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Conditions and Diseases > Neurological Disorders Forum > Is This Tourettes, Or Something Else?
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Q: Is This Tourettes, Or Something Else?
asked by: philphil on October 24th, 2006
New User
My current symptoms:

it isn't exactly a twitch, but I am reguarly compelled to close my eyes very tight and roll them back, putting major strain on them. I feel a buildup up tension before doing this and even though I try to hold back, it gets to the point where I must perform this. Sometimes i'll do it 5 or 6 times in a row. More often when I am stressed out, or bored. (this happens mostly while I am driving, which is dangerous because I drive for a living). My tics also manifest themselves as my needing to look at things a certain way.. For example, I am constantly turning my head to the right to line up my vision with the top of my passenger side mirror. Again, I will do this more than a few times in a row until i'm able to snap myself out of this. If I feel the need to do this, I can hold back for a few moments before I either do it accidently or kind of blow up, doing it many times in a row.

Sometimes I get (what I call) the "blinks" where I blink a few times in a row very hard straining my eyes at the same time (sometimes I slightly jerk my head while doing this).

History:
i've had these symptoms regularly for almost 20 years but have never had them diagnosed. I remember being 7 years old and having to kind of jerk/shake my head constantly and uncontrollably. Most often, I feel the urge coming on and can do little to keep myself from doing it, otherwise its a mental struggle to stop.

When I was 12/13 I would constantly roll my eyes to the back of my head, being made fun of at school for it. At this same time frame, I was also doing something weird with the muscles in my mouth, stretching out very quickly into a kinda of large smile in a jerking fashion.

What should I do about this? I've brought it up once or twice in therapy but my therapist suggested I relax more and breathe deeply when I feel the urge, stating that it was stress related. Sometimes I blink when i'm not even stressed out..Sometimes just thinking about my tics brings them on. It is beginning to interfere with work..
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blulyneguy
replied on January 9th, 2007
Experienced User
Ts?
Sounds alot like ts (touretts syndrome). Your "therapist?" should refer you to a neurologist. I have stories about all kinds of "experts" telling people about stress, or anxiety, or whatever. There is no definitive test for ts (just history and observing) but sounds like could be ts or transient tic disorder. Any vocal tics? (grunts, sniffling, breathing funny, clicking of tongue?)
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