When my head gets too chitty chattery I often end up cupping my ears, or doing weird tics in order to try and stop them, like shrugging or stretching my neck or rotating my wrists. I think the later ones are to try and avoid the ear cupping.

I find it most embarrassing when I'm in public and do this. I try so hard to not do it. So I'm always performing tics in order to try and stop the voices.

The other night I was in my psychiatrists office and my nurse was with me and someone was putting intrusive thoughts into my head about them having an affair together. They wanted to scream it at the top of their lungs (my nurse and doctor aren't really having an affair, it was not my own thoughts, quite obviously.) And in order to get them to stop I tried cupping my ears, but then I go embarrassed over that so I just kept shrugging, and tilting my head to the side, but then I got embarrassed over that... because I know I looked stupid.

Does anyone else experience these tics? How do you stop them?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by LydiaB

When my head gets too chitty chattery I often end up cupping my ears, or doing weird tics in order to try and stop them, like shrugging or stretching my neck or rotating my wrists. I think the later ones are to try and avoid the ear cupping.

I find it most embarrassing when I'm in public and do this. I try so hard to not do it. So I'm always performing tics in order to try and stop the voices.

The other night I was in my psychiatrists office and my nurse was with me and someone was putting intrusive thoughts into my head about them having an affair together. They wanted to scream it at the top of their lungs (my nurse and doctor aren't really having an affair, it was not my own thoughts, quite obviously.) And in order to get them to stop I tried cupping my ears, but then I go embarrassed over that so I just kept shrugging, and tilting my head to the side, but then I got embarrassed over that... because I know I looked stupid.

Does anyone else experience these tics? How do you stop them?

here where I live, we call cupping, shrugging, and other movements to block out whats going on inside with the alters or disguise whats going on with the alters - habits, and mannerisms, which are learned or taught behaviors.

here where I live "tics" are involuntary physical movements that cannot be chosen or done at will and are done uncontrollably caused by physical problems like Parkinson's disease ,Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Tourettes and others. Medications can also cause "tics"

I have tics from either Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson's (hasnt been narrowed down any further yet) it gets hard sometimes, and sometimes it is embarrassing. I have alleviated some of this by disclosing my possible diagnoses. I also take medication that helps somewhat.

I do have some habits and mannerisms that I learned in childhood. Instead of saying "Pinky" did it and getting punished for lying I learned to keep my mouth shut, twirl my hair and said sorry. When the voices got real loud or I found myself talking aloud I would recite a nursery rhyme so that the other kids would just think I was trying to sing and rhyme. When I got a bit older and rain needed to cry I would make up a really sad story. so that people would think I was playing a game / play acting / role playing. When I would find out one snotty alter was out I would burst into a "rich *****" attitude and people would again think I was play acting /role playing. I would also cup my ears. my family just thought I had an ear ache. I was in therapy as a child and as an adult. my therapist's recommended when things like this would happen I write in my journal. those journal entries were the keys to helping me and my therapist understand how to help me and my alters.

here is some information on tics maybe this can help you. I also suggest possibly talking with your treatment providers. they may nkow of ways that can help you.

http://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Tic+Di...s+for+Families

[Claritytoo]

Originally Posted by amandalouise

here where I live, we call cupping, shrugging, and other movements to block out whats going on inside with the alters or disguise whats going on with the alters - habits, and mannerisms, which are learned or taught behaviors.

here where I live "tics" are involuntary physical movements that cannot be chosen or done at will and are done uncontrollably caused by physical problems like Parkinson's disease ,Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Tourettes and others. Medications can also cause "tics"

I have tics from either Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson's (hasnt been narrowed down any further yet) it gets hard sometimes, and sometimes it is embarrassing. I have alleviated some of this by disclosing my possible diagnoses. I also take medication that helps somewhat.

I do have some habits and mannerisms that I learned in childhood. Instead of saying "Pinky" did it and getting punished for lying I learned to keep my mouth shut, twirl my hair and said sorry. When the voices got real loud or I found myself talking aloud I would recite a nursery rhyme so that the other kids would just think I was trying to sing and rhyme. When I got a bit older and rain needed to cry I would make up a really sad story. so that people would think I was playing a game / play acting / role playing. When I would find out one snotty alter was out I would burst into a "rich *****" attitude and people would again think I was play acting /role playing. I would also cup my ears. my family just thought I had an ear ache. I was in therapy as a child and as an adult. my therapist's recommended when things like this would happen I write in my journal. those journal entries were the keys to helping me and my therapist understand how to help me and my alters.

here is some information on tics maybe this can help you. I also suggest possibly talking with your treatment providers. they may nkow of ways that can help you.

http://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Tic+Di...s+for+Families

Hi, I have tried to keep a journal but I would delete it or throw it out. I would remember writing in it but I often could not attribute the thoughts to me. Or I was embarrassed by what I had written. I than started not going back and reading it hoping that would prevent me from throwing it out. But eventually I would read it and out it would go. Or I would just never go back to it. Right now I have two journals I have written on pads but I don't know where they are. Out of sight out of mind. Now I am keeping a journal in my car that I write in after my sessions. Sometimes I don't remember what was discussed in session. Not that long ago I had stopped writing in it because I didn't like something I wrote. Is there a method to keeping a journal? I am only aware of a few alters and am only finding out now that not all of them know what each other knows. I think keeping a journal would help me to get to know myself better.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Claritytoo

Hi, I have tried to keep a journal but I would delete it or throw it out. I would remember writing in it but I often could not attribute the thoughts to me. Or I was embarrassed by what I had written. I than started not going back and reading it hoping that would prevent me from throwing it out. But eventually I would read it and out it would go. Or I would just never go back to it. Right now I have two journals I have written on pads but I don't know where they are. Out of sight out of mind. Now I am keeping a journal in my car that I write in after my sessions. Sometimes I don't remember what was discussed in session. Not that long ago I had stopped writing in it because I didn't like something I wrote. Is there a method to keeping a journal? I am only aware of a few alters and am only finding out now that not all of them know what each other knows. I think keeping a journal would help me to get to know myself better.

there are many ways to journal - outlining form / abstract / go with the flow / train of thought /story writing / poetry/ word association /.....

use what ever works for you.

[Claritytoo]

Originally Posted by amandalouise

there are many ways to journal - outlining form / abstract / go with the flow / train of thought /story writing / poetry/ word association /.....

use what ever works for you.

Thanks for the response but I guess what I really want to know is how do I stop deleting and throwing them away? I write something one day and I read it another day and don't like what I wrote or how it makes me feel so I throw the journal away.

[horseontheloose]

I do that too claritytoo. My brother has tried to stop me in the past, but I would still burn it or shred it. For me though, I am less likely to throw it away if I write it as a poem, or invent a character and write it as a story. I think I do this because, if somebody else read it, they would read it as a fictional story, and not something about me. (at least that's what I tell myself) To LydiaB, I also do things as you have described, but a different version. I don't do them in public. In that situation, I know it's in my head, so I may shake my head or turn away and find something else I can think about. A tic however is something done without thought. My dad had some tics. I have a couple of those too. I don't know I'm doing them until somebody makes me aware of it.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Claritytoo

Thanks for the response but I guess what I really want to know is how do I stop deleting and throwing them away? I write something one day and I read it another day and don't like what I wrote or how it makes me feel so I throw the journal away.

any habit / mannerism that has been taught or learned as a coping tool to hide what is going on inside (or for any other reason) can be untaught / unlearned / given up / gotten rid of/ .....

It takes determination, perseverance and constant diligence to the negative behavior and the constant application of the positive behavior. Sometime people when retraining their self (getting rid of a negative behavior and replacing it with a positive behavior) give their self rewards.

example one of my alters was an avid smoker. once I was integrated I had smoking cravings because that alter was now one with me. I retrained myself by setting my goal and attitude for the task at hand. then I chose a positive behavior to replace the negative - I would take 5 minutes to breath, relax and totally enjoy a stick of strong flavored gum, or hard strong flavored candy. then I rewarded myself for following through with my goal of replacing smoking with gum or hard candy, my reward f- for every 5 consecutive times I followed through my wife had to do the dishes (I hate washing dishes and she was very willing to help me get rid of the "cancer sticks")

I was smoke free in two weeks.

if you want to stop deleting / getting rid of.. the evidence of journal writing it will take time but you can do it. just find what works for you and then off you go..

So if they're not tics, then what are they? Compulsions? I know what you guys mean by involuntary versus voluntary.

Maybe a better word is compulsion... I perform compulsions to stop something. Twist my arms, stretching my neck. To stop intrusive thoughts or voices. I feel like it makes them less. But I also can't stop the compulsions. I have no control over them... I do realize I'm doing them though. But like if I'm in public, the more I try to stop them, the worse they get. I don't have OCD.

[Claritytoo]

Originally Posted by LydiaB

So if they're not tics, then what are they? Compulsions? I know what you guys mean by involuntary versus voluntary.

Maybe a better word is compulsion... I perform compulsions to stop something. Twist my arms, stretching my neck. To stop intrusive thoughts or voices. I feel like it makes them less. But I also can't stop the compulsions. I have no control over them... I do realize I'm doing them though. But like if I'm in public, the more I try to stop them, the worse they get. I don't have OCD.

I think I know what you mean. I have a thing where I will breath in quick twice through my nose. I don't know I am going to do it. It just happens and I hear it. Most times it is at my therapists office when we are talking about something that causes me to get agitated. I am starting to think the two are connected. Maybe it is the way my agitated self moves forward to present. I don't know. But it is some how connected to the change in my mood. I can't prevent it from happening because I don't know it is going to happen. And I don't cause it to happen either. It just happens.

[likewater]

I have weird things i do. I dont think they are tics. I twirl or play with my hair a lot or stare a lot. I dont realize i do things like that until someone comments and then i feel bad especially if my staring offended them. At least dont pick my nose incessantly. :-) oh and if im getting a migraine , i breathe really funny.