Myths & Truths about Tourette Syndrome

This study also found a decrease in tics in adults who received CBIT. Unfortunately, behavior therapy isn’t widely available. Medication is used more frequently to treat tics. Doctors typically prescribe clonidine or guanfacine as the first line of treatment, Woods said. They also may prescribe atypical antipsychotics, such as risperidone, he added. 4. Myth: Teaching kids to suppress one tic will trigger more or different tics. Fact: Research has found that when kids successfully suppress their tics, they don’t experience an increase in tics. One study even found that after the suppression condition, tics decreased by 17 percent when compared to the baseline. Research also has shown that treating one type of tic does not increase other types. In this study kids received treatment for vocal tics, while motor tics were left untreated. The motor tics did not increase. In fact, there was actually a 26 percent decrease in motor tics. While Tourette syndrome tics can be bothersome and intrusive, they tend to shrink in severity or dissipate altogether over time. For kids and adults whose symptoms are especially disruptive or don’t go away, effective treatment is available. Further Reading Learn more about Tourette syndrome at the website for the Tourette Syndrome Association. This article in the APA’s Monitor on Psychology explores the advances in behavior therapy for Tourette syndrome in greater detail.
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Atypical Antipsychotics Children and Teens Disorders General Medications Psychotherapy Self-Help Treatment Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Behavior Therapy CBIT Clinical Psychologist Commo Source Type: news