#complex tics

Complex tic: when multiple muscle groups are used, multiple words (e.g., throwing something)

Premonitory urge: a very uncomfortable sensation (a build up of energy, electric/fiery/bubbling/tickling/crawling) that builds up before a tic. Not everyone experiences this and it doesn't happen before every tic.

Suppressing: the act of 'holding in' tics, often increasing the premonitory urge and making them worse later. Not everyone can suppress and it can only be done for so long. People may do it to avoid judgement, for safety.

Coprolalia: a socially inappropriate vocal tic (e.g., swearing, a slur)

Copropraxia: a socially inappropriate motor (physical) tic (e.g., 🖕)

Echolalia: vocally repeating other people's words or sounds, can also extend to animal sounds

Echopraxia: physically repeating others actions

Waxing: a period of increased frequency or intensity of tics, or a flare up

Waning: a period of decreased tic frequency/intensity

Tic attack: a highly intense period of constant, often intense, tics, completely uncontrollable and unstoppable

Trigger: something that sets off a person's tics or a particular tic

Dystonic tics: slower tics, abnormal posture or straining of a body part

Blocking tics: a tic which takes away a person's ability to move/speak

One thing I hate about Tourette’s is how purposeful it appears and feels.

My Tourette’s can make me move a few distances to kick or touch something, my Tourette’s can make me look for something for me to hit or hit myself with, it can make me lean into someone’s ear or face and scream or whisper as a tic.

More descriptions / examples ⤵︎

Tics can divided into few categories: simple/complex and motor/vocal.

Motor tics are movements. Examples: blinking, shoulder shrugging, making faces or gestures, etc.

Vocal tics are sounds. Examples: meowing, barking, saying words or sentences, whistling, etc.

sometimes it can be hard to differentiate between them. I have a tic in which i click my tongue. It is a movement, but there is also a sound to it. I'm not sure whether it's the movement or the sound that makes the pre-tic tension go away.

Complex tics involve a lot of different muscles. They can appear as something done intentionally, but they are never intentional. Examples: saying words or frazes, making gestures, jumping, grimacing, etc

Simple tics are quick, and, well, simple. Examples: winking of an eye, tensing of a specific muscle, sniffing, simple "woo", or a similar sound, etc

Different types of tics can feel very different. They may alleviate the pre-tic tension in different ways. For example i need to hear the whistle in order for the tension to disappear, but I don't need to hear my meowing for the tension to go away.

I may not even notice some of my simple motor tics. but sometimes there is a big cumulation of them and it's awful. Some of the more complex ones feel like i'm being controlled by some alien life force or sth. And some of my complex tics are chill, and idc. It really depends on the day, on what I'm doing and what my tics are at the moment.

the literal definition of a Complex motor or vocal tic is that 

IT LOOKS SLOW AND PURPOSEFUL.