So I've recently come to the realization that I'm autistic, and I've been letting myself stim as it is a healthy part of living as an autistic. But I've started noticing a lot of tics recently. (I've also had tics throughout my childhood, but they were very mild) I thought it was just idle stimming, but it's not something I choose to do, and it's very hard to suppress. Namely, the tics are facial expressions, jerking my head, and popping or clicking sounds with my mouth. Is this caused by my autism, or is it another thing? And why have my tics gotten so much worse? Thanks for your information, it's very helpful.
Hey anon, I'm so happy you were able to realize you're autistic and allow yourself to stim! Since I don't know you personally, it's hard to say why exactly your tics have gotten more intense. If you've had these tics since you were young, you probably have a tic disorder, and it's not something to worry about. A lot of things can cause tics to worsen (stress especially), and sometimes they're just like that for no reason at all. And it's likely that if you are learning to unmask your autism, you are probably also suppressing your tics less than before.
