what is a tic disorder?
86116
Tics are rapid brief jerks, usually of the arms and head provoked, by some physical or emotional  stimulus, and perpetuated  as a stereotyped, recurrent involuntary movement.  Ther are Motor tics and Vocal tics.
644007
I'm getting sick of all the misinformation about this disorder, as seen in the first response to this question!  \n\nVERY FEW TS patients ever display this symptom and it is not a requirement for a diagnosis.\n\n***steps down off soapbox****\n\nNow to address your question.  Throat clearing, sniffing and excessive blinking are all common symptoms.  Tourettes does not impair intelligence or impede learning.  It is not degenerative.  It is life long and there is not a cure.  \n\nDisclaimer: I am not a heath care giver.  I am a mom of a child with TS.  \n\nWhat you will need to do is ask your regular Dr. for a referral to a Neurologist.   Tourettes is diagnosed merely by observation and oral history from you.  Your Doc may take blood to rule out other possibilities.  We were not sure if our sons tics and vocal tremors would present at the exact time of the appointment, so we video taped him.  This was most helpful in the diagnosis. \n\nTourettes is not the worst thing in the world.  Most people who have this disorder can incorporate their tics and vocal remors into their daily movements.  There are mild cases as well as moderate to severe.  If you are only doing the things you mentioned in your question, your case is probably mild.\n\nBest wishes and I hope this helped.\n\nHere is a great book: "Front of the Class: How Tourettes Syndrome Made Me The Teacher I Never Had", by Brad Cohen
981317
Trichotillomania (pronounced: trik-oh-till-oh-may-nee-ah) is a type of psychological condition that involves strong urges to pull hair. The condition is fairly rare - statistics show it affects only 1% to 3% of the population, although new research suggests that the rate of hair pulling may be around 10% or higher.\n\nTrichotillomania affects about twice as many girls as guys. Most people who have trichotillomania develop the condition during adolescence. But it can start when a person is as young as 1 year old.\n\nPeople with trichotillomania pull hair out at the root from places like the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or pubic area. Some people pull large handfuls of hair, which can leave bald patches on the scalp or eyebrows. Other people pull out their hair one strand at a time. Some inspect the strand after pulling it out, or play with the hair after it's been pulled. About half of people with the condition put the hair in their mouths after pulling it.\n\nTrichotillomania isn't just a habit that a person can easily stop. It's a medical condition.\n\nTrichotillomania is a type of compulsive behavior, which means that people with the condition feel an overwhelming urge to pull their hair. People with trichotillomania also may experience other compulsive behaviors, such as nail biting or skin picking. Some may have problems like depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Compulsive behaviors like trichotillomania can sometimes run in families.\n\nTrichotillomania often leads to embarrassment, frustration, shame, or depression about the condition. Self-esteem problems are very common among those with trichotillomania. They usually try to hide the behavior from others, which can make it difficult to get help.\n\nWhy Do People Feel Compelled to Pull Their Hair?\nDoctors don't know for certain what causes trichotillomania. Some think it might be related to OCD since OCD and trichotillomania are both anxiety disorders. This is one reason why the impulses that lead to hair pulling can be stronger when a person is stressed out or worried.\n\nExperts think that compulsive behaviors like hair pulling may be caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, called neurotransmitters (pronounced: nur-oh-tranz-mit-urs), are part of the brain's communication center. When something interferes with how neurotransmitters work, it can cause problems like compulsive behaviors.\n\nSometimes compulsive behaviors happen when the mind mistakenly thinks that activities like hair pulling will provide relief from stress or other problems. Some people with trichotillomania say that they notice a pleasurable feeling when they pull their hair or get relief from uncomfortable feelings. (This isn't the case for all people with the condition, though; some, like Daria, don't know why they do it.)\n\nAny relief that comes with hair pulling usually only lasts for a moment. The urge almost always returns. That's because when the mind becomes used to giving in to the powerful urges that go with compulsive behaviors, the behavior is reinforced. The mind gets trapped in a cycle of expecting to have the urge fulfilled.\n\nHow Do People Overcome the Hair-Pulling Urge?\nBecause trichotillomania is a medical condition, it's not something most people can just stop doing when they feel like it. People with trichotillomania usually need help from medical experts before they can stop. With the right help, though, most people overcome their hair-pulling urges. This help may involve therapy, medication, or a combination of both.\n\nTherapists teach people with trichotillomania special behavior techniques that help them recognize the urge to pull hair before it becomes too strong to resist. The person learns ways to resist the urge so that it eventually grows weaker and then goes away.\n\nBecause the urges behind compulsive behaviors like hair pulling are so powerful, a person may feel more tension or anxi
580894
Since the others answers are packed with information, I'll address the last part of your question.  There was a fascinating breakthrough at Harvard last October, by Dr. Matthew State.  You can read about it here:\n\nhttp://www.tsa-usa.org/\n\nand click on the link "Genetic Breakthrough Yields Clue to Tourettes"
676505
No.  \n\nThis is the biggest misconception about this disorder.  Did you know that fewer than 15% percent of people with TS ever display this symptom?  It is not a required symptom for a TS diagnosis.\n\nIs having an epileptic fit a sin?  PLEASE!
264158
Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizures -- episodes of abnormal electrical activity in almost any part of the brain. The symptoms of a seizure can mimic any form of human behavior, depending on which part(s) of the brain are affected. Generally, the term epilepsy (or seizure disorder) refers to relatively stereotyped attacks of involuntary behavior. The exact symptoms and severity may vary, and the seizures may occur infrequently or in rapid succession. \n\nWhile every case of epilepsy is distinct, a standardized classification scheme has been developed to describe seizures. The attacks are divided into two main types: generalized (involving the entire brain) and partial (originating in one area of the brain). Within these categories, seizures are further identified according to the pattern of the attack. The two most common forms of seizure are both of the generalized type: absence (petit mal) seizures and tonic/clonic (grand mal) seizures.
29044
it could be nervous tics.\n\ni have it happen sometimes.
553
Yes, I have a 16-yr old male friend who has that, he has facial twitches, although there are different symptoms of Tourettes.
67123
Tourette syndrome (TS) is named for the French doctor Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described the condition in 1885. It is a genetic condition, that's either inherited (passed on from parent to child) or happens during development in the womb. Doctors and scientists don't know the exact cause of TS, but some research suggests that it occurs when there's a problem with how nerves communicate in the brain. Neurotransmitters - chemicals in the brain that carry nerve signals from cell to cell - may play a role in TS. Tourette syndrome is not contagious.
866562
TS usually doesn't disappear entirely, but I've heard plenty of times that it can decrease in severity.  I was absolutely awful until about 22 or 23, with the peak tic time being at around 19.  Now at 30 I no longer need to take medication.  I still have tics, but they're minor compared to what they were 10 years ago.  Blessed be!
915736
If you are on meds, take them regularly. \n\nDon't watch any movies or documentaries on the subject. I'm not kidding, tics are catchy! It may sound crazy, but it's true. If you start watching someone with certain tics, you will start doing them yourself. I have had it happen to me and I have heard of it happening to others.\n\nTry not to think about it. I find when I think about my tourette's, I'll start ticing. But when I don't think about it, I can be ok for a while.\n\nIf you don't know about it already, there is the Tourette's Syndrome Association website. http://www.tsa-usa.org\nThey might have some helpful info too.\n\nGood luck, honey!\n\nEDIT:\nFor all of you uneducated people who seem to associate Tourette's with uncontrollable swearing...I'd like to inform you that you are thinking of something called "Coprolalia".  Most people with Tourette's do not have that. So before you go spewing any more idiotic comments, concider yourself informed and your ignorance is now inexcused.
263734
Research this condition so you are aware of what your friend is going through.  I am in school to become an intervention specialist (special ed teacher) and this condition can be somewhat difficult to understand if you do not research it.  Definitely still be friends with this person, as there are many medications to help ease the symptoms with this condition.  If you are uncomfortable talk to your friend and they may be able to answer any questions you have.  Here are some websites to help you understand more about this:\n\nhttp://members.tripod.com/~tourette13/\n\nhttp://www.tourette-syndrome.com/\n\nhttp://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/brain/k_tourette_p3.html\n\nHere is some information from kidshealth.org about being friens with someone who has this condition:\n\nHow Should I Act Around Someone With Tourette Syndrome?\nKids who have Tourette syndrome want to be treated like everybody else. They can do regular stuff, just like other kids. In fact, at least two kids with Tourette grew up to become sports stars. Soccer player Tim Howard plays for Manchester United and was a member of the United States Olympic team. \n\nLikewise, former major league baseball player Jim Eisenreich struggled with Tourette syndrome during his career. But he stayed in the game, saying he wanted to be a role model for kids. Here's how he put it once in an interview with Baseball Weekly: "My calling in life was not to be a superstar ballplayer. I have another job to do: to be a quality player, help my team win, and show kids who have Tourette what they can accomplish."
800201
Yes. \n\nhttp://www.tsa-usa.org\nhttp://www.socsci.ulst.ac.uk/education/scte/sen/types/tourettes.html\nhttp://www.tourettes-disorder.com/\nhttp://www.ucalgary.ca/oncampus/weekly/jan30-04/tourettes.html\nhttp://www.tourettesyndrome.net/education.htm\n\nBooks:\n\nTeaching the Tiger A Handbook for Individuals Involved in the Education of Students with Attention Deficit Disorders, Tourette Syndrome or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, by  Marilyn P., Ph.D. Dornbush, Sheryl K. Pruitt\n\nFront of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had, by Brad Cohen\n\n\n\nI have a child with Tourettes, OCD and ADHD.  Early on, we did not know what was going on with him, but I knew that the school did not know or could not help and were eager to label him.  I am glad to see that you are reaching out to your students in this way.  Kudos to you.\n\nAfter four years of frustration, and home school trial and error, now we have a diagnosis and recognition of the disorder, he is in public school special ed and thriving with a caring and sensitive teacher. \n\nTSA will provide you an in-service presentation if you desire.  This, however, may focus on recognition of the disorder, and not teaching methods specifically.  There are articles on this web site that do have teaching information, though.  \n\nI hope this helps.  Please feel free to contact me for further, more specific questions, if you have them.
407936
Terets syndrome or really bad ocd
609336
Hyperactivity is when a child seems to fidget, squirm and move about constantly and can't sit still for any length of time. \n\nOR \n\nRestless, overactive motor movement and behavior. May be aggressive or destructive. Seen in children with hyperactive conditions or persons experiencing a manic episode.
801688
A vocal tic is one where a person with Tourette's cannot control what comes out of their mouth. Often, they will swear or use obscene language at inappropriate times and not really direct it at anyone in particular. I'm not sure what you mean about 'repostory' tic. I think you are referring to the physical tics, like, head shakes, eye blinking, shoulder shrugging, etc. Again, this is not controllable in the person with Tourette's. As in the vocal tics, it has to come out and the harder the Tourette's sufferer tries to control it, the worse the tic is when it erupts.
418587
The biggest misconception about Tourettes is the Coprolalia (shouting obscenities).  Actually it is the rarest symptom of TS.  VERY FEW people with this disorder ever display this symptom.  So you must have two very rare cases, or someone is pulling your leg.  \n\nPeople with TS will sometimes shout or say a word.  It is not always a cuss word.  Sometimes it is needing to hear the sound of the word, or if it has a hard "c" or "t" sound, there is something in the brain that NEEDS to hear this sound.  That, I believe, is related more to OCD than Tourettes.  It is not uncommon to have Tourettes + ODC or ADHD or both.  \n\nI hope this helps. \n\nFrom the TSA web site:\n\nThe fact is that cursing, uttering obscenities, and ethnic slurs are manifested by fewer than 15% of people with TS. Too often, however, the media seize upon this symptom for its sensational effect. Because milder cases are being diagnosed, the incidence of coprolalia will probably decrease.