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Key Takeaways:

• Bringing kind awareness to epicenter of tics releases accumulated tension
• Anchoring in body sensations of stability ripples calm upwards   
• Discovering stillness living within the chaos brings unexpected relief

As someone who has struggled with constant shoulder and arm tics for over 20 years, I know all too well the sense of inner agitation that drives these involuntary urges. It often feels like there is a part deep inside that is never fully settled in my body – a part always needing to jerk, flap, and spasm without my consent.

In my healing journey, I’ve found meditation focused specifically on the areas where I tic can help immensely. By guiding my awareness into the tics’ origin points with compassion, true relaxation emerges.

Recently, I led myself through a simple 15-minute grounding exercise for my shoulder tic. Sitting quietly with eyes closed, I first directed my full attention to the source of the spasms. Exploring the...

Key Takeaways:

• Medications only temporarily masked symptoms vs. resolving root cause   
• True healing emerged through self-nurturing presence and understanding  
• Relating to discomfort differently transformed its control on life

As someone who struggled with constant motor tics for over 20 years, I know the misery and isolation this condition can cause. In desperation, I tried all the medications doctors prescribed to “treat” my tics. But the side effects were often as bad as the symptoms. Medicating myself into a stupor didn't equal healing.

True relief only came when I started “treating” my tics by taking better care of my mind and body. Nurturing myself with presence and understanding - not pills - finally eased my suffering.

Now when I feel the chaos of urges rising within, I treat myself to some quiet time in nature, rather than running from the discomfort. Being among the trees settles my nervous system. I also make sure I...

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...

Key Takeaways:

• Noticing "pre-tic" sensations and taking slow breaths interrupts escalation   
• Anchors me in stillness before tic hijacks nervous system reactively 
• Rewires brain to be less hair-trigger through simple mindful practice

As someone who has struggled with constant motor tics for over 20 years, I'm all too familiar with the overwhelming urge that arises right before each spasm. It's like feeling a storm brewing inside that quickly erupts in lightning-fast twitches. A tense energy takes over that seems impossible to resist.

But I'm learning that finding presence and calm in the moments right before the tics hit is key to regaining control over my body. By tuning into that tense "pre-tic" state mindfully, rather than reacting on autopilot, I can often discharge the urge before it escalates.

The second I feel that stormy sensation start to brew in my shoulder, neck, or face, I take a long, deep belly breath. As I inhale for a count of 4, then exhale...

Key Takeaways:

• Identity Reformation as a Healing Tool
• Embracing Change and Brain’s Potential
• Holistic and Self-Healing Approaches

Hi everyone, my name is Dazz. I used to go by Darren, but I recently changed my name as part of my journey to heal from a chronic motor tic I've had for over 20 years. Changing my name has been an important part of reimagining my identity and freeing myself from feeling trapped by my condition.

I know firsthand how powerless tics and Tourette's can make people feel. When your body is moving by itself against your will, it's easy to feel like something is deeply wrong with you. Over time, you start to associate your core identity with having a disorder, and it becomes difficult to envision life any other way.

But here's the thing - our brains are complex and we all have far more potential for change than we realize. One technique that has really helped me is simply changing my name. Introducing myself as Dazz instead of Darren has allowed me to...

 Key Takeaways:

• The core philosophy of seeing tics as an illusion
• The technique involves acknowledging and accepting the tic through focused observation and deep breathing
• Mantras like "This is not my body" and "I am not my tic" reinforce the separation between the tic and oneself

I want to share with you the master key that has allowed me to finally heal and find freedom from my motor tics after over 20 years of daily struggles.

In essence, it comes down to truly seeing and realizing that the tics themselves are an illusion - they are not who you really are. When we bring full awareness, consciousness and love to observe the tics, their illusion dissolves away.

I discovered this key truth while in the depths of suffering from a bad flu. As I listened to spiritual teacher Ramana Maharshi, I had the profound realization that the constant jerking and movements are not reality - they are shadows and diversions keeping me from being fully present with myself.

The master key...

 Key Takeaways:

• Meditation builds capacity to experience calm within ticcing episodes
• Training in nonjudgment equanimity reduces perpetually reactive mindset 
• Though still arising, tics no longer seem so disruptive or distressing

As someone who has struggled with constant motor and vocal tics for over 20 years, I know firsthand how an overactive mind can drive and exacerbate these involuntary urges. When my thoughts are spiraling out of control, my body can't help but spasm and twitch uncontrollably.

Many might assume meditation is impossible for someone with severe Tourette's. How can you sit still and silent when your body won't stop moving? But in my healing journey, I've found mindfulness practices truly transformative.

Sitting to meditate, thoughts inevitably pop up like "tick, stop it!" and my frustration swells when urges arise during my practice. But over time, I've stopped fighting the tics and learned to acknowledge their appearance with gentle acceptance.

...

Key Takeaways:

• Common tic triggers include fatigue, caffeine, screens, social situations  
• Identifying subtler triggers helps anticipate and manage them proactively   
• Rather than fighting discomfort, meeting triggers with curiosity defuses intensity 

As someone who has struggled with constant motor tics for over 20 years, people often ask me about “triggers” - the situations that seem to exacerbate my tics. For a long time, I was bewildered by this concept. My tics were so frequent and uncontrollable, I couldn’t imagine identifying specific triggers amidst the chaos.

But as I’ve cultivated more mindful awareness of my body’s patterns, some clear triggers have begun to emerge. While everyone’s triggers are unique, here are a few I’ve noticed in my own journey:

- Social situations - Being around certain friends or in crowded settings often increases my urge to tic. There is a social anxiety component at play.

Key Takeaways:

• Reframing Tics as Inner Cries for Attention
• A Balancing Act of Empathy and Boundaries
• Tics as a Gateway to Self-Discovery

As someone who lived with chronic motor tics down my right arm for over 20 years, I'm often asked - why did you develop Tourette's? In the beginning, I felt confused and victimized by my condition. I'd lash out thinking, why me? Why do I have to endure this body hijacking my will?

Over time, I've made peace by reframing my Tourette's as a call from my unconscious self for attention and care. Like a crying baby flailing its arms uncontrollably, my tics signified inner parts desperately seeking nurture and acknowledgement.

I now see this sensitivity as a gift, though it took work to embrace it. I had to stop exerting rigid control while also refusing victim status. Meeting my tics with empathy while establishing healthy boundaries around them shifted everything.

I discovered each tic eruption contains a valuable message. By meeting them with...

Key Takeaways:

• Impatience and frustration with constant tics fuels anxiety cycles  
• Softening into self-compassion stills nervous system better than demands  
• Peace unlocked more healing than aggressive striving for tic elimination  

As someone who struggled with constant motor tics for over 20 years, I know how maddening it can feel when these disruptive urges won't go away. In my desperation for a quick fix, I often grew incredibly frustrated that my tics weren't instantly vanishing. But in my healing journey, I've learned that cultivating patience and slowing down has been utterly transformative.

When tics arise hundreds of times a day, it's natural to want immediate relief. But the more impatient I felt, the more my body reacted with anxiety and spasms. I was locked in a vicious cycle, demanding my nervous system relax while sending it frantic signals of stress. 

Over time, I came to accept that retraining lifelong habits requires gentleness and...