Tic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder

Everyone has something that they do a lot, like using a certain phrases all the time, or blinking. When someone moves or makes a noise and repeats it several times a day against their will, we call it a tic disorder. When the symptoms have been around for more than a year, we call it Gilles de la Tourette. 

Tics can be really annoying and can turn your everyday life upside down. You have to explain to others why you’re acting this way, and your tics might also consume a lot of your time during the day.

Obsessive compulsive disorder consists of thoughts and actions: things you think of multiple times a day, and things you do multiple times a day. For example: you need to wash your hands constantly, because you think bacteria can’t spread this way and you don’t want to make other people sick. Others have to check four times if they really locked their door, or really turned the light off. If they haven’t done this often enough or if they did it ‘incorrectly’, they have to do this again until it’s all right. 

The treatment protocols that we use have been developed specifically for these tics and compulsions in children. In addition to psycho-education (explanation of what exactly is going on), we will also use cognitive behavioural therapy to work on ways to help your child change their thoughts, feelings and behaviour.