molly b

Thanks for your input Carolyn. My son is coming home tomorrow, a little earlier than we expected. I don't have nearly as much done around the house as I'd hoped, but I know from reading, it's going to be a long process. Thanks for your insight into the video games. I'm going to share this info with my son as soon as he gets settled in. I really hope cutting down on computer use will ease his tics. We'll see. Thanks again for your thoughts. Thanks for your input Carolyn. My son is coming home tomorrow, a little earlier than we expected. I don't have nearly as much done around the house as I'd hoped, but I know from reading, it's going to be a long process. Thanks for your insight into the video games. I'm going to share this info with my son as soon as he gets settled in. I really hope cutting down on computer use will ease his tics. We'll see. Thanks again for your thoughts. Molly b

My apologies to all. I'm trying to learn my way around the forum controls. I'm feeling my way around replying to you all. I don't know what I did to copy my original post and replies on the forum. I'm usually very good with directions, but I'm having a hard time with figuring this one out. Any helpful hints as to making a simple relpy?

Hi, I really don't know where to start, so I guess I'll start at the beginning. My son is 21 years old, and is experiencing a 'facial tic' that has us quite baffled and concerned. Looking back, I now see this 'tic' began around his Jr. or Sr. year of high school. His 'tic' involves a biting motion of the mouth. Often times, you can clearly hear his teeth choming together. Sometimes, his jaw trembles on the downward biting motion, as if it gets momentarily stuck. He emits no verbal sounds other than the sound of his teeth coming together. I took him to our family doctor while in high school who said he believed it was just a "bad habit" . We took that news as great relief. And after a while (I really can't remember how long) the tic seemed to us to almost disappear, but once in a while emerge. I don't know if he actually stopped with the tics altogether or if we just stopped paying attention to them. Anyway, off to college he went. Out of sight, but never out of mind, we didn't see him as often, so we didn't know if the 'tics' were there or not. This past Thanksgiving he was home for a week. The 'tics', if that's what they are, were most certainly there! He was chomping like crazy. He has asked for medical help with the tics now, recognizing that he can't control them. He said he can't "not do them". That he feels a build up of frustration that only eases after he tics. We'll be taking him to a neurologist in the next few weeks to see if we can get some answers. In the meantime, I've started researching on the internet and came upon Sheila Roger's Tics and Tourette's book. I'm about 1/3 way through it. I'm beginning to think my son has a Chronic Tic that may be attributed to allergies. He used to get weekly allergy shots in high school for an allergy to dust and dust mites. He also spends alot of time in front of the computer playing video games. He'll be home in December for good. I've been busy de-dustifying his room and our house as best as I can. I 'm also planning on taking him back to the Allergist to be re-tested. Suggestions and comments are needed and appreciated!