feature of complex tics is that they can appear forced even though they are not)

having any sort of stereotyped symptom related to tourettes isn't a sign of faking!

(duhh??)

someone online claiming another person is faking tics... isn't actual proof of faking!

(refer back to above points)

Tics can be incredibly paintul or dangerous, even in “milder” cases.

A tic can make you run into a busy street.

A tic can make you hit yourself or smash your head into things or hurt yourself in any number of ways.

A tic can make you eat something toxic.

There are infinite ways that a tic can cause you harm, whether temporary or permanent, or even death in more severe cases.

I guess I just want to say this, because my own tics have been quite dangerous at times, and I feel awareness around these types of tics is sorely lacking.

I had a tic where I would make myself gag every few seconds. My throat was raw and I was always so nauseous by the end of my tic attacks.

My tics have made me throw breakable objects at other people, including several coffee mugs. I have also thrown said objects at myself.

My tics have made me punch solid surfaces until my knuckles bruised and bled.

My tics have made my punch my chest until I can’t breathe because of the pain.

My tics have caused my joints to dislocate from the sheer force of jerking my limbs around.

My closest call was when I almost stabbed myself in the chest. I have a tic where I snap, then slam my fist into my chest very hard. I was trying to cut a bagel in half one night, and while I was holding the (very sharp) bread knife, I suddenly ticced.

The only reason I did not stab myself was because I had been holding the plate to my chest while I cut the bagel on the cutting board. I had been too lazy to set the plate down and was just holding it under my arm. It covered enough of my chest that the blade hit the plate instead of me.

If that plate had not been exactly where it was, I easily could have seriously injured myself or even died.

Tics can be painful. They can be dangerous. Let’s please keep that in mind before we try to portray Tourette’s or other tic disorders as being “funny quirky lol xD so randum” disorders.