Is This a Tic? Or Just a Bad Habit?
Have you ever noticed yourself making a movement or sound and thought, “Wait, why did I just do that?” In our practice, we hear these admissions all the time. Tics are still poorly understood, even by professionals, so it’s no wonder they can feel confusing or even a little alarming!
Whether it’s a blink that won’t quite stay still, a tiny shoulder shrug, or a throat sound that pops up repeatedly, tics can feel mysterious, mostly because our brains are doing something entirely natural, even if it doesn’t feel natural to us.
What Tics Really Are
So, what are tics, really? The simplest way to describe them is this: your body does a movement or makes a sound without you choosing to. It’s not something you’re doing on purpose, and it’s not because you’re stressed or overthinking, though stress can definitely make them show up more. It’s just the brain letting a few extra signals slip through.
A lot of people also talk about feeling a sort of “build-up” right before a tic. It’s like an itch you can’t scratch… until the tic happens and then the feeling goes away for a moment. This may sound strange, but it is very common.
Types of Tics
There are two basic types:
Motor tics: things your body does, like blinking, shrugging, jerking your head, or quick hand or arm movements.
Vocal tics: sounds you make, like throat clearing, sniffing, humming, or repeating a word or noise.
You might have one kind, both, or they might show up at different times. Tics love to come and go depending on sleep, stress, and what’s going on in your day. They often calm down when someone is really focused on something because that's the opposite of how they act when life gets busy.
Tourette Syndrome: What’s That?
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is when someone has both motor and vocal tics for at least a year, usually starting in childhood. But having tics does not automatically mean someone has TS. Lots of kids (and adults!) have tics that come and go.
One thing we always tell families: tics are not a sign of bad habits, bad parenting, or anxiety. They’re just part of how the brain works for some people.
Tics vs. OCD Compulsions
This part can get a little confusing, because tics and compulsions can look really similar from the outside. But on the inside, they feel totally different!
Tics just happen on their own. You don’t decide to do them, and the relief feels physical like letting out a sneeze or releasing pressure.
Compulsions are things you do on purpose, even if it feels like you “have to.” They’re done to calm a worry or keep an anxious thought from feeling too big.
Anxiety habits (like tapping or fidgeting) are things you choose to do because they’re comforting.
For example, I worked with someone who had both tics and compulsions, and he explained that it felt like two totally different experiences. His shoulder jerks and throat sounds just appeared without warning. But he also had this urge to tap things a certain number of times “just in case.” Once he learned the difference between what his body was doing automatically and what his worry was pushing him to do, he felt more in control and a lot less stressed.
Support and Getting Help
There are actually some great ways to help manage tics. One of the most effective is CBIT, which teaches people how to notice the feeling before a tic and respond in a way that can help lower how often it happens.
Other simple things make a difference too: rest, routines, stress management, and (this one’s huge!) support from the people around you. Tics often flare up when life gets stressful, so kindness and understanding go a long way.
At CAOCD, we specialize in working with people who have tics and Tourette Syndrome. We tailor everything to the person, whether the tics just started or have been around for a while. Our goal isn’t to make tics disappear, but to help people feel informed, supported, and more in control of what’s going on.
Take good care of yourselves, and remember: if you’re noticing tics, you’re definitely not the only one and you don’t have to figure them out alone.
With care,
Sheva Rajaee, LMFT
Founder, The Center for Anxiety and OCD