Eye Blinking Repetitive Tic - How To Stop

 Key Takeaways:

• Voluntarily leaning into blinking urge in an exaggerated way helps
• Then taking slow deep breaths while holding eye tic position  
• Makes me friend not enemy; repeated practice rewires response 

For over a decade, I've had an uncontrollable tic in my left eye that just won't quit. Out of nowhere, my eye starts rapid twitching and fluttering dozens of times a day. As you can imagine, it's distracting, disruptive, and downright maddening at times. I can't tell you how many strange looks I've gotten over the years from people wondering what the heck is wrong with me. 

Like many with motor tics, I often feel frustrated and judged when the tic acts up. It's an involuntary impulse I have no control over in the moment. When the ticging starts, it's like my eye has a mind of its own. I used to berate myself thinking "Why can't I just be normal and make this stop?" But the negative self-talk only makes the urge to tic even stronger. It's a vicious cycle.

After years of embarrassment and struggle, I'm finally learning techniques to manage the facial tic instead of feeling victimized by it. One exercise that has really helped is consciously leaning into the tic urge in a mindful way. 

Here's what I do: When I feel the tic coming on, instead of fighting it, I purposefully act out the eye fluttering movement. I'll close my eyes and let my left eyelid flutter exactly as it wants to, almost exaggerating the motion. Then I take a few long, slow breaths, breathing in for a count of four and exhaling for a count of eight. All while holding that eye tic position. 

By voluntarily ticcing in a controlled way, I'm able to insert a sense of calm and self-compassion into what was always an uncomfortable experience. Deep breathing shifts my body into rest and digest mode, quieting the reflexive urge to tic. And when I stop resisting the tic, its intensity diminishes. 

Repeating this exercise for even a few minutes a day has been transformative. The more I make friends with the tic instead of making it my enemy, the less power it has over me. I still tic hundreds of times a day, but the flareups don't distress me nearly as much. There's a lightness to it now.

For the first time in years, I feel a real sense of control and hope regarding my facial tic. By mindfully discharging the pent-up energy driving the tic, while cultivating self-acceptance, I'm keeping the storm at bay. It takes dedication to change the neural pathways underlying this lifelong habit. But with small daily effort, I know lasting calm is within reach.