Anxiety tics are a type of involuntary, repetitive body movement or sound that may occur when a person feels anxiety or stress. They are a physical response to anxiety where the body aims to release tension through these movements.Tics are rapid, repeated movements that lead to jolts or sounds that can be challenging to stop or control. Vocal or phonic tics involve a sound, including grunts, coughs, words, and phrases. Motor tics involve involuntary movements, such as head jerks, finger clicks, blinks, or touching others.Tics may occur in response to a range of triggers or no trigger at all. One of these potential triggers is anxiety. However, 'anxiety tics' are not part of an official diagnosis or list of anxiety symptoms. What are anxiety tics?Tics are rapid, repetitive movements that develop suddenly and can be difficult to control. They may take the form of sounds (such as a grunt, cough, sniff, word, or phrase) or movement (including blinking, jerking or banging the head, clicking fingers, or touching people and objects).Uncomfortable sensations called premonitory urges build up to a tic, and only the tic relieves them. This may feel like burning, itching, and tension at a particular point in the body. Tics are most common in the eyes, head, and shoulders but can involve the mouth, hands, and arms.Some people have tics due to a tic disorder, such as Tourette syndrome. However, tics do not always point to a tic disorder and can have links to emotional states such as anxiety or stress. These would be known as anxiety tics. Are tics always a symptom of anxiety?Not everyone with anxiety will experiences tic. Currently, tics do are not part of the formal criteria a mental health professional uses to diagnose anxiety. An anxiety disorder usually involves uncontrollable, distressing worry that a person cannot let go. It can often cause symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, sleep issues, and muscle tension.Although tics are not a common symptom of anxiety, some evidence suggests that up to half of youths living with a chronic tic disorder also have at least one co-occurring anxiety disorder.Although tics may occur for no reason, they can occur in response to emotions, such as stress and anxiety. For example, a 2022 review found that anxiety may make tics more intense and might mean they occur more often in people who are already prone to them.What can trigger anxiety tics?Feeling anxious is the main trigger for anxiety tics. The cause of anxiety may vary from person to person. Anxiety is a natural response to challenges and pressure. Some people may experience anxiety during significant life changes, periods of grief, bullying, or chronic health problems.Some people experience extreme anxiety that is out of proportion to the trigger. These are known as anxiety disorders. They may include:separation anxietypanic disorderspecific phobiassocial anxiety disorderselective mutism agoraphobiageneralized anxiety disordersubstance/medication-induced anxiety disorderEvidence notes that tics tend to increase during periods of strong feelings. These can include stress, nervousness, excitement, or tiredness. They are also suggestible, which means that discussing tics and drawing attention to them can increase their occurrence.Anxiety tics durationIf anxiety triggers a tic attack, it will likely last a few seconds or several minutes.Tics may form part of a person's lifelong response to stressful or anxiety-inducing triggers, especially if they also live with a tic disorder. However, learning to manage anxiety can help people reduce their mental and physical responses to challenging scenarios, which might include tics.Anxiety tics vs. tic disordersAnxiety tics and tic disorders are different. A doctor would not diagnose 'anxiety tics' as a formal condition. Instead, tics may be a feature of high anxiety that some people share. A person with a tic disorder does not need to feel anxiety to experience a tic attack, and a person with anxiety tics may not have an underlying tic disorder. However, tics may intensify during anxious periods for some people with tic disorders.Can a person stop anxiety tics?People who experience tics may develop premonitory urges that they cannot voluntarily stop for long. However, as anxiety and stress can increase the intensity of tics and how often attacks happen, anxiety management may help a person to reduce their mind and body's response to anxious feelings.Techniques might include:finding a relaxing or enjoyable hobby that can help reduce stressprioritizing sleep hygiene and getting a full night's sleep distraction techniquesbreathing exercises, such as tactical breathing or box breathingmovement, such as walking or other forms of physical activityMedical treatment for tics is only usually necessary if tics cause the following:disruption to daily lifeinterference with social interactionssignificant pain relating to the ticThese may include behavior therapy or medications. Psychotherapy methods such as habit reversal training may help people identify and respond to premonitory urges in a way that does not involve their usual tic. Certain medications, such as antipsychotic medications and alpha-2-adrenergic agonists, may help to reduce the frequency of tics.SummaryAnxiety tics describe involuntary and repetitive body movements or sounds that a person may experience when feeling anxious. However, anxiety tics are neither an official symptom of anxiety nor a diagnosis on their own.Some research suggests that anxiety is common in those living with a chronic tic disorder and periods of anxiety may increase the frequency of tics in a person with a tic disorder. To help reduce anxiety tics, a person can try and lessen their their response to stress through different techniques, such as mindfulness and tactical breathing. If a person's anxiety or tics are affecting their life, it is advisable to consult a physician.
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