“I’m pretty sure I have a tic disorder?”

Your involuntary facial movements and sounds certainly could be due to a Tic Disorder, but there are also several other potential causes of involuntary movements. So you need to have a thorough evaluation by a Neurologist to diagnose exactly what is going on. This does not require going into a hospital at all. Tics and other Movement Disorders are treated by Neurologists, usually with regular outpatient office visits.

Sincerely,

At your age, your mother should not be sitting in on your appointments. I believe when you turn 18, you will have the legal right to make your own decisions.

Motor tics are not uncommon and are usually not so prominent that you need to do anything. When vocal tics are also present, you should be evaluated to see if you have Tourette's disorder. You don't have to go to a mental hospital, you are not mentally ill. You should talk to your pediatrician about having a neurological evaluation. Even if your mother is sitting in, you should bring up your concerns.

If you have motor tics and vocal tics, you may have a condition known as Tourette’s syndrome. You can also include some obsessive compulsive symptoms. It is certainly not a close for psychiatric hospitalization! There are some medicines that can help. There are also some medicines that can bring on ticks, such as the stimulants used in attention deficit disorder.

You could speak to your school nurse, leave a message at your doctors office, or mention it when you see your doctor even if your mother is present. Most states do not give minors the right to giving consent for general medical care.

Good luck to you! The specialist you might want to see is a neurologist.

David Nover, MD

Tics are common problem. Check with your pediatrician first.