STOP ACCUSING PEOPLE OF FAKING TICS.

Seeing as ive been accused of this many times in the past, i thought id share this video from 2017 (5 years ago) of me ticcing. I was 9 in this video. Note that my deadname is stated in this, please do not bring it up or call me it, if you do you will be blocked. Reminder that my pronouns are star/starself/she/her. im the one wearing the grey onesie w/ white spots and pink trainers. sharing for educational purposes. i did not know what tics were until two years ago, all i knew at the time of this video was that i was moving this way and i couldnt control it. i couldnt understand why it was happening or what was causing it. a lot of the time i was bullied for it and called an attention seeker by my classmates and teachers.

CLICK HERE.

What are tics?

Tics are repetetive movements or sounds. they are involuntary and can be very draining and sometimes painful. they can be either simple or complex. people with tics DO NOT TIC 24/7. just because someone went a certain period of time does NOT mean they are faking. some people can go months without ticcing and still have real tics. tics may get worse when a person is stressed or anxious. focusing on them and thinking about them may make them worse - although on the contrary, there are certain things people can do to lessen the tics, such as concentrating and focusing on something you enjoy, or cuddling with a pet. 

What causes tics?

Some disorders/disabilities/conditions that cause tics include:
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) + Autism
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
Various tic disorders such as, Tourettes Syndrome, Provisional Tic Disorder, and more
Anxiety
Cerebral Palsy
Huntingtons Disease
.etc

What is a tic attack?

The term "tic attack" is often used to describe bouts of severe, continuous, non-suppressible and disabling tics, which can last from a few minutes to several hours. They often include whole body movements, muscle tensing, and shaking, and can sometimes look like seizures. they may also cause one to injure themselves involuntarily. they are very very exhausting and mentally draining. some people with tourettes syndrome (TS) may also have co-existing disorders such as POTS. 

Types of tics.

Motor Tics
Simple motor tics involve a single muscle group. Complex motor tics usually involve more than one muscle group and can even look like the person is doing the tic on purpose.

Simple motor tics include:

• nose wrinkling

• head twitching

• eye blinking

• lip biting

• facial grimacing

• shoulder shrugging

Complex motor tics include:

• kicking

• skipping

• jumping

• mimicking movements by others

• smelling objects

Motor Tics
Simple vocal tics involve one simple sound. Complex vocal tics involve more meaningful speech (like words). 

Simple vocal tics include:

• coughing

• throat clearing

• grunting

• sniffing

• barking

• hissing

Complex vocal tics include:

• repeating words and phrases

• animal sounds

• calling out

• yelling

What is Coprolalia + Copropraxia?

Coprolalia
Coprolalia is a subtype of vocal tics and is used to describe the involuntary expression of socially unacceptable words, such as slurs or swear words. you should keep in mind that the people who experience this cannot control it, and it does not make them a bad person.

Copropraxia
Copropraxia is a subtype of motor tics and is used to describe the involuntary expression of socially unacceptable actions, such as flipping someone off or sexual gestures. you should keep in mind that the people who experience this cannot control it, and it does not make them a bad person.

NOTE THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE SUFFERING WITH TICS DO NOT EXPERIENCE COPROLALIA/COPROPRAXIA.

Tics are not 'cool', 'trendy' or 'fun'. So why may someone fake them?

• They genuinely believe they have tourettes syndrome

• They are seeking attention due to trauma and neglect

• They want to seem 'cool' or 'different'

• As an excuse to be inappropriate or say slurs

• Theyre relatively young and are not mature enough to understand how damaging faking tics might be. They might be trying to fit in with one of their peers, or might of seen someone ticcing and thought it would make people like them more. in this situation they likely do not know what tics are.

Is it harmful to accuse someone of faking tics?
Yes. It is harmful. Especially if you dont know what youre talking about. It is very hurtful to people in the tic and tourettes community. Tics are very misunderstood and there is such a negative stigma surrounding TS in todays society.