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Key Takeaways:

• Mindfulness exercises create oases of calm amid ticcing episodes  
• Returning to the breath builds capacity for equanimity in discomfort
• Regular practice reduces control tics have, though they still arise

As someone who has struggled with debilitating motor tics for over 20 years, I know firsthand how an anxious, overactive mind can drive these involuntary urges. When my thoughts are racing and my nerves are frayed, the ticks ramp up like a storm raging inside me. 

In my healing journey, I've learned just how powerful meditation can be for quieting the mind and body. Even short periods of conscious breathing create moments of stillness that offer refuge. 

I'd like to share a simple mindfulness exercise that has brought me back to tranquility during difficult ticcing episodes. 

Finding a comfortable seat, I close my eyes and start taking slow, full breaths. But not just shallow chest breathing - I direct each inhalation down into my belly....

Key Takeaways:

• Judgment from others increased self-blame and perfectionism
• Pushing down nose tic just spread it; fighting made issue worse
• Self-acceptance regardless of others' opinions brought freedom

I was just entering my teens when the nose tic first appeared. Out of nowhere, my nose would violently twitch upwards hundreds of times a day. At first, it didn't bother me much. But when classmates started pointing it out, I became deeply self-conscious. Their judgment and shame quickly became my own. 

I desperately tried hiding the embarrassing tic, using every ounce of willpower to resist those urges. But the more I fought it, the more the urge would build until my nose erupted like a sneeze I couldn't hold back. What was once an unconscious impulse now felt like a personal failing because of how others reacted to it.

The nose tic eventually spread to other parts of my body. I now realize I had been unintentionally driving it inward by resisting those urges so forcefully. My...

Key Takeaways:

• Visualization reveals tics as exiled parts of self needing acceptance
• Listening to tics with compassion rather than resisting transforms them
• Self-compassion meditation can gradually reduce tic intensity

As someone who has struggled with debilitating motor tics for decades, I've tried just about every conventional treatment out there to no avail. Medications masked the symptoms but brought brutal side effects. Therapy helped me manage my feelings about the tics, but didn't stop them. I felt utterly powerless against the urges overtaking my body hundreds of times a day.

In desperation, I recently started experimenting with guided visualization and meditation specifically focused on connecting with the tics at their source. What I discovered astonished me.

Sitting still and tuning into my breath, I began asking inward questions like: "If this tic had a shape, what would it be?" "What color is it?" "If it had a voice, what would it say?" I let the answers flow...

Key Takeaways:

• Gently lean into urge to tic; find "edge" area where tension accumulates
• Breathe deeply into neck instead of tensing against sensations 
• Befriending discomfort this way eases intensity over time

For over 20 years, I've had an uncontrollable neck tic that has caused me great distress. Out of the blue, my neck starts violently jerking over and over, like I'm uncontrollably headbanging at a rock concert. It's distracting, painful, and isolating. I've tried desperately to stop it or hide it out of embarrassment, but these neck tics have a force of their own. 

Like many with Tourette's syndrome, I used to berate myself for these tics, as if I could willpower them away through frustration alone. But of course that only heightens the tension driving these impulses. I'm now learning the power of cultivating compassionate awareness of the tics rather than judging them. 

One mindfulness exercise that has been profoundly healing is to lean gently into the urge...

 Key Takeaways:

• Voluntarily leaning into blinking urge in an exaggerated way helps
• Then taking slow deep breaths while holding eye tic position  
• Makes me friend not enemy; repeated practice rewires response 

For over a decade, I've had an uncontrollable tic in my left eye that just won't quit. Out of nowhere, my eye starts rapid twitching and fluttering dozens of times a day. As you can imagine, it's distracting, disruptive, and downright maddening at times. I can't tell you how many strange looks I've gotten over the years from people wondering what the heck is wrong with me. 

Like many with motor tics, I often feel frustrated and judged when the tic acts up. It's an involuntary impulse I have no control over in the moment. When the ticging starts, it's like my eye has a mind of its own. I used to berate myself thinking "Why can't I just be normal and make this stop?" But the negative self-talk only makes the urge to tic even stronger. It's a vicious...

For many of us who Tic, it starts in the neck. 

There is a specific spot at the back of the neck where tightness begins - at the top of the spine. 

The sensations that run up the spine get 'stuck' at this point, and this causes discomfort.

If we don't deal with the feelings and sensations we may form - over time - a ticcing habit. 

I say 'habit' because yes it really IS a habit. Most people don't want to hear this. 

Tics are quite simply the control mechasim the body uses as an alternative expression to feeling what needs to felt. 

When we get out of the contolling mind and into the body, we learn to move the unexpressed emotions and energies that are creating the tic in the first place. 

At Motor Tic Mastery we use a varity of tools to support the process of releasing Tics, specifically Neck Twitching. These include but are not limited to:

1) Breathwork - by reconfiguring the way in which we breath, we can break free from old habits...

It's infuriating - our nose - isn't it?

My nose was the first Tic that I had when I was 13. I used to wrinkle it, incessantly.

I ticced that nose hundreds of times a day.

As a young boy, I was also bullied - labelled as "rabbit" and "twitchy."

Maybe you can relate to name-calling if you are ticcing, and are looking for some relief.

At Motor Tic Mastery, we support our clients to relate to their bodies better, release emotions, and clear any subtle layers of trauma. Our approach to Tics is behavioural and holistic, not pharmaceutical in nature. 

A sniffing tic is a type of tic disorder characterized by the repetitive, involuntary sniffing of the nose.

Is that what's happening to you or your child? Is it repetitive? Can you control it?

Most people say they can control and 'hold' a tic for a short period of time, but this is not a long-term solution. if you are constantly trying to 'hold' tics back then you're creating 2 movements in your body and psyche! One of wanting to tic,...

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that aims to modify negative patterns of thought and behavior. It is based on the idea that our thoughts and beliefs influence our feelings and actions. In the case of Tics, the action is through a movement of the body. 

CBT involves identifying and changing negative or unhealthy thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to psychological (and physical) distress. It is a collaborative process between the therapist and the patient, and it usually involves structured sessions in which the therapist helps the patient to identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts, and to learn new, more adaptive ways of thinking and behaving.

CBT can be used to treat a wide range of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, phobias, eating disorders, substance abuse as well as motor & vocal tics. It is often considered a first-line treatment for these conditions because it has been shown to be effective in...

As someone who lived with Tics for 20 years, I can relate to being (and still am) a very sensitive person.

I didn't understand what 'sensitivity' was as a child though, nor were there diagnoses available for such things in my childhood. 

Highly sensitive children are those who are more sensitive to their environment and the people around them. They may be more easily overwhelmed by stimuli and may have a deeper emotional response to events and experiences. Here are some common characteristics of highly sensitive children:

1. Highly sensitive to sensory stimuli: Highly sensitive children may be more sensitive to bright lights, loud noises, or certain textures and tastes. They may also be more sensitive to the emotions and moods of others.

2. Emotionally reactive: Highly sensitive children may have a strong emotional response to events and experiences. They may be more prone to crying, anger, or fear in response to stimuli that may not affect other children as strongly.

3. ...

Stopping a Neck Tic is possible. 

Much of the internet tells us that Tics aren't curable, but are something manageable. 

Few people write about healing a Neck Tic for good.

So here goes.

A Neck Tic is a symptom of suppression & tension in your body. 

If you unconsciously suppress emotions, your body will begin to show signs of suppression; i.e the Tic.

When did you learn how to ensure you DON'T suppress emotions?

No one has taught us this!

I had to learn how to open, relax and be gentler with my body SO THAT I didn't suppress emotions in my life. 

This is especially true for men and young boys because emotions aren't something we have been encouraged to talk about or share. 

Yet, it's essential on the path of healing a Neck Tic. 

I'm going to share with you 1 quick technique that you can try right now in order to improve your relationship with your body, relax the muscles around the Tic, and allow some of the emotions to move. 

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