Can you feel a tic signal?

Posted on 5 January 2017

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Part of behavioural therapy involves trying to find your tic signal (also called a premonitory urge) is a useful sensation to identify if you have tics- try to practice becoming more aware of this! Not everyone will have a sensation but thinking about it may help to start to become more aware of it.
One of the most helpful things is to really think about what feelings or sensations  are happening just before the tic. Try suppressing a tic and really concentrate on what feelings you have.
Some people report that the premonitory urge is more unpleasant than the actual tic.
The urge has been described in many ways and vary from person to person. It's been described as a tickley feeling, an itch, hot or cold flowing feeling over the body or a body part, a stinging or buzzing. Some have used interesting descriptions like a thistle or spiky plant inside their tummy, a twisted feeling building up somewhere in their body (sometimes nowhere near where the actual tic happens). People have even described the building urge to tic like a towel being squeezed around their head or the thought or sensation of a cup filling up as the urge to release the tic builds.
One boy described that the urge on his nose like feeling of the feet of his hamster! Which is a really descriptive example.
Research studies have found the older the child gets then the more the urge can be felt. So this means behavioural therapy can be very successful for those who can feel a tic signal before a tic.
By practice suppressing and really concentrating and thinking what you feel you are practicing the first steps taken when you begin behavioural therapy.
If you would like to find out more about behavioural therapy please see our article
Behavioural therapy is also available through the Internet (called telemedicine) see our article
If you would like to find out about having behavioural therapy please do contact us and ask for the Tourettes Action behavioural therapy list 0300 777 8427 help@Tourettes-Action.org.uk
Tourettes Action are investing in training more behavioural therapists to deliver therapy for tics across the United Kingdom. We understand that this is one of the most important issues that people with TS and tics want more access to services.

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