Winks, twitches and grimaces on the face, uncontrolled movements with the arms and even moans and syllables; all this produced involuntarily. nervous tics They can include a wide range of behaviors and movements that complicate and disable the lives of people who suffer from them. It is a disorder that can be chronic or temporary, but in many cases it can be treated or controlled in order to improve the quality of life of the person who has this problem.
We invite you to continue reading this Psychology-Online article, if you want to know the main treatments to solve nervous tics.
What is a nervous tic?
Tics are defined as involuntary contractions which can involve any muscle, whether of the face, trunk or extremities. As we have mentioned previously, a nervous tic is a disorder of a neurological nature, although sometimes it can be influenced by mental states (such as anxiety or extreme tension) and have a strong genetic predisposition. It appears, in most cases, during childhood and sometimes goes away on its own. In some cases, tics can persist over the years and cause great difficulties in leading a normal life.
Normally, the nervous tics They occur in the form of frequent blinking, facial gestures, rapid movements of legs, arms or other areas. A tic can also be a sound produced, such as a grunt, a throat clearing, or a series of word repetitions. It is common for people, once they realize they have tics, to be able to contain these impulses for a short period of time, but when they do them, they feel great pleasure and relief.
Sometimes tics are a symptom of a medical illness More serious. For this reason, we must go to a specialist to have a check-up and we can rule out a possible disease. After making an appropriate diagnosis, doctors will offer us a series of treatments based either on the psychotherapyor in the drugs.
Nervous tics: types
In the first instance, we must go to a doctor as soon as possible to rule out any other illness and to diagnose the syndrome correctly. Nervous tics can be grouped together and form part of highly disabling syndromes (such as ) or, on the contrary, present in the form of isolated gestures. A doctor will be able to correctly evaluate our condition and make a more specific diagnosis.
Tics can be classified in many ways depending on their nature or severity, below we will point out more common:
Simple or complex
A simple tic is characterized by being a spontaneous and fleeting gesture (a wink, a throat clearing or a grimace), it only uses a specific muscle group and does not usually last long. On the other hand, complex tics involve more than one muscle group and a series of coordinated movements, such as clapping or repeating words.
Vowels or motors
As its name suggests, a vocal tic involves the use of the vocal cords to produce a sound, a word, or, in some extreme cases, a phrase. A motor tic, on the other hand, includes physical and involuntary movements such as shaking of the limbs, snapping fingers or tapping on the ground.
Tourette syndrome
This disease usually has its onset in childhood, includes all types of tics at the same time: simple and complex, vocal and motor. These must remain for more than a year for the diagnosis to be made. It is a syndrome that disables those who suffer from it depending on the severity of the symptoms. But, luckily, it has been studied a lot and various treatments have been found to effectively control Tourette syndrome.
Nervous tics: pharmacological treatment
In some cases, those who suffer from this disorder do not need a specific treatment, it is enough for them to try to control their tics. Despite this, it is not enough if the disorder is too serious. Therefore, the treatment that the doctor can give us will depend on the severity of the tic and how it affects your daily life. Usually, psychotherapy and medications In combination they are quite effective.
The use of drugs to control nervous tics is recommended only if the disorder is severe. The two most commonly used medications are the following:
- Clondina (Catapress): It is the most used medication, in addition to being quite effective, it is also convenient since it is administered in the form of a patch.
- Guanephezine (Tenex): This drug is mainly used to treat other problems such as blood pressure. In any case, improvements have been detected in tics and hyperactive behaviors that often accompany the disorder.
Psychotherapy to eliminate nervous tics
Psychotherapy has proven to be a great ally in the treatment of nervous tics, combined with medication in necessary cases it can be a very effective solution.
Psychological therapy to cure or treat tics can be a behavioral training: repetitions, inhibition, control and exercises to condition our brain to prevent the appearance of tics. These behaviors can be rewarded with something pleasant for the patient, so they will associate the control of tics with a pleasant sensation.
Another type of therapy can be based on eliminate the stressor. As we have mentioned previously, some tics appear due to psychological factors. If we treat anxiety and stress with relaxation exercises, we can improve and control the appearance of nervous tics.
Nervous tics: natural treatment
When tics have an emotional origin, there are other treatments apart from those we have mentioned above, we talk about Natural medicine.
- Some alternatives to traditional psychotherapy They are: performing yoga, controlling breathing, doing, maintaining a healthy life and strengthening the nervous system with mental activities every day.
- There are also others alternative treatments to drugs, such as: avoid any stimulating food or drink and replace it with calming herbs. Orange blossom, peppermint, chamomile and lime blossom are good allies in the natural treatment of nervous tics.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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