Marked increase in sudden onset of severe tics and ‘tic-like’ attacks
Specialists at Great Ormond Street and Evelina children’s hospitals in London report seeing nearly double the normal referral rate of adolescent girls with acute onset tics during November and December 2020 and in January 2021
It could be linked to COVID 19 stress
‘Tic-like’ behaviours (called ‘functional tics’) as against diagnosed tic disorders can be caused by psychological factors such as stress and anxiety. This is leading researchers to believe that pandemic-related stress may be the cause of this increase in tic behaviour.
For example, fear of catching the virus, the general stress from closed schools and loneliness in lockdowns, difficulties with home schooling and lack of support from friends may be responsible for the upsurge of the problem.
More adolescent girls than boys appear to be developing severe tics ‘out of the blue’!
Could it be that they are suffering more than boys from the lack of expressing their feelings and anxieties through face-to-face close friendships? Some psychiatrists are even suggesting that certain social media sites may be responsible for ‘reinforcing and maintaining symptoms’.
My audios have helped many children and teenagers, whether girls or boys, to calm and control tics
I have very recently added two updated calming and relaxing meditations to my shopping site to help young people calm and control tics. One is for older children and teenagers and the other is for younger children. I use current metaphors such as ‘mental computers’ or ‘flight deck controls’ to help kids create imaginative ways to change the settings in their minds that control the tics.
They are guided to use their mental controls to ‘turn down’ excessive movements and quieten unwanted throat sounds. The mind and the body work together and I think that these techniques work particularly well with ‘functional tics’. These are the types of tics which may well be caused or worsened by psychological factors such as stress and anxiety.
If your child or teenager is being troubled by tics, whether unwanted throat sounds or movements, have a look here
Whether the problem is part of the recent ‘explosion’ of tic-like behaviours or is a long-standing tic disorder, one of these audio tracks could bring great relief.
Regular listening especially at bedtime will bring the best results.
Read the descriptions and listen to the samples here
https://www.firstwayforward.com/product/tics-control-sounds-movements-younger-children/
https://www.firstwayforward.com/product/tics-control-sounds-movements-older-children-teenagers/
