All Facial Tics Are Not Tourette's Syndrome - Hypnosis Can Provide A Cure

As many as one in four children cope with the emotional pain of facial tics. This problem can most accurately be described as a repeatedly occurring spasm affecting both facial and eye muscles. The true cause is often unknown, even though research shows a strong link between stressors and an increase in the evidence of symptoms.

Another possible cause of tics is a deficit in essential vitamins or minerals, like magnesium. In certain instances, facial tics are manifestations of disorders of the nervous system, including Tourette syndrome, a health condition resulting from a malfunction of the nervous system. Tourette syndrome is believed to have a genetic aspect as well.

A few examples of a facial tic include rapid eye movements or eye blinking, squinting, mouth or nose wrinkeling, twitching, grunting, mouth twitches, facial grimacing, facial twitches, and throat clearing. The condition often originates early in an individual's physical development, and may last for merely a few weeks or for several years. Sometimes, the disorder persists into adulthood.

Facial tics can persist and increase anxiety-related behaviors in a child whose stress levels are already high because of the disorder itself. Other children can be extremely unkind, making fun of the child's problem. Worse, teachers who lack understanding and are unable to help fellow classmates to understand and assist the child in conquering his problem can have a devastating impact on a child's self image.

The problem, however, is not relevant only to the afflicted youth. Adults who must cope with a facial tic encounter significant challenges in managing this problem. These persons often struggle with overwhelming social difficulties. In some situations, a person can develop the ability to identify the onset and control the spasm that initiates the facial tic. Even this, however, can result in intense emotional and physical energy drains. Such individual often wrestle with self image problems as well.

Grownups who obtain relief from the agonizing effects of facial grimaces and other tics can experience social rebirth. Their concept of themselves improves, and they no longer are afraid to experience life at its fullest. Youths who overcome the effects of this condition no longer are burdened by the acute stress that cripples their social lives, and live with joy rather than emotional pain.

Often, medications, such as mildly sedating drugs, are prescribed to this problem. Even though the medications may lessen the frequency or severity of these symptoms, the drugs themselves can often cause adverse effects. For this reason, persons sometimes rely on alternative treatments to help them in treating their condition.

Two alternatives that have offered exciting potential in helping clients to successfully manage facial tics are hypnosis and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming). Both of these therapies take advantages of the strength of the individual's unconscious mind to assist them rechannel the spasm. Because these treatments are concerned with the source of the difficulty through intervening in the unconscious where the problem originates, they are significantly more beneficial than traditional therapy approaches that only attempt to control eye blinking, mouth twitches, squinting, facial grimacing, facial twitches, grunting, or other types of impulsive behavior.

Hypnosis permits the person being treated to enter a peaceful dreamlike state and receive suggestions that assist them to release tension. Because tics are caused by built-up stress within a person's body, expelling this tension helps them to successfully control the tic. After several sessions, the client should be capable of experience the ability to cope with tension successfully.

Those therapists who employ NLP assist the client to focus his or her conscious will to use thoughts that stress them as triggers for relaxing thoughts. In addition, the individual learns to use a non-related body part, like a toe, to expel the stress that would have previously been manifested by the facial tic. Through the use of this technique allows individuals to overcome tension without relying on the humiliating behavior.

Another positive outcome of these two therapies is that the client avoids the experience of adverse effects from medication type therapies. Indeed, both hypnosis and NLP are usually viewed as the primary treatment for individuals who are afflicted by tics, such as nose wrinkeling, or throat clearing, because these interventions do not have undesirable side effects. This avoids significant pain and distress for the sufferer.

Summary: Facial tics can be socially damaging and may yield serious consequences. Boys are more likely to exhibit this difficulty, which can continue into adult life; however girls may also have struggles with this. While several treatment approaches exist, hypnosis and NLP appear to be the safest treatments, because they do not cause negative side effects and are very effective.