What is tourettes?

Post Reply New Topic

I have this thing where I compulsively say "bunny", sometimes several times in a row "bunny-bunny-bunny". I also say "kitty" or "kitty-kitty-kitty". Can that be tourettes, or is it just a verbal stim?

Is it entirely involuntary is it just a compulsive ritual?

Do you have any nonverbal tics? Verbal tics have been made famous by "The Tourette's Guy" but my tics have always been nonverbal. I think verbal tics might actually be quite rare compared to nonverbal ones but I haven't done the research so I don't know.


If it's just a compulsion it's definitely not Tourette's. Even if it isn't a compulsion and it's an actual tic you should still get it checked out because it could still be a lot of different things.

For me it sounds more like a verbal stim.

I have both, verbal stims and tics, but verbal tics a very rare, espessially words and are usually "rude" words. This is in general like this with tourettes.
I repead very often a name, sometimes just names I have heard somewere, those are verbal stims.

Realize that with tourette's it's not voluntary, and it's extremely distressing most of the time. Tourette's often follows a distinct pattern. Starting as a child most get very subtle tics, blinking, facial twitches, then as the years progress they get more complicated. They typically peak in early adolescence and then almost vanish. Those of us with comorbid conditions such as OCD are more likely to have them continue into adulthood.

I have a moderate case of Tourette's, which has resurfaced after a few years of becoming more subtle. My mother also had the condition, though her's vanished in early adolescence and she doesn't have any comorbid conditions. It is genetic, so look for tics in your family. Technically in the DSM4, you cannot be diagnosed with Tourette's with Autism, UNLESS you have primary inherited tourette's.

The reason why is that Tourettism is associated with other disorders. Tourettism is the appearance of tics without primary Tourette's. ASDs, Schizophrenia, and a few other disorders can cause tics. This doesn't mean that you have Tourette's however.

In my case I have primary Tourette's with secondary OCD and Autism.

I do that when I'm tired and trying to get my brain working - it's definitely a verbal stim. It is also more common when I'm stressed. I try to remember not to let it happen in public but if I'm over-stressed or over-tired it does anyway. Whatevs.