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Galaxy_Guy_Kai

457d

My tics get so much worse during winter. I believe it’s from the cold and stress from isolation. They get so violent and more noticeable; both motor and vocal. I can’t be the only one, right? I hate winter. I hate tics. Does anyone have any tips?

Top reply
    • Scrungle

      393d

      Mine get worse any time I am cold. I think it's because of the shivering or something.

    • Scrungle

      393d

      Mine get worse any time I am cold. I think it's because of the shivering or something.

    • llarskyy

      417d

      I'm very late on this post, but I was actually thinking about this earlier today. mine definitely get worse during winter too. unfortunately I don't have any tips atm though, I'm still figuring that part out.

    • curtain

      437d

      Any sort of emotional stress can trigger tics for me, so seasonal emotions could hypothetically triggee my tics. That doesn't happend though because I also struggle with severe recurrent depression, which means increased depression in winter/summer doesn't feel so extreme to me. However, I also get triggered by sudden changes in external stimulus, so if I'm in a hot building and stepping into the freezing cold (or any other way of sudden change in temperature), I'll start ticcing more.

    • Starchild05

      438d

      Mine get worse during the winter bc of the cold

    • Satans_lil_devil

      455d

      Definitely not the only one. Cold weather or winter sucks for me. Basically anything that physically feels uncomfortable makes them wanna jump out of my skin

    • Gingeralamode

      456d

      Mine get worse when stressed in general so this makes sense

    • WhiteFlamingo

      456d

      I haven't noticed if mine get worse from particular seasons, but I know that they are actually better when I am physically cold. I think it's because my body slows down significantly. I highly recommend doing some sort of exercise every day. Anything that you enjoy and in whatever difficulty you can handle. I always hated the popularized forms of exercise (running, lifting weights, sports), but I love yoga. I do at least 3 minutes of yoga every morning targeted towards my motor tic muscles and it helps tremendously. It helps more when I do 10 minutes, but even just 3 helps. And I started from a place of very low flexibility, so don't write it off for that reason. It also helps me to practice good sleep hygiene. Not looking at any screens for an hour before bed and going to bed at a good time helps me sleep better, which makes my tics less frequent and violent. Therapy made my tics the best they had ever been. It was very calming to talk to someone about my problems who was actually knowledgeable about those problems and could help me through them. If it's possible for you, I recommend it. I saw that you have OCD on your health profile, so I also recommend seeing an OCD specialist if possible. You could also see if there are any Tourette Syndrome specialists in your area. I almost went to one, but the therapy center wanted to try me on an OCD specialist first because the TS one was a child therapist. Given the severity of my tics, though, they said the TS specialist was still an option. Also, try to keep doing things. Don't just scroll TikTok all day. Do hobbies. I do art and play video games. I learn. Keeping me mind and hands active helps me a lot. In fact, art therapy helps, too. I sometimes make abstract art purely based on my emotions with no judgement. If you have a tic attack, try to focus on something outside your body. Take deep breaths. Find five things you can see, five you can hear, five you can touch.

      • Galaxy_Guy_Kai

        456d

        @WhiteFlamingo I forgot to mention for some reason— I am an artist and art helps my tics as well! I love art. I’ll try to do the “find five things” for my tic attacks, too. It works well for panic/anxiety attacks for PTSD flashbacks.

        • WhiteFlamingo

          455d

          @Galaxy_Guy_Kai I'm glad you're already doing some things that help! Tics are so hard, but I find they're not as bad as long as I take care of myself. If finding five things isn't enough for a tic attack, you could also try counting one thing. Sometimes I will just start counting cars or bricks, but I have to be careful with it because my OCD might take over and tell me I'm doing it wrong. If you're new to yoga, I recommend the YouTube channel Yoga With Adriene. She has tons of routines up for beginners and does a really good job at telling people how they can modify poses for low flexibility.

      • WhiteFlamingo

        456d

        @WhiteFlamingo I could go on and on about things that help my tics. If you want more advice, let me know. My message was just getting very long 😅

        • Galaxy_Guy_Kai

          456d

          @WhiteFlamingo Wow! Thank you so much for all of the tips! I will definitely try the yoga and better sleep schedule. I am seeing a therapist for OCD and that is helping a lot, so I’ll look into someone who specializes in TS. Also, I 1000% agree about the TikTok thing! I deleted it about a year ago and have seen a noticeable decrease in my tics.

☝ This content is generated by our users and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision

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