How To Stop Doing Tics (and Nervous Twitches)

Key Takeaways:

• Attempts to forcibly suppress tics backfire by creating inner civil war
• Establishing kind awareness of discomfort reduces its control 
• Outer storms ease as I cultivate stillness, integration within 

As someone who has struggled with constant, disruptive motor tics for over 20 years, I know how tempting it is to detach from these unwanted urges and view them as something alien, happening against my will. The flailing doesn't feel like me - I must be "possessed" by this affliction called Tourette's. 

But a comment on my YouTube channel recently gave me pause. A fellow ticcer gently challenged my insistence that these tics are not me. He reflected how when we lack bodily awareness, it's understandable to feel that disconnect. But with patience and compassion towards ourselves, we can come to recognize the tics as simply another expression of our being.

This perspective resonated with me deeply. Early on, the notion of claiming ownership of something so uncomfortable seemed unthinkable. But denial only increased my suffering. My fruitless attempts to suppress the tics created an inner civil war. 

As I've cultivated mindfulness, I've stopped fighting my body. When urges arise, I acknowledge them without judgment and let them pass through me like waves. While still challenging, I no longer view them as a hostile takeover of my being. 

Through breathwork, meditation, and other embodied practices, I'm tuning into the nuanced physical and emotional roots of each tic. Tracing their origins has helped me reconcile these motor urges as communication from parts of myself I'd disowned. 

Owning my tics has been scary yet freeing. I'm no longer at war within myself. When legs jerk or fingers flap, I recognise them as expressions of my unique nervous system. Tics are not who I am, but are one small part of my wholeness. 

Have the tics vanished completely? Not yet - healing is gradual. But relating to them with compassion rather than aversion has brought unexpected peace. I'm no longer fighting for control of my body. Making space for all that arises cultivates an inner stillness beyond the storms of Tourette’s. This is the ongoing journey of coming home.