Abilify and CBIT

[flower]

I have been having vocal tics for the past 17 years and it had been getting worse and worse (I am currently 45. It started late which is rare). I tried many things (except the strong medication such as Haliperidol etc) but recently, I started taking Abilify and also started CBIT (Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics) sessions with a psychologist at Weill Cornell Hospital in New York and after a couple of weeks, my vocal tics suddenly decreased - i'd say by 90%. I am SO HAPPY! It will never completely go away but even if it were to come back during stressful times in the future, I will know what to do, or can go for booster sessions at Weill Cornell again... I got the name of the doctor from TSA in NY. CBIT is, as I understand, very similar to habit reversal therapy. This site explains it if you're interested (http://www.behavior-consultant.com/cbit.htm). I am not good at explaining things so please check it out for yourself. I highly recommend it. Even if you don't take Abilify (side effect = weight gain.. ugh), just with CBIT, I am sure you will eventually see improvements and since it's not a medication, there is no side effect! If I had several motor tics, I would have treated one after another - one tic at a time - and therefore I would probably still be in treatment but my motor tics are so minor that I did not ask to be treated for those (I practice it on my own instead) and after my vocal tics got better, my treatment ended.

 

I paid $300 per session (initial consultation - $500, went a total of five times), and because i have PPO, insurance covered 70% of it. It's expensive but it was worth it for me. Thought I'd share this because I have been really devastated by my tics for a very long time and it was making my social-phobia even worse (I am shy to begin with...) Though I am unhappy about my weight-gain with Abilify, because the combo of Abilify and CBIT are working, I am not going to change anything for a while. I may eventually trying getting off Abilify. (By the way, I only take half of the smallest dose - i take 10mg a day).

[Chemar]

I am very pleased this has worked for you flower

 

Just adding two points though as it is important:

 

firstly, some people with TS have reported very negative responses to "habit reversal" therapy so not sure if this would be the same with CBIT, which I do not know anything about

 

secondly, there are FDA warnings about Abilify, and these were highlighted by Sheila Rogers in a previous thread

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1152&view=findpost&p=7486

[flower]

Thank you for the warning on Abilify!!! Definitely important to note.

I do hope to get off the med eventually but perhaps I should try sooner than later to see how that would affect my tics... Whether CBIT is enough to keep my vocal tics under control...

 

I am very pleased this has worked for you flower

 

Just adding two points though as it is important:

 

firstly, some people with TS have reported very negative responses to "habit reversal" therapy so not sure if this would be the same with CBIT, which I do not know anything about

 

secondly, there are FDA warnings about Abilify, and these were highlighted by Sheila Rogers in a previous thread

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1152&view=findpost&p=7486