Facial tics afflict children and adults alike. They come in the form of facial grimacing, exaggerated squinting, or eye blinking, rhythmic eyebrow raising, nose or mouth twitching or snorting. While these common tics, left untreated, may eventually disappear, and be overcome in time, a more complex condition called Tourette syndrome warrants some medical attention. Significant research shows that people with facial tics suffer no pain and are aware of the oncoming attack of a tic for which some relief is felt when acted out, making them voluntary actions. This means control of facial tics is possible.

Tics, complex or not, have profound impact on the person’s social life, mentally and emotionally. It is common that people with this malady feel like social outcasts and feel embattled with low self-esteem and self worth issues. This is mainly because of the lack of understanding of other people on the sufferer’s situation. Children, sadly, have more a difficult time dealing with reactions of other people. They encounter constant mocking and imitating from peers which can lead to be become loners and anti-social individuals. Schoolwork may also be adversely affected as they refrain from any active involvement to avoid calling attention to themselves. Their potential to succeed may also be thwarted. This escapist mechanism in children stems from their difficulty to discern the tic’s onset and control it.

Adults are not spared even as they are more able to control their facial tic because they have developed more sensitivity to the signs of its onset. Precisely , it is this being ever on guard and constantly trying to control it t that drains their energy. It distracts them from their focus of performing their tasks well. They can also develop mistrust of people. Like children, they prefer to be left alone to avoid social stigma. Stress aggravates and triggers facial tics. Trying to control the facial tic further compounds this stress. It is a vicious cycle.

Being able to overcome and eliminate tics is truly life changing. A child will be able to go through a happier childhood and not be emotionally scarred. Children and adults will be able to pursue his/her full potential in life. In spite of not having found any conclusive cause for facial tics, a number of modalities of treatment have been tried with varying degrees of success. Medical treatments is one modality but, as with any drugs, they may afford some temporary relief but they are not without untoward side-effects. Another route is counseling and psychotherapy (in tandem with drugs) , generally aimed at addressing stress. Still, there are other alternative methods like neuro-linguistic programming, and hypnotherapy. These aim to reduce stress and redirect tic response through natural unconscious methodologies.

Each sufferer of facial tic needs to seek out that modality of relief that best works for them. However, definitely, relief from facial tics, most especially early on in life, spells the great difference in the sufferer’s normal emotional growth and development and pursuit of success.