What is OCD TICS?
First, OCD is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a mental health problem that affects people of all ages and walks of life when they become trapped in a loop of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions and compulsions are two major components of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
What are TICS?
Tics are sudden, repetitive, and long-lasting involuntary muscle or vocal spasms. They are most common in children under the age of 18, with research showing that 20% of school-aged children suffer from them. Tic severity varies for every child. It becomes more severe when a child is between the ages of 10 and 12, and then gradually fade away as the child enters puberty. These eventually go away, although, in rare situations, the child continues to experience them as an adult.
Symptoms Of OCD TICS
The symptoms of tics are divided into Simple Tics and Complex Tics. The spasm or tic may vary in frequency, strength, and duration from person to person.
Simple tics are usually short-lived and might be motor or vocal. The following are examples of simple motor tics in children:
• Twitching of the Nose
• Jaw Movement
• Blinking
• Shoulder shrugging
The following are some examples of simple vocal tics in children:
• Coughing
• Groaning
• Snorting
• Other vocal noises such as squealing or screaming.
Complex tics persist further and are usually a series of several tics. Complex vocal tics typically include repeated use of phrases and words that have no sense to the discussion. Your child may imitate his or her own words or something that has been told to him or her by another individual. These words may be uttered in a certain way or just muttered within.
The complex motor tics include:
- Blinking
- Jerking of the head
- Shrugging of the shoulders
- Jumping
- Hopping
- Making an inappropriate comment
- Imitating someone else’s behaviour.
What are the Causes of OCD TICS disorder?
1. Environmental Factor
This includes,
- Allergic reactions
- Chemicals in household cleaners
- Watching violent movies
- Playing violent video games
2. Medical Conditions
This includes Head trauma, surgery or infections, Stroke, and toxins in your body.
Huntington’s disease, neuroacanthocytosis, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are all neurodegenerative diseases that can cause tics in children.
3. Biological Factors
This includes;
- Genetics
- Complications during birth
- Consumption of Alcohol and smoking during pregnancy.
- Your child was born with a low birth weight.
Treatment For OCD TICS
The treatment for OCD tics includes;
1. Medication
The most common drugs for tics in children are Neuroleptics or Antipsychotics such as pimozide, risperidone, and aripiprazole. They are attempting to change the substances that control motor ability.
Secondly, Botulinum toxin is a toxin that helps to relax specific muscles and avoid tics. However, the medication’s effect usually lasts for 3 months.
Thirdly, Clonazepam also affects the production of neurotransmitters in your child’s brain, thus reducing the severity of tics. Finally, Clonidine is an anti-tic medication that helps reduce tics’ symptoms.
2. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
For tic disorders, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective and widely recommended therapies. Therapists utilise habit reversal training, a type of cognitive behavioural therapy that concentrates on the emotion that underlies a tic. The therapist enables your child to develop a less noticeable motor response after identifying the events or circumstances that may stimulate the tic. if your child’s nose twitches or blinks, the therapist can assist them to replace it with a less noticeable tic like deep breathing or closing their eyes for a few seconds. Breathing and relaxation strategies may be used in behavioural therapy to help reduce the frequency of tics.
3. Relaxation Technique
Meditation, yoga, visualization, and massage, among other things, can help ease stress and anxiety caused by OCD tics. Furthermore, A positive environment, as well as a healthy diet and lifestyle, can enable your child to remain healthy and relaxed, reducing tics and helping in their therapy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, OCD tics are annoying because they are uncontrollable and appear at inconvenient moments. Staying cool and allowing your child to be stress-free is the best way to deal with them. Write a list of what happened before the tics started. It will assist you in identifying the causes, making the prevention and treatment of tics much easier.
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