Learn More About Tourette Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria
A. Both multiple motor and one or more vocal tics have been present at some time during the illness, although not necessarily concurrently. (A tic is a sudden, rapid, recurrent, nonrhythmic, stereotyped motor movement or vocalization.)
B. The tics occur many times a day (usually in bouts) nearly every day or intermittently throughout a period of more than 1 year, and during this period there was never a tic-free period of more than 3 consecutive months.
C. The onset is before age 18 years.
D. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of asubstance (e.g., stimulants) or a general medical condition (e.g., Huntington's disease or postviral encephalitis).
Social media has always portrayed tourette’s disorder as someone who has sudden vocalizations that are uncontrollable and usually obscene. This however, is only a part of the truth. While tourettes disorder can involve this type of behavior, it usually consists of physical tics, such as involuntary facial movements or body twitches.
The cause of tourette’s disorder is not known. However, it appears to be caused by a combination of environmental factors and genetics.
Psychotherapy to reduce stress and overcome unwanted symptoms is the primary treatment for tourette’s disorder, however, medication evaluations are very important to rule out medical issues.
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