I Tic But I Don't Feel Stressed

Key Takeaways:

• Tics communicate unconscious discomfort needing compassionate attention  
• By meeting them with care not resistance, their grip on life loosens  
• Inner peace accessible by anchoring awareness in the present

As someone who has struggled with constant motor tics for over 20 years, I know the chaos and distress they can cause, especially during times of high anxiety like this pandemic. But I'm learning not to get swept up in the storm of urges. By dropping into my body and cultivating calm within, I'm weathering the tics with much more ease these days.

I recently received an email from a fellow ticcer who was told by a neurologist that her facial tics stem from stress. Yet she insisted she doesn't feel stressed. I gently replied that while she may not be conscious of it, there is clearly discomfort in her system seeking release.

The tics are a message from deep within asking us to pay attention and care for ourselves more tenderly. But we often tune out these cries through distraction and dissociation.

When I take time to consciously breathe and feel all that is stirring inside, things shift. The storm stops controlling me. By meeting my anxiety and rage with compassion instead of resistance, their power diminishes.

Have my tics permanently vanished? No. But relating to them as messengers rather than enemies has brought unexpected freedom. I no longer feel so victimized by each passing urge.

There is calm to be found in even the most turbulent seas of the mind and body. We only need to anchor ourselves in the present moment. The stillness at the eye of the storm is always available, if we are brave enough to look within.