#tic warning

Mornings and Nights:

I have a 30 - 1 hour grace period before my tics activate in the morning. It’s a slow gradual activation that starts with my muscles and eyes first. Vocal tics are the last to start. I lay in bed and my legs start twisting at the ankles and flexing for extended periods of time. My legs will involuntarily straighten and hyperflex until they cramp. My lower body constantly contorts and twists. I cannot lay still for extended periods of time due to the restless urges and the feeling of tic pressure building. It takes my body hours to fall asleep due to this and insomnia unless I take a prescribed sedative/muscle relaxant.

Afternoons & Evenings:

By this point my Tourettes is at full power. The difficulty to cook food and perform necessary daily tasks has increased significantly. Handling glass or sharp objects is dangerous for both myself and others. It requires extreme focus and muscle tension to avoid ticcing during this. The Frequency of my tics are affected by activities, emotions, and energy levels. If I am unfocused my tics happen every 30 seconds - 1 minute. If I’m doing an activity like gaming, writing, drawing, or singing it will activate hyperfocus. When I’m hyperfocused on an enjoyable activity my tics happen less often. I can go 1-3 minutes without ticcing.  Busy days with little time for self regulating pleasurable activities are the most painful days of my week. If the day is extremely spoon taxing the chance of having a tic attack increases drastically. 

Tic attacks for me involve:

Arched spine, hyperventilating, fluttering eyelids, twisting hyperflexed limbs, speech difficulties, uncontrollable shaking while remaining fully conscious. It’s painful, unstoppable, and extensive.