I know it might be a medical question, and in that case kick me in the ass and tell me to GTFO. But I am getting a facial ‘tic’ because of STRESS. what should I do? People are startling to notice. Should I just ‘stop it’ ffs? go to the doctor? live with it?
Medical advice is best suited to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Why wouldn’t you go to a doctor? If it bothers you and people are noticing it that should be the first thing you do.
I’m no kinda of medical person.YMMV. You need to find a way to de-stress. Any of number of ways to do that.
But, see your doctor first. Could be neurological. There’s meds that make you have these things as a side effect.
I get tics when I’m stressing and panicky. It’s a warning to me to stop what I’m doing.
Go to a doctor and get a prescription for clonidine–it stopped my sister’s nervous tic amazingly fast. Also, try de-stressing with meditation or yoga–it really helps.
Thank you for the advice. It seems to be getting worse. I am living in a situation with someone who is driving me MAD, but I am stuck here and cant vent. I have to be nice and be agreeable and pleasant even if I want to scream.
Can you move out? That doesn’t sound like a healthy living situation.
Do you exercise? Regular vigorous workouts will not only help you de-stress, but will also help you get a better night’s sleep. Both can help with tics.
Are you able to see a doctor about this? I understand that’s not always an option. If you can, you should. Tics aren’t really something you can “just stop”. Tics can also be a symptom of various neurological problems. A medical assessment is a good idea.
In terms of learning ways to manage stress, you can look for apps like “Calm” (not an endorsement, but it’s a popular one). Meditation apps can help you gain practice at technique. Yoga or Tai Chi are helpful. You can seek ways to insert stress-breaks into your routine, by exercising, or going to the library, or posting in the mini-rants, or drinking chamomile tea.
Some medications can bring tics on or make them worse, in which case a doc can prescribe an alternative, less problematic med.
Agree with going to the doctor.
A friend of mine had a tic develop. Turned out to be Bell’s palsy: Bell's palsy - Wikipedia.
It gradually went away. But, as the wiki page shows, it could be other things, which might not go away without treatment.
Are we talking about a muscle twitch–something that clearly looks like an involuntary movement?
Or does it look like it could be a purposeful movement to someone who didn’t know any better?
I have tics. In the past I have had twitches too–usually in my eyelids. Tics and twitches feel different to me. A tic can be momentarily suppressed with some effort and may be associated with a sense of relief once it is expressed. In contrast, I have never been able to control a twitch. I don’t usually feel anything when I have a twitch except for annoyance.
The meds I have taken for tics had side effects that are worse than the tics (the birth control pill has helped a whole lot, though). I suppose it can’t hurt to talk to a doctor, though.
Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
I seem to have developed a habit of pursing my lips and scrunching them up.
Maybe it’s not an involuntary tic, maybe it’s just a habit? I can keep my face still and blank for long stretches, and then I do it again. And someone says, ‘there you go, you’re making that face again.’ I think it’s stress related. It began a year ago, maybe, when my living circumstances changed drastically.
It may just be a stress habit, especially if face-scrunching is all you do. Some people diffuse stress by jiggling their legs or biting their bottom lips.
Perhaps you can learn some relaxation techniques from a therapist (or from the internet).
Maybe chewing gum might help too.