Robin Boyd
1212
Answered
at 7:18am on August 28th, 2009
It could be a type of "tic" disorder. According to the DSM-IV, a "tic" is "a sudden, rapid, recurrent, nonrhythmic, stereotyped motor movement or vocalization." Tics can be simple, lasting only milliseconds, or complex, lasting several seconds or longer. Complex motor tics include hand gestures, jumping, touching, pressing, stomping, facial contortions, repeatedly smelling an object, squatting, deep knee bends, retracing steps, twirling when walking, and assuming and holding unusual postures. Copropraxia, a sudden vulgar or obscene gesture, is a complex motor tic. Complex vocal tics include the sudden spontaneous expression of words or phrases; Coprolalia is the sudden expression of a socially unacceptable word or phrase and may include obscenities or racial slurs. Tourette's, which involves both vocal and motor tics, is the most well-known of the tic disorders, but there are others that may involve only one type of tic. Diagnosis is made according to the duration and variety of the tics and age of onset. Tics are not always obvious or easy to recognize. My son had this really annoying habit of clearing his throat that, I later learned, was a tic. Tics are usually accompanied by a rising tension or sensation in a part of the body that produces the tic, followed by a feeling of relief when the tic is produced. Tic disorders are closely related to obsessive-compulsive disorders. Compulsions are often preceded by a persistent worry or concern while tics are more likely to be preceded by tension in a part of the body. Obsessive-Compulsive disorder is common in individuals with tic disorders.