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The early warning signs of tics and Tourette Syndrome

This winter break, I have spent some time thinking about why I wasn’t diagnosed sooner and why my mom did not see the early warning signs as warning signs as part of the larger picture for a TS+ child.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term TS+, it stands for Tourette Syndrome in combination with the co-morbid conditions that commonly come along with Tourette. I myself have OCD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder, and Panic Attack Disorder (although I haven’t had a major, full-fledged panic attack in about two years), and impulsivity issues also known as disinhibition.

Some other co-morbid disorders that can come along with TS are ADD, ADHD, mood disorders such as bipolar disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, rage issues and other disorders as well.

In this post, I will outline and summarize two of the main types of tics that are warning signs for TS+ in a younger child anywhere from the ages of 2 years old to a middle school-aged child.

It is important to remember that in order for the types of things I describe to be tics, that they must be repetitive in the sense that you will see your child doing these things over and over again throughout the week, month or even day.

What are the first signs of Tourette’s?

1) One of the first classic warning signs for the TS+ child is a simple tic, usually in the face. Simple facial tics like eye blinking, slight facial grimacing or slight facial twitching will usually be the first tic a child has. After a child’s first simple tic, other tics may develop in the trunk, arms and legs. A simple tic, however, is not always the first tic for a child, and each child with TS or TS+ will differ in the way they present with various symptoms.

TS is a very unique disorder as a result of the fact that every case is different, which includes the way the symptoms start. I think my first tic was a slight facial grimace; however, it was so subtle that neither myself nor my parents can be 100 percent sure.

I have seen videos and pictures of myself that make it look like this was my first tic, which started when I was about 3-4 years old and probably continued in the same way until a little after 1st or 2nd grade. I seem to find pictures of myself around this age all with a very similar positioning of my face, which also makes me think this may have been my first tic.

The tic looks like it was a slight facial grimace in some pictures but then looks like a much larger facial movement in other pictures. I really don’t think my parents even noticed it at the time. They probably thought I was just a “twitchy” or “nervous” kid.

2) For some kids, they have more complex tics as children, and for some these more complex tics can even come before the more simple tics. It is a little less typical for a child to get complex tics before simple tics, but it can certainly happen.

One type of complex tic that can be common in children is what I call a compulsion-like tic. These tics appear to be more like compulsions but are tics none the less. Complex compulsion-like tics are very common in children to show up at some point in childhood and more commonly show up after simple tics show up.

Some examples of compulsion-like tics that I had personally when I was younger are skipping, lip/skin picking, lip licking, lip biting, hair sucking, hand/finger smelling, sating off into space/doubling vision, grabbing at various parts of the body, putting hands down pants, and shirt or sleeve chewing.

Some other possible compulsion like tics are hand/finger licking, stomping, and other types of complex body movements. It is important to remember that although these tics look more purposeful in nature than something like a simple eye blink, they are tics nonetheless and the child has no more control over these tics than a simple tic. Asking your child to stop doing these kinds of tics will only make them worse.

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RuthieP

311 Comments

  1. hey; minor here (not wanting to say my age but just know im around 13 years atleast.) I cant tell about my “tics” anymore because they went from being very complex to mild. I dont know what happened, an example of a complex one was a combined vocal+motor tic of hitting myself and whistling, but now i only rarely whistle but i separately have a simple “tic” where i scrunch my nose or jerk my toes. They just went from up to down in the matter of a while. they started back when in 2021 and i cant do much anymore. I want to let my therapist know but i dont want him to think im faking (especially since im dealing with other things worse than these.) The only former diagnosis i even have are depression+anxiety. Im pretty sure my parents think im faking but i cant even tell if j am or not so it adds onto the heat of the whole argument in my head.

    • I am 2 years late haha… But I am almost 15. My therapist who I’ve been seeing for 3+ years thinks I have Tourette’s. Big time. Every time I talk about my tics or anything she constantly brings up the fact that she thinks I have Tourette’s Syndrome. She tried to get me a consultation for Tourette’s at Seattle Children’s, which is free, in order to convince my parents… My parents do NOT believe me. AT ALL. They have TOLD people I’m a Tourette’s faker, and practically shouted it from the rooftops. I’m genuinely so worried about my own health because my tics are becoming almost unmanageable. I don’t know if I can hold off on not confronting this sooner but I don’t know what to do. My parents don’t even believe my therapist because the first 10 minutes I saw a neurologist, who we didn’t end up liking anyway, “diagnosed” me with anxiety tics without ever talking to me about it and seeing one tic of mine. Help!!!!!!

  2. I had small noise tics when I was younger and then when I was about 14 I started to have more noticeable tics such as blinking a lot without noticing amd it got worse to where I was making noises more or jerking or saying things (I have been diagnosed, before the tics got worse, with anxiety, ADHD, depression, and RAD) so when it all first started acting up I just thought it was my adhd and anxiety but then they just hot worse even when I wasn’t having anxiety sometimes I would have neck jerking so bad I would just about fall over or out of the chair I was sitting in and moat times after this happened the next day I could barely move my head without it hurting so much that I had to stop myself from crying from the pain, later in the year and after I turned 15 it just seemed to get worse then better until I started have panik attacks that set off my tics or the panik attacks would be caused by my tics, I would have some that seemed to make my throat contract to where it was hard to breath or even tines where I couldn’t eat because I couldn’t swallow, the worse one’s I have were cussing ones or I was flipping people of and just saying vulgar things to my friends and family or one of the worst kind of attacks I would have is where I would scratch at my skin really fast and I would scratch the skin off of my arms and I I could do was try and stop it (with wouldn’t work) and sit there and cry because I felt like I should be able to control it and I know it’s not normal but I couldn’t stop myself, eventually I was able to become aware of when some tics might come and tried my best to suppress them and eventually I was able to almost completely fully suppress them (throughout these 2 year period I was told both that I couldn’t control it and that’s okay and also that I should be able to control it and that it’s embarrassing and even told that it was embarrassing to be around me when it happens and glared at, by my family or my work mom and brother) well now I’ve finally been able to suppress and calm them down (I was going to school all while this was happening and I was able to get control over them when the school year was ending) we had went to many doctors appointments about it throughout the whole time and the doctors tried putting me on anxiety meds and increasing them but it would help with my anxiety but the tics wouldn’t go away sometimes it would make them worse, now because the tics slowed down and went away mostly my parents told me and demanded that I was faking my tic’s to manipulate them or that I was doing it for attention and wouldn’t listen when I told them I wasn’t and they think that I have a grudge or hate my brother and work mom because my tics targeted them a lot but I tried to stop them and at times I could, well now I’m almost 16 and the tics are starting up again and I don’t know what to do school is going to start up again soon and I don’t know what to do I can’t tell my parents because they think I’m just faking it and doing it to manipulate them, my mom watched me one day have a tic attack to where I was scratching the skin off of my arms uncontrollably and crying cuz I wanted it to stop but I couldn’t get it to stop and then after I finally get used to the tics and the start to go away and I had just barely started to go to my parents about my problems they say that I’m faking it and all that… I need some advice I don’t know what to do cuz this time the tics are getting to where I can’t control them again and the loss of control and worry about what my parents might say if they find out or notice is causing me to have panik attacks again

    • I know this is a late response but please try to get your parents to get you into counseling and if you can have a counseling session with them where your therapist can educate them on the disorder then definitely do that. They need to see that TS can wax and wane. It is so unfair for them to not believe you, and I am so sorry they aren’t as understanding. I hope you’re doing ok! Never be ashamed of yourself for this.

    • Idk if you’ve noticed but the tics don’t happen all the time or aren’t as bad, but they can flare up at random and it makes it really frustrating when your relatives don’t believe you, I have tics too and haven’t had an appointment or anything for it so I get how you feel

    • I am so sorry for what you are going through. As a mother with a child with tics I can’t understand why your parents are like that. Parents are supposed to support and love their children. The doctors need to educate your parents. Sad to see children tics and it breaks my heart to imagine how much they have to go through and what their future holds. I hope that it’ll slow down or go away. Please be strong and keep pushing through.

  3. This makes a lot of sense. I had most of those as a child. I suspect I have adhd but I did have a lot anxiety growing up. I’ve been diagnosed with c-pstd and bpd. I have small tics I don’t and I don’t understand why I do it. I grab my fingers together, tap my fingers on things, suck on my gum, bite my lip, etc. My son has adhd and asd. He does a lot of those things. I just thought it was a habit. He has a lot of oral fixation

  4. Hello, 21 year old here. I feel like I do have a mild symptom of TS because of a few reasons: when I pause mid sentence to think about what I want to say, I turn completely silent and pop my ears (like before you yawn, after liftoff of an airplane or fixing an altitude change) before being able to think; I scrunch my nose a lot (if I do it on one side, I’ve gotta do it on the other side. this also applies to any part of my body like popping my fingers, cracking my neck, etc), and I make a lot of weird facial expressions at random times. Do you think I do have a level of TS? Please let me know.

      • OCD is a form of anxiety, and if it’s OCD people feel like something bad will happen if they don’t give in to the impulses but she didn’t mention having those feelings.

    • Tourette’s syndrome is motor tics; (body movements; facial grimacing) and vocal tics (sniffing; whistling; humming; clearing throat) both have to be present for a year to get a diagnosis, but you’ve definitely got a tic disorder of some kind

  5. Hello everyone who sees this. Just wondering if anyone else experiences tics when they shiver. I used to make a “tch” sound when I shivered, but now I go “huh?” when I shiver. I only experience “tics” (I call them tics because I have no other explanation for them) when I shiver. Curious.

    • I’m currently in middle school and idk if I have tics. I do things and it feels like if I wanted to I could stop them but I never do. It’s things like my leg sorta twitching and my feet. There’s also a thing I do a lot with my throat and ill just make a sound but I always do it in like a pattern. I also noticed that that I like sometimes aggressively breath out of my nose but I can’t really control it there might be other things to but I’m not sure. I’m pretty sure I have ADHD aswell but I’m to scared to tell my parents.

      • May just have a bit of a tic disorder like I did as a kid. It’s going to be ok. Breath in, take a yoga class.

  6. So I’m 16 and it’s gotten worse lately and I thought it was my anxiety but I’m not sure anymore. I tend to jerk my head alot. I tend to squint my eyes alot along with cheek biting and lip bitting. Sometimes I can’t stop the squinting and I hit myself in the forehead once or twice to stop it. If I’m in a uncomfortable situation I have the arge to crack my fingers over and over again. It might be my anxiety but I’m not sure and idk how to bring it up to a doctor or my mom.

  7. So there’s these 2 girls I know and they have these weird sort of twitches sometimes, like sometimes their eyes will just start jittering.. or they’ll make these weird noises kind of like humming but they only do it for a few seconds… Also they’ll look up and blink their eyes a lot… And also they’ll sometimes shift or shake their head for a minute then just randomly stop. I’m kind of Worried about them I would appreciate it if someone could tell me if this needs to be addressed or not.

  8. hey 13 year old here fore the last couple months I have notice that I blink with no intention or keep them shut for a few seconds then ill tense my shoulder and arms and make make my hands into fists then ill sometimes a verbally things when I go I kind of like a a squeaky voice no sentences I don’t know if its just in my head I have asked my mum about it and she said just keep an eye on it so I don’t know

    • Hi ! I’m not by any means a professional in this area but it does sound like you might indeed have both motor and vocal tics. I definitely would give it a bit of time to really make sure though. Personally, it sounds like the start of one (or more) so it could either go away soon or get worse.

    • I use to do the same things but of the last year or so I kind of just grew out of them?
      I don’t know how or why I did, but I know that if they do happen it’s extremely rare and only when I get very nervous. My mom was very concerned when I developed this excessive blink, and weird vocal twitches. She took me to the doctor and they said that it was very common and that I could train myself to stop doing it. I don’t know if I really trained myself to stop them or if they kind of just went away on their own. I know this probably didn’t help any but I’m still putting it out there :)

  9. Im an 13 year old ” girl ” And i have the kinda wierd things that happen. Sometimes i have pain in my back and then i shiver a few times, i do this without wanting it, and it also happens randomly without pain. this has been going on for 2 months now. The second thing is new, my hand just move around and i cant seem to control them. this mostly happens when im frustrated agry, sad but also randomly. does anyone know what this is?

    • i also do lip/skin picking, lip licking, lip biting, hair sucking, and the sleeves chewing. i think this is normal for a person?- are these really tics?

    • Hi, I am also a 13-year-old girl and I have tics and ADD. I have random shivers go down my spine and I twitch my shoulders a lot and I have no control over it. this had been going on for about 7 years now and it seems to get better as I get older. I am pretty sure that you either have tics/tourets or ADHD/ADD based on what you said in your comment. If this get extreme and you loose full control over yourself, you should see a professional.

      • 13 year old here i think i have a neck jerk sort of thing and since you have tics i wanted ask is it a tic if you know its coming and you have a little bit of control over it and its been happening for 3 years but used to only be like one every three days but now it happens daily is this because my mum pointed it out and now i know its happening does this make it worse?

  10. hey there, 14 year old here.
    i have adhd so its probably stemmed from that (i’ve had it since i was a kid.)
    and well, i guess every now and again i get this strange chill and i start to sort of shake around my arms, sometimes i tend to bite my lip when im super focused on something but im not sure thats really anything. some other things i guess i do is some weird noises when i’m alone. (i often suppress these when others are around.) any help with this? is it tics or ts?

  11. I am 13 and a few weeks ago i realized I had have this thing where it’s almost like a compulsion to twicth my head and about a week ago i just randomly snap my fingers and sometimes i don’t even realize it i don’t want to be self-diagnosing but im also a bit concerned if it is tics. Also when i was a little kid since like 6 i was able to start like a twitch attack by raising my right cheek and it would be a twitch attack on my right cheek the same muscle I’m not sure if any of this has to do with TS I’m just to scared to tell my parents cause there gonna think I’m faking it

    • i’ll also just shout out things about 2 weeks ago i realized i saw like a big sign i’ll shout out what i read on accident me and my mom were driving in a shopping complex and i saw a spirit halloween and shouted out the name on accident so idk

      • Omg I do this all the time or like I have a friend with ts and one of their ticks is saying I like cheese and the second I hear it I have to say it. There are other things like that to and I physically can’t help it 90+% of the time

      • i have had the same problem so i decided to make a powerpoint presentation, im very nourves bc im going to show it to my mom in like 30 min. so yeah.
        also my mom doesnt really belive me so its going to be a challenge.

    • Please tell your parents, tics can be from other things not just Tourette’s. My son had strep throat which causes his tics.

  12. I’m 14, about a year ago I started jerking my neck like when my anxiety started getting worse and much recently I have developed a noise sound that happens time to time, I don’t know if I have TS, and I do not want to fake an illness, I’ve told my mom about it and she won’t take me to the doctor or anything so I came on here to see if that’s what I have

    • ok so me too I have this thing when i’m kind of anxious but it’s a different type of anxious i get a shiver or sometimes just randomly and also a noise combined with it and it makes no sense to me because i can’t really control it but it’s not completely like Tourette’s bc it’s not all the time but it’s just weird, and my mom is the exact same way, she doesn’t really believe in mental health/ illness so i haven’t really told her

  13. I’m a fifteen year old girl (very rare for me to actually have anything) but a few weeks ago I started noticing that I was making weird repeated head movements. (jerks to the right) At first I thought that it was a habit that I had developed to get the hair out of my eyes. Then I realized that half the time the movement did not help, or that my hair wasn’t even in my eyes when I made the movement. I also feel the need to move my arms in random positions and hit things, as well as to make random noises and say random things. I don’t want to fake an illness, but I don’t know what to call this…

    • Hi. I’m 17, I’ve never talked to anyone about this before, but for as long as I can remember, I get this weird feeling in the back of my neck like right where my shoulders start. Then it’s like I shiver/ shake really hard like once or twice and I snap my head to the left. I don’t make a noise anything , but my arms flop or I grab my shoulders. When I was younger, I used to think It just happened when I was cold or uncomfortable, but now I’m noticing it’s random. I doesn’t happen super often but it used to be a lot more subtle.

      • Similar thing happens to me but started when i was about 13 and i’m 15 now but it’s not all the time just when i’m cold or uncomfortable

      • I get that exact same thing I think. It feels almost like a tickle? Or a tingle. Every time I explain it people laugh at me. It can make my hairs on my arms raise up and I shake my head with my eyes shut. I still don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s a tic? I don’t know, but I’ve always done it.

      • Does it kind of feel like electricity building up? I get this in my legs and sometimes arms and it feels like electricity is building and then boom goes tick or whatever the fuck it is. I’m not diagnosed but beginning to think I may have ts.

      • Same thing happens to me very rare though… And it only happens when I’m cold, or wet.

  14. i also have ADHD, Depression (Dont know if that ties into it but im just going to put that out there), a little, tiny bit of Autisim, and annxiety, mood disorder, and a few othere things my mom wont tell me about.

  15. Hi. Im 15 and i think ive developed TS. It happend a few weeks ago but i havent been told i have it yet. My mom keeps saying i dont have tics that im just fakeing. I try to compress my tics but sometimes they just come out. When i first stared ticing it was just head twiches but now its to the point were i say things. I will ay things like “f you” i will say “Pop” and “Eep”. One h=of my friends have TS and they’ve been really helpful with this hole “Mom not believeing me” thing. If i do have TS what should i do?

  16. How many people reading this have the TikTok app?! Please comment. TikTok is a health risk. Medical study is needed urgently researching increasingly high levels of tik related disorders developing since 2017 when the highly addictive social media platform, TikTok, was created. Research is needed into teenagers with no previous history of tics/twitches developing shivers leading to tiks after joining the highly addictive social media platform known as TikTok. (I do not mean people influenced by watching people with tics!) Any videos watched at such an extremely quick rate which people with low attention spans are attracted to means brain is going into overdrive having to process all this (mostly useless) information and causing inability to focus for very long in other areas of their lives; mood disorders; increased impatience and irritability; anxiety disorders; tics which become worse over time and may lead to full blown Tourettes Syndrome. Another study needs to research whether teenagers who voluntarily stop using TikTok permanently see a reduction in their tics. Can their brain function be restored and any damage repaired or has such a bombardment from this addictive, toxic app caused permanent damage?! Does continued use of TikTok cause progressive deterioration in their brain functioning?!

    • I just turned 16 I’ve had tiktok since around 2019? And I have diagnosed adhd (add) I recently noticed over the last year I’ve developed shiver like tics, as well as mild vocal tics. My camhs psychiatrist put it down to a side affect of my adhd stimulant medication but now im starting to think it could be something else as I took a long break from my meds during summer and my tics have not improved at all. I wouldnt be suprised if tiktok has something to with them lmao

    • Hello! Honestly i can agree with this, it’s not necessarily the same in my case because i’ve shown TS symptoms since childhood, but If it is relevant from the years ive used tiktok it does seem to have gotten worse for me controlling my tics, although, i have taken many long breaks from tiktok (and still hardly use it now) and my tics have not really been better or worse they’re kind of about the same, i just find myself having more outspoken tics since not using the app as much. Hope this helps.

  17. I dont know if this is a tic or if its just me um but when i het what i feel like are cold chills and sometimes my hand like jurks and it ends up with me hitting myself or something like the other day i had the remot in my hamd and i ended up throwing the remote acrossed the room i didn’t meant too i got a chill and it just happened they feel like cold chills and it doesnt always happen

    • This is exactly the same as me , exactly the reason I came on here to look for , everyone always points out how aggressive they are and asks why I “shiver” like that but I have no control over it

      • I have the same problem wow if makes me more comfortable now that I know it’s not just me.

      • Umm so I have bpd, ADHD, And I often get shivers down my spine and twitch my head is that also connected with Torettes or?

        • shivers arent always connected to tourettes, if you arent having vocal tic’s its likely a simple tic disorder. if you have both verbal and physical tics its more likely to be tourettes. although, if you have shivers its not necessarily tourettes or a tic disorder, it can also be anxiety.

      • I have the same issue feels like electricity builds up and then I have like shivers or something similar. When I was younger I was tested for a seizure disorder because of it and everything. If it happened durring the day like if be walking and it would happen and I’d be on the ground then I learned that the electricity feeling came first so if I felt it to sit down for the tick.

    • i was diagnosed with tourette’s and i was tryna find out if it was jus my cold chills and i grew out of it or sum but i think it’s tourette’s bc i yell out stuff on accident when i do it sometimes to or make loud noises that embarrass me

    • this is what I came here for too! They feel so much like cold shivers. Sometimes I make a vocal noise as well as jerking my hand. Is this TS?

    • I came here for the exact same reason!! I can’t believe I’m not alone. I have anxiety, depression, I think I have OCPD, and I’ve had a stutter since I was little, although it’s a lot better now. I don’t know what to call these shivers but they happen 5-10 times a day. Can anyone tell me if it’s TS related?

  18. So i dont know if its tics or not but i will randomly bring my shoulders up to my neck and my head to the side kinda like a twitrch and randomly say “Popcorn” and “bubbles” but it never happens around any of my parents and i dont know if my mom will believe me if i tell her. (im 13 btw turning 14 this year)

    • Sounds like a tic yes. Just ask your mom for a doctors appointment. Advocate for yourself it’s important

  19. Hi, Im 13 and lately i’ve been kinda twitching like, my head and shoulders kinda just jolt a little bit and i will high pitched say “Popcorn” and “bubbles” at the most random times and i cant control it, i think i have tics, and if i do my mom hasnt noticed yet because i can feel them coming and then i can leave the room, if i do have tics how do i tell my mom?

  20. Hi, I’m 15! when I was in 6th grade I got a sort of energy like feelign in my hand that would make me scribble while writing, I also had facial like movements that werent very noticable but I never thought of telling anyone. I’m now 15 and this year the movements became more violent (hitting my chest and hitting othr things) and they have became more vocal (words, sentances, and sounds). I have ADHD, Generlized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, PTSD, and a Mood Disorder. Its like the energy feeling gets to be to much and i randomly make these movements unwillingly, my friend has tics and hers sets off my movements and sounds. I keeep trying to tell my parents but they say in faking tics. They make me feel like I am but I still cant control the things I do. Shouls I try to get a Tic Disorder or TS diagnoses by myself?

    • Next time you speak to your doctor or therapist, bring it up. Or ask your school nurse.

  21. Hey im 14 almost 15 and 3 of my friends have just got tics one of my friends Courtney has had mild tics for years whereas gabby has just randomly got them. Nicky’s tics are anxiety based.
    I don’t want tics but sometimes I jerk my head forward whenever I see them doing it to much like it’s triggered something or it happens when I get shivers. The annoying this is that I can’t help it but I don’t want them to think that I’m faking it. My head jerks forward when I get shivers not all the time tho can that be a sign of developing tics?

    • Same with me, I follow people on TikTok with TS and I feel like ever since I followed them I start to almost have them. It’s like something triggers in me too. And my friends like I’m faking and I don’t want to be known as someone who does that but it always happends when I’m exited

      • Hi Sofia,
        There is such thing called Functional Tics. Functional Tics have increased over the past year – particularly in teen girls due to the pandemic and increase in tic related content. Watching other people tic whether it be on tic tok or other social media platforms can cause the brain to subconsciously “release stress” through ticcing. Although Functional Tics may appear like Tourettes, there are many differences.

    • Im 13 and I keep making this weird popping wth my lips, like the p sound, but it almost feels like a compulsion, bc i can control it for a second or two.

    • Ive found as someone with TS, being around other people with TS showing their tics can make me tic too lol. I’m not sure if theres a logical explanation for it but it just happens.

  22. Hi I am 13, I dont think I have tics but I think I do, I am not trying to fake it or anything. But lately I have been getting shivers it’s getting worse when I started doin it couple months ago I think. I got pills to help me with remembering stuff bc I got token off my IPE I think I am not sure but its something like that. When I was in 2nd grade and I got on it again in 5th grade bc my teacher tryed anything to get me back on it. In 6th grade I got in a special English it’s to help me read and stuff. And this yr (7th grade) I needed get the help from covid and couldn’t get in the classroom for help. From different classes I have to go to and I finally got pills 2 months ago and I couldn’t take them. Bc it wouldn’t go down I don’t know why though and I got it so I can open it and put it in apple sauce. Every since I took it for the first time (2 weeks ago) I have been gettin shivers and picking the side of my fingers r gettin worse. Also think its gettin worse when my mom keeps telling me to stop but I can’t. For the shivers it feels like I am being forced to and I feel like its comin when I am laying down with shorts on tryin to fall asleep of something. But in class I don’t feel it comin bc I am warm in my hoodie. Just sayin I am not tryin to fake it I searched up if shivers anxiety tics or tics and it took me here. I just want some answers I am to scared to tell my mom but if it gets way worse I will tell her. But she wouldn’t believe me at all.

    • Also u probably seen if u read I miss some words out and doesn’t make sense sorry about that I can’t help that. If you know anything to help me please tell me I want to know before it gets even more worse than it is

      • I’m also 13 and personally if I was you I’d stop that medicine, my tics were caused by meds which I have stopped and I’m hopping they’ll stop by next month, i’ve Been off it for 7 weeks and I’m feeling a little bit better.Drinking more water will also help!

  23. Hi uh im 15 and to begin can i just say how i think its hilarious that a good majority of the people on here, including myself, are teens with ADHD or ADD. I was diagnosed with petit mal seizures a few years ago and i was just reading into the whole thing when i stumbled upon this lil website here so yeah. I don’t start violently shaking i basically just lose all consciousness but without falling or whatever. I thought i had grown out of them till the other day when my friends were talking to me and apparently i had jerked my head down when they were talking to me. I have absolutely no recognition of doing this which is why it was so weird. I’m saying this because, without diagnosis, it might seem like i have tourettes when i am actually having a little mini seizure. Check it out, get an EEG, and see if this is you cause if your case is serious enough it could develop into full blown seizures.

  24. Can tics feel like they are building up? Its hard to word but sometimes I feel like the tic is building up, for example sometimes I feel like from my shoulders up to my head is shivering like its holding back. And when it does do that I usually end up jerking my head to the side (usually the right side) and close one of my eyes or I will scrunch my shoulder and move the backside of my head to the left to hit my shoulder that was scrunched up. But it feels forced when I do those things. I feel like I’m moving unwillingly but at the same time I feel like I’m meaning to move myself. In another instance recently I’ve been randomly repeating the same sound I heard MONTHS ago. When this happens its completely random whether I’m with someone or by myself. I’m also noticing in stressful situations I hold my breathe without even noticing or I make a very low popping sound with my lips. I’ve also noticed that I pick at the skin on my lips or fingers randomly and it seems like I’m doing it unwillingly. I know this may be a lot but If anyone to answer my question or help me figure out if I have symptoms of Tourette’s that would help me incredibly.

    • Hi ! would slightly smacking and pressing a mouse repeatedly while using a computer count as a tourette syndrome or is this just some kind of Anxiety? I’m 23 by the way

    • Yep, that’s very common! Most people with tics feel them coming before they happen. The way you describe jerking your head to the side sounds almost exactly like what I experience (I even notice that my head usually goes to the right side rather than the left). I don’t have a diagnosis yet (my doctor wants to see a video of me ticcing, which is weirdly hard to get) but I strongly suspect I have a chronic tic disorder. I don’t have any personal experience with vocal tics, but what you’re describing sounds like tics to me. I’d say you definitely have a reason to suspect tourette’s, so if you’re looking for an official diagnosis you should talk to your doctor (and maybe try to get a video of yourself ticcing to bring to the appointment, if that’s at all possible). Good luck!

  25. Can tics feel like shivers? I’ll be sitting and suddenly my whole body will kind of shiver and my arms will sometimes fly up. Or, my head will snap to the side randomly. I also make a quacking sound every once in awhile. I watched a video of someone with Tourettes/tics, and I’ve read that it can cause you to act like that, but I’m also in a post depression place and have anxiety. I can’t tell anyone because I don’t want to worry them, but if someone could tell me something, thanks.

    • this kinda happens to me too. i dont think i have any major anxiety issues, but once in a while ill get the chills and my whole body just shivers

    • I have the exact same thing, but I make rolling tongue sound and it’s everytime I shiver.

    • i always feel like i have shivers as well, although, they arent the normal “cold chill” shivers. its like i have to do it. if i try to ignore it, it becomes unbearable. I often just let it happen and i usually jerk forward or to the right side and slap my legs or wherever i am, then snap. i also say “ah” or “ooh.” it happens very often. and i cant figure out if have tourette’s syndrome or not.

  26. Just recently within the month I started to doing this head jerking thing a lot and when I feel like I have a “burp” in my throat I reflexively hit my chest. My Head jerking feels like shivers but only at the back of my neck. I Also have ADHD and I say a lot of random things and can’t explain it to my parents but idk. I also make randoms noises but I think that’s related to my ADHD. Some one please reply tho

    • Oh and the head jerking thing I feel like I can control it and feels like I’m somewhat forcing it tho it def feels like some kind of muscle reflex

      • omg i was so shocked reading that. i’ve been doing the head jerking thing for a while too. sometimes i feel like it’s forced but i know it’s not because feel like an intense shiver (or you know that feeling you get when you have to sneeze) on the back of my neck. i jerk my neck all the time that i don’t even notice it anymore i’m doing it that much. but i came to the website looking for help because i can’t stop and my neck is getting soreeee.

        • I get that exact same shiver on the neck and head jerk. I’m 19 and I’ve done it basically my whole life, from what I can recall. I have no idea what it is. It makes the hairs on my arm stand on end when it happens, I wish I knew why.

      • Same for me
        Sometimes it feels like I’m doing on purpose but when I try to stop it, it just keeps going.
        I’m 13 btw

        • hello, so i’m currently 16- i’ll be 17 on august. i just want to ask something and be sure. i have always been experiencing this kind of shivering on my neck and then flick or bop my head in an impulse. it’s been going on for three years. sometimes i also create random noises. at first i thought it was just because i remember something cringey or something disgusts me, that’s why i’m doing it- but this year- i feel like it went worse. is it possible that i have tourette syndrome? i can’t have myself checked up since we’re still on lockdown :’ ((

    • Oops I and forgot when I yawn I reflexively start to tap/hit my mouth. And some times some part of my body feels itchy and I go to smack it as a reflex. I think I do some tapping and patting
      too

    • I have the same thing with the shivering, I am undiagnosed but show many signs of ADHD and I watch a lot of creators with Tourettes and I’m not sure if the things I do is just me copying them or if it’s me. A lot of my sudden movements feel like they could be prevented if I concentrated on stopping them, but I can’t really tell when they’re about to happen. I don’t know if the shiver feeling is the tic or if I’m just cold or something

    • head jerking is a sigh of a tic disorder cause by adhd, the same thing is happening to me. it happens with 1/10 people with adhd

    • I feel like a lot of this might stem from ADHD. Like the yawning, and the smacking of the itch, or just reflectively hitting your chest and such. Some of those are even just normal, casual things that most people experience. My first tic was the head snapping tick you described, and after about 2-3 years of a minor case of that, in the past 4 months my tics have become violent, vocal and loud. I am no doctor, but I am aware that you have to have a vocal and physical tic for over a year under the age of 18 to be diagnosed with tourettes. Talk to your doctor, therapist, or parents about visiting a professional, and look online for tips on how to deal with them as they come. Good luck!!

  27. Hi so I’m 12 and for a year or two I have been randomly, uncontrollably and quickly turned my head and scrunch up my shoulders. I also randomly move my hole upper body kina like a really big shiver but im never cold when it happens. My eyebrows and eyelids also randomly twitch. Are these tic attacks??

    • I have this thing, where when I get cold or shivery my right arm will shake off to the side and press my index finger to my middle finger and make the ok sign. I don’t know if it’s a tic because it almost feels like I’m doing it on purpose, but I don’t know it’s happening until it starts moving. I’ve also been getting really stressed lately, and it’s been getting worse. I’ve also started to notice really small movements I do when it gets cold as my arms will move, or my head or face. My mom sees it but doesn’t think anything of it. I’ve been hinting at it or mentioning tics on other people, but I really don’t want to self diagnose. another thing that I saw that might be a symptom is that I’ve been peeling the skin off of my lips constantly with my teeth all of my life. I’m twelve.

      • hi, i’m 16 n the same exact thing happens to me too i get cold shivers all the time and my neck or upper body jerks and sometimes my whole body will just twitch, it feels forced but i can’t do anything abt it, it’s just started in the past month ish. but when i was younger my eye lids would twitch out of nowhere and it would do it for 1-2 mins at a time. for a year or two maybe, the twitches stopped but recently it’s been worse than it ever was and the chills, neck, and upper body jerks started. i’ve always peeled the skin off my lips and inside of my mouth and last year i started peeling it off with my nails and i’ve been seriously messing up my lips i don’t know if it’s anything serious enough to go to a doctor for, and i’m scared to ask my family for help because they don’t believe i have any mental problems, so i really would love some help before i am forced to go to them! also i’m sorry if i’m just overthinking things, i’m just worried it could be more serious.

        • I am 13 and I have been gettin shivers a lot now I just did 1 couple minutes ago and I feel when it is gonna come but it goes away. I don’t know when it comes and I do it in class when the teacher is looking at me. But I do it more not when the teacher looks at me not all the time though. And I have been picking my fingers on the sides and my mom doesn’t want me to and it gets worse every time she says it.

  28. im 12, and maybe it’s just because i have anorexia (ive not been diagnosed however, i have many, many symptoms) so im always cold but these past few months, i have started doing weird movement, mainly with my hands. it is now like clicking my fingers or clapping my hands twice, something like that and it happens a lot when im cold but not always. sometimes i feel like im forcing them but im not sure why. are these tics?

    • When you said, “sometimes i feel like im forcing them but im not sure why.” That is like a symptom of tics. When move my hands a lot or make sounds like “shoooooooooooooooo “, clicking with my mouth like when you wanna call your dog over, Grimacing and just so many more. You should get both tics and anorexia checked out to see if you are diagnosed!

  29. Ok so I tic A LOT when I’m alone or with friends but somehow never around anyone who can do anything about it. My partner (They/Them) has Tourette’s and just has a winking tic so I know somewhat how tics work and is it cheating if I fake tics around my therapist who I go to for ADHD stuff so she notices and asks bc I am a chicken?

    • I think it’s strange and unwise for you to ‘fake it.’ if the tics do not come, they do not come. Explain the symptoms you have without making them seem bigger than they are. Faking them will only make your life harder.

  30. Sorry – this isn’t an answer but I have a similar problem. I’m also 16 and over the last few months or so I’ve been feeling an intense need to wink, scrunch one side of my nose and make small, short, single-note humming noises at random times. They usually come in short bursts especially when I’m not preoccupied with doing something else. I used to make the noise when I was younger too but always got told off for doing it and told it was a bad habit (I have other habits too that are definitely NOT tics but there’s no need to get into that). I’ve been able to suppress the urges to wink, scrunch and hum in public and around family and this is what’s leading to me think maybe they are just habits, not tics. They seem too small to be tics? Everything else I’ve read says that tics are big, jerky movements so idk if mine are too small to be counted as tics? I’d really appreciate it if anyone that’s been diagnosed with tics would tell me if they have anything similar?

    • Hello I’m 11 I haven’t told anybody this but I suddenly get an urge to scrunch my eyebrows or shake or bite my lips I tried to convince myself that this is normal but when I was little 2-6 I remember puckering my lips and sliding them across my teeth and also have several symptoms of ocd I also have anxiety attacks (I am not diagnosed)so the question is am I normal

      • I also say things I’m thinking aloud unwillingly and don’t know that I said it until someone points it out

      • Hello, i think you should tell someone, im trying my best to tell someone but im cant because im scared. We can both do it together though. I have self diagnosed myself with tics because i have a lot the symptoms. So try to tell someone and get it checked out! we can do this together!!<3

        • Hey I’m 12 and it’s wierd cause I have ocd,anxiety and when ever I shiver it looks like a tic and loads of people have said that to me , the shivers are me moving my head and having to shake my arms is this a symptom of Tourette’s ? x

      • My cousins and sisters also have had tics but never were taken to the doctor our family always picks on us for it but I can’t even help it sometimes I have the urge to do it and sometimes I don’t know I’m doing it

        • It should not have anything to do with my medicine because I only take loratadine for my allergies and the only reason my mom took me to the doctor for that was because I was constantly sniffing or clearing my throat which could have been a tic also and I would always call her from school because my head hurt from all the mucus buildup in my head and the main office at school told her to because they were sick of me going down there to call her

          • Kids at school don’t even notice but my mom and my uncle that I live with do and pick on me for it my dad noticed but after I told him I couldn’t help it he told me if it got worse to have mom take me to the doctor my mom doesn’t get it at all when I had a anxiety attack on the bus home from school she told me it was because I had my mask on and that’s why I was short of breath,but it wasn’t I was really confused when it happened and I was hungry and lightheaded before which is always what happens when I get stressed out.I didn’t tell my dad when I was on the phone with him but when I went to his house that weekend he found out from my friend who was known to be dramatic and he told me not to tell her nonsense but when I told him that she was there he automatically took back what he said and asked me what it was like I just cried and told him it was scary and he hugged me and gave me a slice of pie but I didn’t eat it because my stomach hurt because I was so anxious

            Thanks for listening

  31. hi so i’m 16 years old and ive noticed that maybe last year or the year before i started jerking slightly and clapping randomly, but recently the jerks have gotten a lot worse and so has the clapping, ive also started making random noise, snnapping, throwing my head back, and hitting myself and my walls randomly and my friend actually noticed it and brought it up that it may be tics…but i told them that i dont want to self diagnose so i dont know i dont want to think it is because like i said i dont want to self diagnose and i dont want to bring it up to my parents because it would sound like i am…and they may not believe me…any tips?

    • It is okay to self diagnose, i have talked to a friend about it, i wanna help as many people as i can because i know that i have tics.. or believe i do because i have a lot of the symptoms. Breathe in and out slowly, that calms tics, and helps you control them a bit. Stressing, getting nervous, happy, excited or sometimes sad, will trigger them. You should tell your parents! so they can get you help and see if you are diagnosed with tics

  32. My name is Fynegan (Fyn), I’m Agender and I’m 13 almost 14.
    Sometimes I’ll be fine and I won’t be too cold nor too hot- and all of a sudden sometimes I’ll have a shiver and my body just violently shakes itself, It’s mostly my head and neck plus my legs and arms that move involuntarily. There is also occasionally a vocal grunt and/or sound that I make unwillingly due to the shiver. I have tried to explain it to my mum -who is becoming someone in the medical field- But, she tells me that it could just be my nerves because I’m getting taller and/or I’m growing through a growth spurt, my bodies adjusting- Ect. These things never happened during my childhood, At least that I know of…These things only started happening this year. But, I’ve been diagnosed with Borderline Personality, MDD, Severe Anxiety Disorder, and some mood swings that look like a stock market diagram. I’m on 15mg of Lexapro and I’m curious whether or not the ‘shivers’ could be caused by the meds, what my mom believes it could be- Or whether or not it’s a sign of Tourette’s.
    I’m confused and frustrated at why my body is doing this.
    I need some answers.
    -Fynegan McGee

    • Hi, I’m Syl (Sylven), I’m nonbinary (they/he/she) and I’m 15. I do the exact same thing, but it’s mostly in my neck, head, and shoulders. I’m also on 15mg of lexapro. I’m also very confused!

    • I’m fifteen and I have the same thing except I’m not on lepraxpro. When I was little though I would do this thing that the doctors thought was most likely a tic but could have also been stimming and over time I’ve been able to control when I do that more and more but over the past few years I’ve also started have chills or shivers proabably more recently 20 times a day whether or not I’m cold or anxious or sick and I don’t know whether this is a tic.

    • hi Fyn. im 16 and i have the same issue. its like a chill down my neck and back as if i was cold (even when im not) and i always twitch my head and neck to one side a few times in a row. i also have what i think are blinking and eyerolling tics but im unsure

  33. I’m 15… and I dont think its tourretts but idk what it is… I will hit myself in the head when I’m stressed and I will randomly twitch… but Its never a big twich.. it looks like if a bug were to land on me and I were to twitch to get it off if that makes sense… I will also make a weird sound with my lips when I’m excited… But I dont think its tourettes because it only happens when I’m overly excited or stressed.

  34. Hi, I’m 14 and for many years, I’ve been having a problem of tapping my stomach and flicking my arms. My parents smack me every time I do them and I tell my mum it may be a tic but she doesn’t care, all I do is get smacked for doing these. Is it a sign of Tourette’s? I can’t stop tapping my stomach or flicking my arms and I’m not sure what it is. It’s been going on for many years now.

    • I’m sorry, precious. My grandson’s father (my son) ignores my suggestions to have my grandson tested for exact same tics. He seems to be afraid or ashamed my beautiful 8 y.o. grandson is not 100% perfect. To me, that’s so selfish. Dont get discouraged. You are a beautiful gift to the world.

  35. Hi I’m 17 and have had really small occasional tics my whole life but haven’t noticed it until now because it’s gotten extremely intense in the past two days. I was fine but then I started grunting a lot and stomping and hitting things. My arms also tend to go onwards towards each other like I’m forcibly crossing my arms. My dad won’t take me to the doctor and as the day goes on it just gets worse. Do you think I have Tourette’s or is it just anxiety like my dad says?

    • I’m eleven and sometimes my head just jerks and I feel a shiver and I’m not sure what it is. It started last year.

      • When I turned 11 I felt the same thing, a shiver and then a sudden movement, usually around my neck area. I am now 14 and they happen a lot more but I am not sure what they count as?

        • ME TOO its not just my head. its my entire upper body. i twitch violently then i get the shivers

        • I have the same thing. It started for me about 1 year ago or maybe a year and a half ago? Anyway I get like a shiver feeling in my neck then it causes me to make clicking noises or whip my head and say things. I haven’t been diagnosed with anything tho so I’m not sure what is going on with me. I also deal with nose twitches and other facial expressions.

          • I’m 12 and I’ll randomly pop my lips or hit something, ( I can usually force stop the hitting before touching objects) is this a sign of TS or TS+?

          • I’m 18 and 3 years ago i started having a twitch like thing, my body suddenly jerks/jolts/moves its slightly different everytime but the basis of it is the same every time, it sometimes makes my arms flail and somtimes makes me stomp but everytime it always looks like im shivering from the cold or something. I dont know if its a tic but I dont know what else it could be or why it would be happening.

          • Smee it started in around 3rd grade and i’m in 7th rn it does not cause a big problem, but hearing loud noises triggers it

        • Im 12 and I randomly hit my head when nervouse or my arms will twitch a lot and i ant control it like right now when im thinking about it my body just does it and when i hit myself it hurts really bad and when i was younger i would lick my finger and i would put my hands donw my shirt and bite my lips and chew my shirts..

        • same but it only started this year and i’m 14 now. Sometimes I clap as well but not as much as the shiver in my neck, upper back and shoulders

        • Me too, I’m 13 and for about 1 year I had this thing where I feel like I’m about to shiver but my head jolts to my shoulder. I always thought it was because I was cold but when it happens I’m in a warm area.

      • Same and I don’t exactly know why but it happens. Also as my head jerks my eyes blink a lot. I always have this feeling or convince myself that I can control it but idk it’s just confusing. It doesn’t happen often but when it does I’m usually on my own. Another thing I do is bite and scratch myself.

    • I’m 11 too and I just started developing symptoms and I just violently twitch mostly my neck, did this ever happen to you?

    • DUUUDE Ive been trying to find someone with a similar experience to me and like our situations are so similar. I never realized I had tics until they got bad about three months ago. I thought I was going crazy because I knew tics didn’t normally start at my age. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized I have had some small tics before. But anyways I was diagnosed with Tourettes yesterday.

      • So u said u were diagnosed with Tourette’s yesterday and I’m not sure if I have it or not so I wanted to ask if these were signs or not :). I’m 14 and a couple of months ago I started making weird faces randomly and smacking my face, randomly moving my arms/hands in weird uncomfortable movements, jerking/rubbing my head against things and making a “Mmmm!” noise while doing that. I think it’s Tourette’s but I don’t want to self diagnose yet. Do u know if this is a sign?

  36. Hi I’m 15 and only recently have started to notice me like twitching and like moving. Before this past two week period i’ve hardly noticed it but I now can’t help but pay attention to it. I may be thinking about it too much and it might be in my head but sometimes it’ll feel like before you shiver and then i’ll jerk my chin or “tense my chin” – basically giving me a double chin lol – and sometimes slightly throw my head back and tense my shoulders or push them together. And only TONIGHT have I noticed that I very occasionally raise or toss up my arm. I am going to keep a log of what’s happening and if they improve or get worse, why and what’s new because I need to know. PLEASE REPLY with any information or ask me questions to help you see if it is TS.

    • Hi Matilda. We can’t offer a diagnosis. Only a doctor can do that. We suggest speaking to your pediatrian and asking for a referral for a neurologist.

  37. Hi. I’m 15 and have never had any real symptoms of Tourette’s except for one. For as long as i can remember, sometimes i feel the extreme need to squeeze or shake some of my muscles (pretty much always upper body). It started happening when i was pretty young (possibly 7-8?), but i can’t remember it ever being an issue before. It kinda came up again back in February. It has recently gotten worse, but it’s still not super often (up to 20 or 30 times a day). It’s pretty much an overwhelming urge to shake both of my arms in front of me or towards my stomach, and it takes a lot of thinking to try and stop it. Most of the time, it happens when i am alone or I’m able to hide it. It also happens mostly when I am excited, happy, or scared. It kinda feels like a bubbling up in my throat and stomach until i release it. I don’t really think it’s Tourette’s, but i can’t think of what else it could be, so I’m wondering if anyone has experienced this or knows what’s happening. I’m also scared that when i go back to school, it will become an issue (but it doesn’t come up as much around other people). Sorry if this was confusing, but I found it really hard to explain (also, i haven’t really told my parents or anyone because I’m not entirely sure it’s an issue and I don’t want to worry them). I do think it could be helpful to note that I have mild ADHD (runs prominently in the family and I have had every symptom since I was young), but I don’t have any other diagnosed disorders.

    • That sounds like it could be an autistic/adhd stim. I’m autistic and have adhd and usually when we get very happy or anxious we feel an overwhelming compulsion to shake or tense up or anything else really. You could look up the symptoms of ASD and ADHD to try find out if you should seek a diagnosis. Stimming is completely okay and is a basic coping mechanism for autistic people to express emotions or deal with stress and sensory input. You probably shouldn’t try to suppress it if it’s not harming anyone and helps you cope with your emotions.

      • Ok good cause the same thing happens to me like when I get stressed out or at the end of the day if I haven’t done anything I think it’s just my adhd but I was worried that it could be ts

    • Hi I’m 13, ever sense people on tiktpk have been coming out and showing their tics onpine. When I see the videos I get random urges to shake, and I jerk my head. I’m not doing it on purpose but I’m just curious. I also get double vision A LOT, to the point it affects my reading and focus in class. So I’m very curious what these things may mean

  38. Hi, I’m 14 and I’m starting to wonder if I have Tourette’s. I get a shiver down my spine constantly and it makes my body shake rapidly, it’s been like that since I was about 7 or 8 years old. I know I’m going to do so but I scream randomly all the time and make strange noises. I’ll stomp around the house most of the time no matter what time it is. The shiver thing feels like a cold chill but it can be almost 90 degrees and I’ll do it, I’ve been asked if I was having a seizure a couple of times because of it. Most of the time the shivers end up with me in a weird position. I also remember that I can hear certain thing and get excited to where I make extremely strange faces. I’d appreciate it if someone could let me know if it’s just me doing it or if it is because I may have Tourette’s.

    • I also just remembered that I crack my joints constantly to the point that it hurts to not do it, sometimes I feel the need to roll my eyes all the way back for no reason at all, I bite my nails and skin off until I bleed, I feel the need to move my legs a lot, I get random itches that won’t go away no matter what I do, and I think last is that I started seeing the clicking comments and clicked me tongue when I moved my leg in a popping motion without even thinking about it.

    • Hi Abel. Make sure you bring it up to your doctor next time you’re in for your yearly check-up or physical. They can recommend a specialist if need be. You or your parents can give us a call if you need help finding a doctor. http://www.njcts.org or 908-575-7350.

  39. Hi. Im 14 and I just randomly started jerking my head to the side and aggressively winking. Sometimes I will click my tongue too. I have also been flexing my chin and neck for more than a year but the head and wink thing started happening just recently. I don’t know if I’ve ever had any early signs that I can remember. I’ve had ocd since I was in 3rd grade i think. I only eat from certain dishes and I have to clean off everything I use no matter how clean it already was and I only do things in odd numbers. I don’t do head jerks and winking when I’m distracted. Should I be concerned?

    • Im 14 as well and I started kinda jerking my head slightly when I was 13. I had thought it was chills until recently I have been jerking it violently and often end up hitting myself. I surpress my urges I feel in my spine to accidentally hit someone knowing I’ll get in trouble. I also would often do things repetitively like shake a pen away from a paper I am trying to write on. I would occasionally say boop and make light humming noises and sometimes repeat a word I hear or see. Most often in chicken and hi. I don’t know why and I’ve talked to my family about how it gets worse when I think about it or when I’m stressed so they say it’s just my anxiety but I was never actually diagnosed with anything. I don’t really know what to do especially since money is tight right now so a doctor isn’t a thing we can just go to and also my family has a hard time understanding. I am not saying I have TS but I am saying that i have been researching all I can and can’t really find much other then TS that accurately describes what is happening other than I am dehydrated and anxious. So I’m a little lost on that but yeah.

      • Another consern I have is that TS doesn’t run in my family so I’m running out of ideas on what to look for

      • I’m 14 almost 15 and I have started tilting my head violently because my dad pointed it out and I now can’t stop but when im at home and calm it doesn’t seem to happen. When I’m out and about and nervous it happens a lot. What is it???

  40. I constantly make sudden humming noises, cough a lot and have the feeling of having to clear my throat. Should I be concerned?

    • hey there dude- i’m 46 and i’ve had ‘stuff i had to do’ my whole life, AS WELL as ‘acid reflux’ in my stomach/ throat…… tics etc aside? acid reflux can make it feel like something is stuck in your throat, or make it feel “minty”…. and one of my first tics was to make humming throat noises…. so….. juz sayn.

  41. My sons has sensory. Input disorder.OCD ADHD and u have seen chew is shirts tell there is nothing theft

  42. Hi, so I’m 15. and last summer I started like blinking my eyes and raising my eyebrows at the same time and it’s still happening (it’s August 2019 rn, this started around June 2018) I was just wondering if it’s a tic and if it’s ever going to go away.

  43. Hello! I’m 16 and I think I might have a tic disorder. I notice I start ticking when I’m nervous, excited, or in a state of sensory overload. My tics are
    rapid eye blinking, nose twitching/facial grimace, grinding teeth, clearing throat, wrist wringing, and repeating other peoples words (echolalia) (I don’t even know when I’m doing it until after, my friend thought i was mocking her but I didn’t even know I was until I said it.)
    I’ve had my grinding teeth tic since I was like first grade. My tics affect my life when I’m in social settings and playing sports. A few of my friends have pointed out and or asked why I make weird faces and why I blink my eyes so much. Should I get checked out?

    • Talk to your doctor next time you go for a check-up. Or if it’s really bothering you make an appointment. Feel free to give us a call if you need help finding a doctor. 908-575-7350.

      • Plz I need help with this, I am struggling more than ever, although I have always struggled to make friends, to not feel like an outsider, and I have always had tics since I can remember the earliest one was both of my pinky fingers on either hand and index occasionally, I should let u know that is one of the tics that has never ever stopped, nail biting has stopped teeth grinding no the sounds, oh my biting my inner lip, ear popping, swallowing constantly, sighing after a drink always, I would go on however I’m rather annoyed ashamed and just embarrassed completely, so I’d rather avoid doing that to myself, since right now I am able to choose, YES! :) Anyway, I have never been tested, not a cat scan, not an EEG or put on any medication for any mental disorders of any such and am quite honestly completely discouraged, I have tried in the past to talk with doctors, idk what I’m doing, I need help with some things, I’m 28 from Wisconsin, plz idk where or what form of doctor or facility to go to nor what to say, or ask? How do I know what I need? Plz advice would be sooo greatly appreciated

  44. Hi there :)
    I am 16 years old and have been wondering if I have a couple of tics. I don’t want to self diagnose so I’ve been trying to find resources and information.
    I have a friend who has diagnosed Tourette’s. She has noticed a few behaviours of mine and has pointed them out to me, and suggested that they may be tics. I haven’t really been sure who to discuss this with. Here’s a quick sum up of what’s been happening:
    – When I was ten years old I started this thing where I’d constantly need to “pop” my ears as though I was about to yawn. I couldn’t help it and it distressed me greatly because I had heard people say it was bad for your ears. I cried about it to my mother one night and she said it would probably go away. It didn’t, although it lessened as the years went on
    – I’m not sure when this started, but I noticed a while back that occasionally I feel something like a shiver up my spine which leads to a jerk. I did not think this was a tic, but I’ve seen many people commenting about this
    – I’ve noticed that if I’m walking beside people and out arms are touching, my arm will involuntarily jerk out and hit their side
    – Perhaps the most obvious one, I have started compulsively saying “ha ha” and I cannot stop it. It began when, funnily enough, I was spending time with my Tourettes friend. I don’t think she noticed but I was quite embarrassed about it. I went out with friends afterwards and it got so much worse. I would say it at the end of every phrase, or it would interrupt sentences. I would feel it building up in my chest. I can’t explain it, although it feels similar to anxiety. My friends laughed and joked about it, but I couldn’t stop. I assumed it would go away but it hasn’t. Often if I hear a loud noise I’ll blurt it out.
    – recently I started a small “hm” sound, which feels very similar to the one above
    I tried explaining this to my parents. They said it was probably caused by anxiety (I have diagnosed anxiety and when I was younger showed OCD symptoms). My family is religious and they claimed that I could be possessed but I don’t think that’s true at all. I’d really like answers if there are any.

    • Hi Olivia – Talk to your doctor next time you go for a check-up. Or if it’s really bothering you make an appointment. Feel free to give us a call if you need help finding a doctor. 908-575-7350.

  45. I’m 14, and recently this year I’ve noticed I’ve been developing a couple of tics like hitting tables/walls, stomping/tapping my foot, or flicking my right wrist where I will do it until I put my middle finger up. They seem to be getting worse and the list is growing longer as the year progresses.

    I think it’s Tourettes but I don’t have any vocal tics and I’ve done a bit of research and tics are supposed to start around 5-10 years of age. I did, however, have this thing when I was a kid where I would feel random shivers up my spine and jerk my body slightly but it hasn’t happened in a while so I’m unsure whether it was a kid being a kid or if it was a tic. So, I’m debating on telling my parents about my theory in case I’m wrong. Should I? Or should I wait a bit longer?

    • Emily – If it’s bothering you, talk to your parents. Tics can start at any time.

  46. I’m 18 coming up on 19 and I’ve noticed for a while a sudden urge to shiver which leads to a jerking movement, i’m not sure if it’s a tic or just a chill down my spine

    • Hi I’m 19 and I get that a lot too it’s almost feels like a jerking motion and I get the chill in my spin as well when is happens I also get a lot of clicking sound as well

    • I’m 15 and I’ve been getting this too. all the time, at school, at home, in the car, everywhere. it’ll be like I’m getting a shiver because i’m cold, but i’m not cold but I can differentiate between them. it’ll cause my body to shake a little and my neck is the biggest movement: a jerk to the side.

    • i get that a lot too! i’m 12 i’ve been looking into it but it’s really bad.

    • Me too I’m 16 and I just started noticing it. I get a chill up my spine to and I jerk either my head or arms. I think it has been going on for a few years but I am just now taking notice because it happens in public now and my friends have asked me. I don’t know what to say because I have never been diagnosed or brought it up to a parent or doctor.

  47. I’m 17 coming up for 18 and I’ve just started reading up on Tourette’s and it’s starting to answer questions for me. When I was around 2 I developed a vocal tic when I would say “eee” for no apparent reason and I couldn’t understand why. At this time I asleep developed a tic where I would put a face a scrunch my hands up, it was completely out of my control. Luckily these tics have stopped but I now have a compulsion to clear my throat and randomly move my head and shiver. I’ve consulted my parents about this but they think that this was a thing every child does, I’ve always wondered what was wrong with me and maybe it was ts all along.

  48. hi, my name is james and i think i may have a tic disorder. i’m pretty sure it’s not tourette’s, because i don’t think i have any vocal tics. however, i do have slight urges to make hiccup sounding noises, but i wouldn’t call it a tic because it really only happens when i’m hyper. i’ve been having tics since i was 6 or 7, my first tic being scrunching my toes and wiggling them. later on it progressed to cracking knuckles, and now i crack my knuckles, toes, neck, back, and palms. but it doesn’t feel like a habit, i feel this weird tingling sensation in my hands or wherever, and it gets worse if i don’t crack them. when i do crack my knuckles or scrunch my toes the feeling goes away for a bit but comes back over and over. the feeling stays even after i’ve cracked my knuckles / neck / etc, and so i just go through the motions even if there is no sound. i’m not sure if this is a tic, but if i see someone do a simple action, such as snapping their fingers i have an urge to do it too. idk, but if anyone has answers they’d be greatly appreciated.

    • I have the same problem! I used to crack/pop my toes a lot a couple years ago and I just recently started doing it again. Now, like you said, I always feel the need to crack/pop them. It kinda starts hurting when I haven’t popped/cracked them for a while. It’s getting to the point where even right after I crack/pop them they still hurt. Also, when I see someone else pop/crack their fingers, I too feel the need to do it.

  49. I am a 14 year old girl and for a school project i decided to do some research on TS and have noticed i have a few things in common with some of the tics mentioned in TS articles etc.
    1)i randomly open my mouth really wide and sort of let out a silent scream (as if it’s just air) and i can’t really help it,it’s like i can feel a burst of energy coming up.it normally happens when im excited.most of the time in public i can control it but if I’m in the presence of others and for example they are not paying attention to me(doing something else) and i feel this “tic” coming up i can control it by just opening my mouth even wider and silently “screaming” but as to which i don’t make any noise so i don’t attract their attention by doing so
    2)a lot of the time when i “silently scream” my left hand feels the need to normally make a fist (sometimes not) and hit my chest,normally twice but sometimes its just once,most of the time it feels like i need to do it as if it’s a cough
    3)i randomly try clearing my throat every couple minutes or so because it feels like there’s something stuck in there even when theres not and i can’t stop until it feels like its gone
    4this one hasn’t happened in a while as i don’t wear glasses anymore,but last year when i did wear glasses I would have sudden urges to push them up even if they didn’t need to be pushed up and the bit I’m worried about is that sometimes i would get this urge to push them up even when i wasn’t wearing my glasses,and it would be like an itch I had to scratch so i would have to put on my glasses and push them up and leave them there for a bit for the urge to go away (even talking about this one makes the bridge of my nose feel funny and i keep having to rub it) i don’t know if I’m worrying about nothing but i hope someone replies to this and doesn’t just refer me to a website,thank you in advance

    • Hi I’m 19 and I’m not sure if I and turret syndrome i don’t believe I do but i have been noticing some small tics that I have been doing as of lately which are .
      . Shoulder shrugged or jerking motion as if a shiver
      . Clicking noises
      . Humming sounds and saying do-do under my breath
      .knuckle popping
      . Small facial movements such as moving my mouth side to side and sometimes nose scrunching.
      This usual occur when I’m at work or under stress and occasionaly at home but when I’m home I don’t noticed them as much .

  50. My hands are covered in scars because I scratch my hands until they bleed without noticing. I’ve been under a lot more stress lately and my friends have picked up on my scratching and they’ll snap me out of whatever daze I’m in and tell me I’m doing it again. It’s been happening more frequently and at this point it hurts to touch the top of my hands and they’re so itchy around the cuts/scars. Is that a common thing for TS or a habit from ADHD, or depression? It’s never been so bad and it started sometime during the summer last year. I had a huge cut from under my thumb cuticle all the way to my wrist. The scratching didn’t start again until recently and I’m kinda becoming worried.

  51. Hi im a 14-15 year old and I think i have ts. I twitch alot and blink my eyes alot even make weird noises with my throat. Sometimes my chest burns. I tried to tell my parent’s and they said the regular docter is not going to do anything we have to go to the special doctors.

    • I’m a 12 year old girl and have had 3 tics for about 1 year my tics are…..
      Head jerking( I do this a lot)
      Exaggerated blinking
      And random movements with my hands
      I have no family history of Tourette’s and this is intofering with my school work. Also it makes it really hard to concentrate. I am to scared to go to my parents and talk about it. ( they don’t seem to be worrying though)

      • SAME!! Ii get that a lot too! i’m 12 i’ve been looking into it but it’s really bad.

  52. I’m 13 years old, and have been showing symptoms for TS since I was probably ten. My symptoms are:
    * scrunching up nose / grimacing (I wear glasses, which might be why I do this, but even so I do it when not wearing glasses and so it might be a potential tic)
    * making a noise where I almost gobble like a turkey. I do this mostly when I get excited, or feel like I’ve gotten a boost of energy that makes me want to twirl my tongue.
    * pushing up my glasses. I do this because there’s this weird feeling on my ear that makes me feel the need to, and it doesn’t go away until I push them up.
    * yelling at random or shrieking… which I do normally while eating.. reason for it is the same as the turkey one
    * twitching my nose like a rabbit / flaring nostrils
    * cracking my knuckles
    * blinking hard because my eyes itch ( this might not be a tic. I don’t think it is, but I but it on here just in case)
    * squinting my right eye when I’m thinking (I just did it) to the point where it looks like I’m winking
    * running a hand through my hair.. this ‘tic’ I’ve only just started recently. Actually, it’s because I watched one of Rowan Kitterman’s YouTube videos about Tourette’s and now I’ve began doing it.

    I’m not sure if I have tourette’s or not. Are these actual symptoms, or am I just crazy? Just recently I’ve actually noticed them, though I’ve had them for a while now. I’m afraid to ask my parents about it, because they might think I’m lying or brush it off (I’ve always been sort of hyper)

    I’m not sure if this matters, but I also have orthostatic hypotension and some symptoms of ADHD (though I haven’t been diagnosed.)

    Can someone please tell me what to do and how to be sure whether or not this is actually TS and that I’m not just going crazy? Also, I’ve noticed several comments saying people should see their school nurse, but I’m home schooled.

    • Hi Autumn. Please talk to your parents and bring it up at your next well visit.

  53. I’m not sure if I’m correct… but I have a slight suspicion that I might have TS. Ever since I was maybe nine or ten (I’m 13 now) I’ve had ‘tics’ (or what I think they might be).

    For example, I do this thing where, normally when I’m eating, I’ll suddenly open my mouth and let out this screech that gets higher in pitch as it goes on. I do it normally because I get this feeling like a burst of energy in my chest that makes me want to do it. I’ll also make random noises that usually happen when I’m moving around. Sometimes I’ll also scrunch up my nose because I feel like there’s something on it (I wear glasses but do it even when they’re off) and twitch my nose like a rabbit at random, not noticing it until I’ve done it several times. I’ve also started running my hand through my hair, which is something I’ve never done before.

    Just mentioning these has made me want to do them. I’m not sure if I have Tourette’s, though. I’m nervous to ask my parents about it because they might think I’m lying, or brush it off because I’ve always been sort of a hyper person.

    I also show symptoms of ADHD (though I’ve never been diagnosed), OCD, and have severe orthostatic hypotension, which, apparently, can be a symptom…

    I’m scared to go to anybody in case I don’t actually have it… because I don’t want my parents to punish me for ‘lying’ about what I think are symptoms.

    What do I do? Is it possible I have it?

  54. Hi im 17 almost 18 and I think I have ticks I constantly blink my eyes, sniffle my nose, scrunch my nose, Stifin my muscles, crack my back, and crack my neck, pick at dry skin,

  55. I’m 14 soon to be 15 and idk if these are tics or what but sometimes throughout the day my head will jerk to the left side and hit my shoulder, I also am constantly biting my lips and picking at the skin around my nails all the time.

  56. hi i’m a 14 year old girl and i think i might have some tics? my like roll my eyes back and blink really fast and i clear my throat at random times. and lately i’ve been shrugging my left shoulder and bringing my head down to that shoulder. i cant control it, and i don’t want to tell my parents because they won’t believe me. what should i do?

    • Try going to the school nurse. Maybe she can help you talk to your parents about it. If it’s something that you are concerned about, they should know.

  57. Hi, I’m 13 and I’ve been suffering from mild twitches for a year or two, but I always hid them around my parents. Recently, they’ve gotten worse and I developed vocal tics such as clicking, whistling, and making a pop noise with my lips. I tried to talk to my mom and she said tics can only involve involuntarily saying things and then claimed it was just anxiety. My grandma agreed with her. What should I do now?

  58. Hi! I’m 12 almost 13 and I don’t know if I have Tourette’s. When I get really anxious or stressed I feel, what feels like chills going up my spine that make me twitch my head or if I listen to something or think of certain things my head jerks really hard and fast to one side.

  59. I am 14 and I think I have torrets.
    Ever since I was young I can remember always feeling the need to hum and grunt etc, then at one point I always felt the need to spin around constantly. I also constantly felt I needed to clench my eyes really hard and roll them back. I now have gone back to the humming and grunting. Will I grow out of it or could it progress to be more severe such as shouting and sudden movements?

  60. Hi, I’m 15 and I think I have a tic but I’m not sure, my arm shakes really hard when I lay down which I don’t know why but it happens for like 5 minutes and then stops and then happens again. Can someone help or explain this to me?

  61. I apparently have been twitching or making weird noises according to my mother but I feel like nothing is happening. Is it common to not know that you are doing such things? I am also 18. I don’t know if it recently started and if it can even start this far into my life.

  62. I apparently have been twitching or making weird noises according to my mother but I feel like nothing is happening. Is it common to not know that you are doing such things?

  63. I’m 14. My neck will start to tic at weird times. If i have a weird almost pain on the back of my neck trying to stop it. I also tend to blink rapidly, and just have random acts of tapping or bending my toes. I have anxiety so idk if just something i do because if it. Also well i start doing it stuff like writing or drawing usually help it.

  64. I recently started sniffing and grimacing and twitching my head every few seconds. Starting to get worried. When I try to sleep I start making mouse noises.

  65. Hello! I’m a 17 year old and from what ik its a genetic disorder right? Do correct me if im wrong.From what ik,none of my family members have tourettes nor tic disorders or so.This year for a while i noticed that I’ve been clearing my throat every 2 seconds and i blinked hard with my left eye and my face twitch to the left.But i can’t be so sure about that.Also,i kept clenching my jaws too but ofc that can’t assure that i even have tourettes.Other than that,I also like to move my toes for no reason.Is it actually possible to have tourettes that’s not from genes? I just wanted to know if this is actually a sign or its just me thinking too much about it.TQ.

  66. Hi im 13 i live in the us i started ticing recently and i even kicked over my table but my family never noticed anything and now im in alot of pain and i think its caused by it and i dont know what to do somone please help

  67. I started ticcing maybe 7 months ago. IR was just clearing my throat. It evolved into also having to cough, coughing till almost vomiting and sniffing. I also open my mouth really whide and sometimes I blink rapidly and roll my eyes back. My parents don’t think there is anything wrong at all. I’m afraid to adress the issue cause they didn’t belief me other times (like when I tould them about my suspision of having ads what was later confirmed by a doctor) and that they will again say I’m doing it for attention. I don’t know how to even start the conversation or shohld I just go to a doctor first and talk to them? :/ I’m 16 by the way and feel really helpless about all of this

    • Hi Noel, Please see your doctor or school nurse. Visit Youtube or Twitter and search for other teens who are living with TS.

    • Noel, Hi my name is Jackie and I’m 49 and have a 9yr old grandson who lives with me. I just want u too know u are never alone! There is help and support for u! I would encourage u to reach out to an aunt, uncle,grandparent or a trusted teacher. You may also conside a close friends mom or dad.
      Please post an update! My Thoughs and prayers are with you!

  68. My husband is suffering from Tourettes l have three kids first two were born with age different of three years but my third child was born after 17 years my two elder are ok no Tourette sign but third child who is 3years now recently l have noticed that he tic as his father and also gets angry with people l don’t now what to do l am worried l never took any medicine while carrying him l am worried how will my son life will be

  69. I’m 12 and I just started randomly jerking my neck back. It happens mostly when I’m sitting or lying down, and sometimes it’s so violent I get cramps all through my shoulders and down my spine. I can stop it, but it feels like I’m holding back a cough. I also sometimes make a small sound in the back of my throat that’s barely noticeable, and this is usually while I’m writing something down. I sometimes shout in small, quick bursts and I play it off as though I did it on purpose so my friends don’t think I’m crazy, but it just happens randomly. Sometimes I take a huge breath in and tighten up my chest.

    I have been diagnosed with severe depression and mild anxiety, and I’m not sure if my twitches are because of anxiety or actual tourette’s. I also have asthma, so the breathing one might not be a tic.

    I’m not entirely sure what to do.

    • My face just randomly twitches like near my eyes,nose,cheeks and forehead is that an early sign of Tourette’s?!

  70. i also forgot to mention that my knees start to shake so fast when more than two people re looking atme and i physically cant stop it …i also have been swallowing for no reason at random times

    • Hi Mckay….please speak to your parents who may bring you to the pediatrician. You can also reach out to your school nurse for support. You are definitely not alone.

  71. I am 14 years old and I sometimes flick my wrist, twitch my head , make weird groaning noises…I can stop myself but I when i do I feels like for example holding in a sneeze and I just have to let it out. Please help.I dont know what to do.

    • I’m 14 too and similar things are happening to be as well, I don’t flick my wrists as often, but whenever a tic leaves another shows up. I started to make a clicking noise in the back of my throat (especially when I’m eating) and it won’t stop. And I also find myself caughing all the time, I’m starting to get a little worried what’s wrong, but I hopefully I’ll just grow out of it all.

        • Hi Preston. Yes, you may outgrow it. Either way, bring it up to your pediatrician at your next visit.

  72. My son is 5 and has always blinked his eyes and he licks his face until the skin is off. I had his eyes tested but they said he was to young. He was two at the time. Nothing wrong with his speech or mind. I always just called them tics but afyer watching americas got talent I saw a man that reminded me so much of Michael. I live in Grand Rapids Mi. Where woyld I take him? Primary?

  73. Although at 7 ( I am now 77) I showed classic signs of tourretts it went undiagnosed as it was not widely known about those days. Then my daughter 25 was diagnosed at London hospital for nervous deseases. Now my grandson ( from another daughter) has been diagnosed at 7 (now 15 also OCD) a high achiever he is constantly being bullied by a certain teacher who is constantly telling him to stop fidgetting , etc.the school are aware of his TS and My grandson has tried explaining about it but the teacher will not hear of it. Even told him he does not have TS as he knows what it really is! He now threatens to E mail his mum whenever he forgets etc. Indeed the teacher is constantly e mailing my daughter complaining he cannot stand his fidgetting and loud voice but he refuses to stop!.ALL l his teachers give him A+ this one C & D’s ! The child loses time off school frequently due to regular surgery! Now this is really upsetting him, which adds to the severity of the TS for which he has medication. Coming upto his O level year I worry as his confidence is falling and he now reacts to the teacher in a way alien to how he has been brought up. It is bordering on bullying from the teacher! Who also has problems with other children. What do we do without making matters even more embarrassing for him. I am proud of how he has dealt with his TS over the years and know he has a long battle ahead with people’s ignorance of the disorder.

  74. i’m 15 and long recntly has my thigh be gone “tics” (or so i think) it happens mainly whenever i lay on it but it had gone away for a few days and now it’s back, suggestions?

  75. I’m a 13 year old boy and I think I have turrets syndrome because I will blow on my hands or start to rub my hands on my face for a few seconds and then it stops please if anyone can give me answers please reply

    • Hi Mike. You should talk to your parents and your pediatrician, especially if it’s been going on for a while.

  76. My name is ben and i have been twitching my nose voluntarily very often like every 5 seconds i like it at that moment but i also want to stop i dont know if this is a tic or what

  77. My name is Ben and i have been twitching my nose voluntaraly and i like doing that but at the same time i want to stop.

  78. Hey. So idk it I have it or not. But lately I’ve been “ticking” (btw I’m 13 and could possibly have anxiety disorder and depression I haven’t been diagnosed but my mom and friends think I do)and idk if they are tics. But I’ll gerk my head to the side, make my shoulders go up to my neck (like a turtle) sometimes not often I’ll say f you or f off or sniff intensely. And I don’t think my mom has noticed and normally when I tell her things she blows it off her shoulders.

    • Hi Jack,
      Have you talked to the school nurse? Perhaps they can reach out to your mom.

  79. Some one please help.
    I am a 14 year old girl.

    So I’ve been ticing, if they actually are tics.
    I’ve always ticed, ever since I was a little kid in primary school. I would mention it to my parents and they would ignore it, I thought it was an issue.
    All of these happened quickly.

    1.my arm will randomly twitch out and I usually tingle a little before but I won’t actually realize it’s happened until after.

    2.my head will tilt to the side my eyes will scrunch and my arms will come up to my chest in a fist shape. this one has been happening for a long time. my parents have even witnessed this but won’t take me go the doctor.

    2.my head will twitch to the side and my eyes will scrunch.

    3.i was watching a Rowan video and he was ticing really bad and I started to twitch really bad again and I know that when others with Tourettes see someone else with it tic, it’s usually a trigger and they tic.

    4.my head will turn to the side and up a little twice.

    4.i blink an unusual amount, even mentioning doing it is making me do it.
    That’s how it’s been mentioning all of these, I’ve done the head ones alot since talking about them but the arms ones haven’t happened often this week.

    5.i comb my hand through my hair nonstop, people always comment on why I’m doing it but I don’t know. People always comment on why I’m doing this stuff but I have no explanation.

    6.ill make this hiccupish noise?? It’s very hard to describe. My parents have heard it multiple times. They’ve heard/seen all if this.

    7.my vision randomly blurs. Once again, I’ve mentioned that to my parents and they have ignored it. I want to go to the doctor. People ask me what I’m doing and I have no explanation. I want to have an explanation, not even for them but for me. Someone respond so I have any sense of idea what my be wrong before confronting my parents.
    Please help, I want to figure what is wrong with me.

  80. Hi, I’m a 14-year-old female who has been having the same ‘tics’ (if they even are tics) for a while now. The one I’ve had for the longest is jiggling my left or right knee, or feet when I’m sitting, and jerking my neck until it feels ‘normal’ again. My other one is cracking my neck and fingers repeatedly. The one I get the most is cracking my neck and jerking my neck. Whenever I’m about to jerk my head I get this rising feeling and it feels like I need to do it or it will just stay there. I was watching some stuff about Tourette’s Syndrome but idk if I have it. I don’t have any vocal tics, but I’ve had these ones for more than 4 weeks. I might also mention I have mild possible ADHD, and severe anxiety and depression. Please help.

    • I forgot to mention I took an OCD test and it said I have high OCD. Another tic I might have is that whenever I try to resist jerking my neck I always yawn immediately after. I just yawned. “Your score: 82
      A score in this range indicates that your obsessive and/or compulsive tendencies are very high and well above the “normal” range.

  81. I keep on stretching my arms and legs randomly and it’s becoming uncontrollable pleas help

    • I do the same thing where I stretch my wrists and extend my arms all the way. I also get weird twitches in my legs. Also maybe once a day I get a neck jerk. Please tell me what’s happenining. Thank you.

  82. My son has just turned 8 and his behaviour is becoming a concern. He is always smelling his fingers for as long as I can remember he has also just started blinking a lot and eye rolling, he does this every 15 mins all day long. He also has explosive rages for the littlest things and becomes very violent, the gpnis referring him to Camhs but the wait is very long I believe. Any advice or help would be greatful.

    • Hi Gemma, my son had tantrums too, we put him on the Feingold diet and they stopped. Look into that, give it a try and see if that helps. He is a teen now, and can tell if he eats anything with the dreaded “artificials”, his brain feels different. He was diagnosed with celiac last year, removing gluten put an end to all his adhd symptoms. I hope you find answers.

  83. I’m 14 and I’ve always had habits but I don’t know if these are habits because they seem repetitive and hard to control. I flex or “twitch” my arm, I move my neck, constantly pop my fingers, and flex/ twitch my legs, I also constantly adjust my clothes. Someone please help me understand because it makes me embarrassed when people ask why my arm is twitching or why I’m moving my neck.

  84. hey my name is kailey i am 13 years old and i am not sure what it is but my family and i have been noticing that my spine, neck, shoulders, and head violently or just barely noticeable shiver or twitch, my legs and arms have also randomly twitched. i also bite or scratch skin off of my legs arms and hands. and i have strange impulses to burn my arms on hot metal. i have been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, ptsd, depression, dissociation, and anxiety. i was wondering if you can tell me what you think about my situation

    • Try seeing a psychiatrist not because ur crazy but because this doctors specialize with kids with different disorders my kids see one and there doing great good luck

  85. Hello. For years now I’ve had a fine tremor in my hands, my father has very violent tremors they said he had Parkinson’s. I’m 17. Also when I place just my toes on the floor I start having severe tremors in my legs and hands. I also have facial tic when I get nervous, and I constantly pop my jaw. Also sometimes when I think things I say them without realizing, until afterwards. My brother has TS but it is not as severe as the stereotypical cases. I was thinking that I probably have it as well. But I wanted to know if this could have been caused by a blunt force injury to my lumbar spine.

  86. I have started these tics and I can’t stop. I am only eleven. They are so hard to control. I also have eye blinking.

    • Try seeing a psychiatrist not because ur crazy but because this doctors specialize with kids with different disorders my kids see one and there doing great good luck give it a try

  87. I don’t know if I have TS or not, I would really like it if some one helps me. Here are some repetitive habits that come and go.
    1. Finger cracking: I curl my pinkie finger up several times, creating a disturbing sound, until I realize that I’m doing it.
    2. Shaking leg: My left leg just starts shaking when more than three people are looking at me.
    3. Humming: I will start humming when either I’m studying, doing a test, completing school work, and when nobody I’m familiar with is around.
    4. Fingernail and skin biting: I’ve had this problem since I was 10. I bite my fingernails until I can’t anymore, then I start on the skin around my fingernail. I stop when it either hurts to much, or its bleeding.
    5. Uncontrollable anger: I get angry at the smallest of things (random noises, school work, can opener not working, etc) and I feel the strong urge to break or rip something.
    6. Lip biting: I usually bite my lips until they bleed, a few times I just kept going until my shirt was covered. (I’ve been to the nurse way too many times because of this)
    7. Whenever I hear or see the word tourette, I shiver heavily.

    • Olivia,
      We would suggest making an appointment with your family doctor to go over your symptoms. We are here if you need us. NJCTS, http://www.njcts.org, 908-575-7350.

    • Try seeing a psychiatrist not because ur crazy but because this doctors specialize with kids with different disorders my kids see one and there doing great give it a try good luck

    • I don’t think that is Tourettes. You usually realise that you’re doing something when you tic. Like of finger cracking was your ticket, you’d instantly realise you were doing it.
      1. Finger cracking is probably more of a habit than a tic.
      2. Your leg shaking could could be a tic, but it seems to be more of an issue with (social) anxiety than Tourettes. (Though, anxiety and Tourettes often go hand and hand with each other. You might be ticcing from your anxeity if you have Tourettes).
      3. Humming is most likely a tic. Not much to say about that one.
      4. Your finger and nail biting probably isn’t a tic. People bite their fingers all the time. Even to an extreme way like you do. I even bite my fingers like that. (I have OCD and can’t stop biting unless my fingernails or skin are straight and not bumpy and jagged). Tics are usually quick uncontrollable movements or sounds. Biting your nails and skin probably isn’t one of them.
      5. Uncontrollable anger probably isn’t a tic either. Tics aren’t emotional, they’re physical. Feeling the urge to rip or break something could be a sign of Tourettes, but because it is accompanied by anger, that makes me think there’s more of an anger issue kind of thing. I can’t say what specifically, but you should probably look more into that online or with a doctor. Or, you could always just be really stressed and frustrated. That could also be a cause. However, Tourettes never comes alone. So if you do have anxiety, ADHD, OCD, or some sort of emotional disorder (like getting mad all the time for example), then you’re also more likely to have Tourettes.
      6. Lip biting probably isn’t a tic. Like I’ve said before tics are uncontrollable and quick and you’d be able to notice them. Lip biting could be something like anxiety or a bad habbit. Something like that.
      7. Shivering when you hear Tourettes could be a tic. Hearing the word might be a trigger for one of your tics. I shiver whenever I hear certain words too. And I start ticcing if I hear, see, or think about certain things. Even seeing someone else tic makes me tic.

      You might have a few tics, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Tourettes. You could just have these tics on their own, or you could have another tic disorder. Tourettes needs to have both motor (arm, legs, eyes) and vocal (sounds made with your mouth) tics to be Tourettes (though both motor and vocal don’t have to be present at the same time).

      I would recommend you going to a doctor to ask about some of these. Some of these seem quite severe and symptoms of other serious things.

  88. I am not sure what it is but my body shakes uncontrollably, once a week. It just looks like I’m shivering but I can’t control it. I have no idea what it is. I know I’m not shivering because you can kinda control that and it’s happened in different places. I also have had it for as long as I can remember and I also have a lot of stress, I’m not sure if that has anything to do with it. If anyone could help me figure out what it is that would be a huge help!

  89. I don’t know if I have TS but sometimes I can feel myself start to boil over for no reason sometimes I’ll be petting my dog or cat and I’ll get a sudden burst of anger to the point where I could punch soneone. On top of that when I do get mad the only way for me to calm myself down is to hit a wall or something of that such not only that if I’m asleep or almost asleep if someone touches me I freaking out and almost hit them or scream at them then lay my head back down then I realize what I’ve done just the other day I was at school and a girl grabbed my side and I freaked out and cussed her out in the middle of class I don’t know if that is a sign but it seems like it plus when I was little I would always chew on my shirt or jacket but now I bit my nails to the point where they bleed sometimes with out realizing that im doing it not only that the slightest bit of pain will make me freak out. Just the other day I tripped and cut my hand open and I pinched a wall and throw a chair in a river not being able to stop myself im not sure what to do about it… Please comment back!

  90. Hey. I need help. I’m not sure but I think I have Tourette Syndrome. I’m constantly biting my nails and the skin around them, clearing my throat, swallowing for no reason, shaking my knee, and doing this weird eye trick where I kinda shake my eyes (involuntarily). I can control the eyes most of the time, but I’m a little nervous about everything else. Any tips?

    • Hi Jay. We would suggest seeing your family doctor and getting direction from him/her. If you need help with resources, you can give us a call at 908-575-7350.

    • U might wanna see a psychiatrist my son sees one and it has helped him alot he has adhd,tics,tourettes,mood disorder, there is medication and help as long as u get the rite doctor to help

    • Try seeing a psychiatrist not because ur crazy but because this doctors specialize with kids with different disorders my kids see one and there doing great give it a try good luck

    • Try seeing a psychiatrist not because ur crazy but because this doctors with kids with different disorders my kids see one and there doing great give it a try good luck

  91. My son is 14 and he makes these funny noises sniffs all time sometimes facial exspessions and now swearing under his breath. Doc sending to see a neurologist do you think this could be a tic

    • U might wanna try seen a psychiatrist my son sees one not because his crazy but they help kids with all different kinds of disorders o have two boys and my boys psychiatrist is the best has help me understand and has giving them the rite medication and they have a normal life

  92. Hi, I am wondering if anyone can give any advice or point me in a direction with further help.
    I have a 6 yr old son that has behavioural problems and separation anxiety we have currently been working with camhs for the past yr an a half, we r currently seeing a psychologist, psychotherapist every week and now talk of seeing a psychiatrist too, I have attended a parenting course and we have been referred to family support also which is due to start this week and I am currently battling with his school which has known about behavioural issues since he started there but still don’t feel we are getting anywhere.
    Only now just turning 6 have we started the process of whether he has a neurological problem, My sons behaviour is out of control and I fear for his safety as he is so impulsive, without detailing too much in case I don’t get a reply he has suddenly started having which I can only describe as ticks where he is sticking up his middle finger, swearing verbally, spitting and grinds his teeth, when I have spoke to my son about it he says he can’t help it, all he knows is that he gets a funny feeling in his body before he does this and he doesn’t always realise but it doesn’t make him feel any better it just builds up and he does it again he gets that frustrated over it he will hit himself in the face and head which starts off a meltdown, We together are trying to try out new strategies as to overcome this as this is taking a big knock on affect to our lives and I feel I need to find more support and strategies to be able to help my son.

    • You sound like you are doing a lot to help your son. Just be patient, listen to your gut and look into alternative therapies as well as keeping up with your doctor and specialists.

    • I meant to add, try looking for a good kinesiologist who specialises in NET.

    • Try seeing a psychiatrist not because ur son is crazy but this doctors work with kids with different disorders my kids see one and there doing great give it a try good luck

  93. hi,im a 15 year old girl and ive been having these occurances where i shudder, and i make i strange noise,or like i have these random moments when i just shout and i can kinda feel it when it rising.
    i dont know whats going on and i dont have tourettes. please someone help.

    • Honey, that DOES sound like tourettes. Have you been seen by a doc who specializes in tourettes? Keep in mind that other conditions tend to coexist with tourettes, like OCD. When one has a compulsion to act (or a tic that cannot be “controlled”), it’s like when others have an itch. We can TRY to ignore it, but unless we express the action, scratching, that itch is going to continue to “call” to us and bother us.
      You are not “abnormal.” We all have “stuff” to deal with. You deserve a thorough eval and answers, because they will then EMPOWER you to have a voice for yourself, to educate others and to live without unnecessary fear. I wish you the very best in seeking those answers.
      Peace! ~A mom of an 18 year old diagnosed with Tourettes, OCD, and ODD at age 8.

  94. Hi so im not sure if this is one but recently out of no where I will giggle at nothing but i can just feel it. Im fourteen and im not sure if it van start this late?

  95. My son is 9years old. Not sure if he has TS but a few weeks ago his eye started twitching/blinking and his head/neck jerks when this happens. I have made him an appointment to see a doctor but have not been yet….has anyone else experienced this?

  96. So I’ve been there 4 things a lot for a while, I’ve been
    •chewing on my mouth and peeling the skin of my hands and lips
    •taking in a big breath and then letting go
    •biting the side of my tongue
    •pushing\stretching the back of my gums and mouth
    •this weird blink were I try to blink really hard
    •and for some reason I’ll put my hand down my pants and just sit there
    So that’s what I do and if I if I stop trying to do these things it starts to irritate me. So can some one kinda tell me if I have a tic disorder or something

    • Yes, Olivia. Those are symptoms of Tourettes. Ask your parents to make an appointment with your family doctor, who can refer you to a doc who specializes in diagnosing tourettes. My daughter has it as well (and you share the same name.) The doc who diagnosed her,…also has tourettes (the sky is the limit; tourette syndrome will NOT keep you from a wonderful future.)

  97. After reading this, I realized that I’ve had tics since I was very young. I never realized that tics could be things such as chewing, blinking, or lip licking/biting. I’ve been doing these for as long as I can remember. Knowing this actually makes me feel better because, since my tics are very visible now, I can tell people I’ve always done them. They were just extremely hard to see.

  98. Hey I’m a 12 yr old female and I’ve been noticing mild things that could just be normal. So lately I’ve been chewing on the inside of my lip and chewing off the dry skin til it bleeds. I’ve been rolling my eyes randomly once every two days maybe? But today I was with my girlfriend and she said “I don’t know” to one of my questions and it really doesn’t annoy me, just aggravates me for 0.2 seconds. And I yelled, “FUCK!” in the middle of the hallway and lashes out my arms in a spasm way, then I ran off. I’m so confused because I didn’t even try to do it? It happened right away and it felt like a shiver going up your spine when your cold.

  99. My 5 year old son is having some issues with a possible tic, I am not exactly sure what is going on. It started about a year ago he would blink repeatedly. Then a few months later he would wrinkle his nose and squint. We found out he had to have glasses so we chalked it up to a vision problem. But since he has had his corrective lenses this hasn’t change, but gotten worse. He is now along with the facial movements, moving his shoulders and one arm. The movements are always the same. I notice it multiple times a day. His teacher has mentioned it being a tic. He has also had bouts of rage/anger that have come from nowhere. Can anyone tell me if this is a symptom of TS? I am making him a doctors appointment in the morning, but I am just trying to understand what the possibilities are.

  100. My son is about to turn 8 years old and has always had weird “ticks” since he was about 2 years old. At first it was rubbing his fingers together before he would turn the page in an book, or pick up a toothbrush, or hold a fork. Then it changed to twitching his arms, to blinking his eyes, to making a circle with his fingers to look through, to pulling on his lip, and now smelling his fingers. These “ticks” usually last 6 to 8 months before he moves to a new one. He usually does them a minimum of 10 to 15 times a day – sometimes more than 25 times. He is very social and loves to play sports. His ticks seem to escalate when extremely active. For example, right now he is playing football which is one night a week practice and one day a game. During baseball season he would have practice 4 nights and 2 nights games and that is when we saw his ticks happen more often. He is extremely bright (advanced academically), can’t sit still unless he has a screen in front of him, and very absent minded. Do you think he could possibly have tourettes? I have never noticed a vocal tick before?

    • Take ur son to see a psychiatrist not because ur son is crazy but this doctors work with kids with different disorders regular doctor can help but are not specialize in those areas my kids see one and there doing great good luck

  101. Hi!

    I’m a teenage girl with no professional diagnosis for anything other than prescription glasses (although I believe I might have G.A.D and possibly slight depression), but recently I’ve started noticing that I make weird movements that I can’t help, and some compulsive-type things.

    I pick my lips *a lot*, and nine-times-out-of-ten cause them to bleed (I pick them increasingly often if I’m stressed or upset, also), and make this type of throat-clearing noise, which if I don’t do makes me feel like I have something in my throat, although it sounds more like gargling without water.

    My legs and fingers also twitch sometimes, although they aren’t major, and I don’t appear to have any facial tics that I’ve noticed. I feel like I’m being a pest and overreacting, so I’m sorry if there’s something I’m missing that’s painfully obvious.

    • Hi Endre! Do not worry about over reacting. If something is worrying you, talk to someone about it. Give NJCTS a call at 908-575-7350 to get a recommended doctor in your area.

  102. Hey, so I was kind of just wondering. I have been noticing I have quite a few tics. I twitch, chew my nails and I don’t know all the time that I am doing it, my eyes twitch, I bite my lip, I do mumble, hum, and I have noticed recently that I sometimes will say totally random words uncontrollably. My mother is accusing me of faking it as a joke, and I know I am not. I don’t shout it, but I just say a word, I can’t stop it from coming out. I said terracotta the other day when she and I were taking a walk and talking. I kind of just am confused. If anyone has any idea on what the problem is, I would love to hear your opinions. Also, how do you get diagnosed for tourettes?

    • HI! its been the same for me too. i will say random things like “Popcorn” and “Bubbles” alot and my head a shoulders twitch, but i feel mine coming so then I leave the room as my brother has tourettes since he was born and i dont know if my mom will believe it. :( I think you get diagnosed from a doctor btw.

  103. My 5 year old son has been having some concerning behavior and complaints, and I am starting to suspect TS. He does grimace, and he will make noises like growling in a way that disrupts class. He does blink in a strange way sometimes too. He has recently started to tell me he “feels weird” or he feels confused, and that he feels like there are too many memories in his head. On several occasions he has said he just doesn’t feel right. He has refused to participate in certain activities also with no explanation, and will just sit there and not engage. Obviously I want to help him, but I don’t want to put any ideas in a doctors head about what might be going on… the power of suggestion. Do these sound like things you felt?

    • It’s great that he’s able to convey to you how he feels. I would first start a discussion with your primary. In order for it to be diagnosed as tourette’s it needs to be present for a year. With ts, often comes other conditions . To me, it sounds like he could be describing anxiety. When my daughter becomes overwhelmed and anxious, she”ll flat out refuse to participate in activities.

    • Grimancing blimking and vocal noises is tics. Tourettes is also usually accompanied by Anxiety…. ocd…. Adhd…. aspergers… I know very well I have 2 boys one with Tourettes Anxiety Aspergers…. The other just Tourettes.

    • See a psychiatrist not because ur son is crazy but this doctors specialize with kids with different disorders my kids see on and there doing great give it a try good luck

  104. Hi I’m only 13 but I have some questions. Ever since I was like 7 I would do this weird thing where I would like rock back and forth against a wall and I don’t do that as much anymore but I rock on my one foot while standing. I also bite my lip a lot for no reason and I have this weird thing where my left shoulder jerks or rolls back like I’m stretching unexpectedly. My neck also jerks some times. I just don’t know what it is and when I heard about this I was worried that I might have Tourette’s. Should I be concerned?

    • Hi Emily! What you’re describing may be tics or maybe not, only a doctor can make a Tourette diagnosis. Give NJCTS a call at 908-575-7350 to get a recommended doctor in your area.

    • U can try seeing a psychiatrist my kids see on and there doing great,this doctors specialize with kids with different kinds of disorders good luck give it a try

  105. So our daughter is 7 and we’ve had done big changes over last 18 months in her life with 2 new siblings and moving into different home. She’s always appeared to struggle with paying attention and focusing-very easily distracted and highly sensitive with everything-feels things so extreme. Over last 6 months I’ve noticed very strange repetitive movements a hop on one leg, neck jerk, eye roll to upper right and sometimes overly smule liked forced. The newest one is she will twirl or spin. Is it normal for their to be so many? Is dte just a kid starved for attention or does stress exacerbate symptoms of TS?

    • Stress can absolutely exacerbate tics but only a doctor can make a TS diagnosis. Give NJCTS a call at 908-575-7350 to get a recommended doctor in your area.

    • Hi Jessica,
      How is your daughter? My daughter seems to have similar tics for quite a while now? Wondering if you did anything about them?
      Thx

  106. My younger sister has developed a tic in her face, should I be concerned? She twitches her mouth and her eyes get wide and then she mellows out. But it’s not that noticeable. My family have been concerned about it for a few days. We would like to know if it’s serious and we should take her to the doctor?

    • It’s hard to say for sure but I understand your family’s concern. Give our office a call at 908-575-7350 so we can help you with some next steps.

  107. My mother always tells me that my tics are just nervous tics from my anxiety and never bothers to take me to the doctor about it, since I had a CAT scan a few years ago and they found nothing. I know that in order to have Tourett’s you have to have at least two motor tics and one vocal tic. I have at least four motor tics and one, if not two, vocal tics. Is there a way to determine whether or not I have nervous tics or Tourett’s?

    • You need one vocal and one motor tic to be present for at least a year in order for it to be diagnosed as tourette’s. A neurologist could help with diagnosis.

  108. I don’t know if this IS TS or something else entirely, but there are times when I feel like this weird shiver-like? feeling and a strong head twitch, my hands/fingers twitch fairly often, and my legs spasm a bit as well, shrug thing in one shoulder. There’s also this really strange noise that I’ve made a few times every day for the past 2-3 years, if I try to suppress it it becomes painful and it feels like my throat is closing up. I get asked constantly if I’m okay, or if I have to go to the hospital.

    I was watching some tourettes documentaries today and I suddenly had a fear that it might be what’s wrong with me.
    There’s not really one thing that happens constantly throughout the day, but it’s usually a mixture of several different things. Some answers to this would be greatly appreciated! I’ve been wondering about it for a long time.

  109. Reading this helped me to believe that my 9 year old son has TS and or TS+. He has a bad raw rash around his top and bottom lip. He constantly, every 5 seconds licks, bites, and opens his mouth wide like he is stretching it or trying to pop his hears. He can’t control it, and half the time doesn’t know he is doing it. It breaks my heart to watch him go through this, because everything burns his lips and it looks so horrible like he has clown make-up around his mouth. Is this so serious he needs a doctor asap!? Or is there a medicine that can help with TS and or TS+over the counter or prescribed by a specialist?

    • i think that you should seek treatment for the rash (if you haven’t already) and then decide if he has it. commonly in children, when they have chapped lips or bumps in there mouths, they try to relive the itch or burn by licking the area, widening your mouth also temporarily helps the pain. my brother has chapped lips quite frequently, and does the same thing, although, he isnt a very good example, he also has tourette! hopefully this helped! <3

      • Your absolutely right! My son Eugene also had rashes when he was younger, about 8 years old, we also found out he only had rashes. We found out it was actually impetigo. It scared the living hell out of me when I first saw it. We made the same mistake of seeing a specialist, but later found out what it actually was. I would advise you to see a doctor to get some medication.

      • i agree, my son was recently diagnosed with impetigo, im almost certian that is what your son has, The main symptom is red sores that form around the nose and mouth!

    • Yes my son has TS and does the exact thing urgggg I use Releev at Walmart 2 days it works magic. I put it on the rash surrounding his lips which looks terrible and it is an antifungal.

  110. I don’t know how old this blog is but, I was on YouTube watching random stuff and then a thing on Tourette Syndrome came up. I was fascinated and I clicked on the video. After I watched the video my head started twitching and I kept opening my mouth and this carried on for about an hour. I knew I was doing the stuff but I had to do it and I was like “what on earth is happening?”. Now everytime I watch a video of someone having tics, I like have a head twitch for an hour but I don’t have Tourette’s. Do you have any clue what it is?

    • Probably the mirror neurons. I read in Psychology that there are neurons in the brain that help us think and act like the people we watch.

    • Tourettes Syndrome is transferable. If you are watching videos of it you need to take breaks in between or during the videos.

    • I was so happy to come across your post because the exact same thing happens to me. I was watching someone tic on YouTube and I started to tic, get a stinking headache and my vision was badly affected. I don’t have and never have had Tourettes. I do have brain damage after a haemorrhage.

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