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Facial Tics and Meditation
AllbuddhaBound
Veteran
I have a facial tic that has plagued me since childhood. It has become so strong that I don't even notice when it occurs. It would be almost funny to see peoples reaction to me if it wasn't so damaging socially.
My kids describe my face as intense or severe. I have had little kids tell me that I am weird. Some people have assumed that I have evil intentions when I look at them and assumptions are made about my motives.
I have meditated for a number of years but it doesn't seem to have any effect on this nervous tic. Has anyone else experienced a problem like this? Is there a way one can meditate to help themselves through this?
I think I put this in the wrong area. Could a mod move it to the meditation area please?
My kids describe my face as intense or severe. I have had little kids tell me that I am weird. Some people have assumed that I have evil intentions when I look at them and assumptions are made about my motives.
I have meditated for a number of years but it doesn't seem to have any effect on this nervous tic. Has anyone else experienced a problem like this? Is there a way one can meditate to help themselves through this?
I think I put this in the wrong area. Could a mod move it to the meditation area please?
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Comments
Buddha bless,
Conrad.
What has worked for her in conjunction with sitting is active relaxation. To do this, you consciously tense the muscle that has the tic. If it is your forehead or whichever part of your face, just scrunch it up and hold until you become too tired to continue. Then let go and say "Ahhhh". Then just sit quietly and feel become gently aware of your face. You can do this multiple times until the tic subsides. A tic is a powerful habit that both gains power by repetition and loses power by not being repeated. If you spend some time like this consciously gaining control over it in a non-aggressive way, you will notice that it lessens over time. Don't be discouraged.
It's very simply a disorder of the nervous system (not saying you have Tourette's) that results in one or more muscles normally volitionally controlled activating without volitional control. It's really a great big no big deal in terms of who and what a person is, but it does lend itself to misinterpretation to those who don't recognize it for what it is.
Have you talked about this with a doctor? There may (or may not) be a medication worth considering to alleviate the symptom. In no way am I suggesting this is a disorder really worthy of being 'fixed' as any human worth knowing will accept you exactly as you are, but if it results in your feeling more comfortable socially it may be something to consider.
In the meantime why not just buy yourself a smart ass T-Shirt saying something silly about your facial tick? Sometimes a little laugh at ourselves for being human is good therapy.
I know that accepting ourselves as we are is important, but I find people (even Buddhists) are uncomfortable and don't trust. This fear of my tic makes my life more difficult.
If at all possible, I would prefer not to use medication. I have considered it as well however. Would just like to try a more natural approach. If it doesn't work, then I will definitely consider medication.
Well, I am at a loss to be of any real help. I can tell you that with Tourettes I was able to control my tics, but barely and it required enormous attention to not allowing my muscles to twitch. It required an all encompassing attention.
Certainly you can redouble your efforts to gain physical control over the twitch, but I suspect you already realize it's pretty near futile.
What this leaves is that the twitch is either purely brain/neurology based in which case nothing other than (maybe) medication or a surgery is going to fix it or it may be purely or at least partially psychological in which case you may get some aid with a psychotherapist, but realistically not every therapist is going to have even the first clue about your tic.
As best you can I would encourage self acceptance first and everything else second. Seriously, there is nothing at all wrong with a person just because they have a little twitch. It's a great big no big deal. Sure, lots of people won't initially understand it and so it's a burden, but most people with any maturity at all will readily accept it and not care about it at all.
It says nothing about who you are as a person.
that I've regretfully found "offputting"
Here he wears a cowboy hat
Is that a tic? Does he have tuberculosis?
I am not sure if that is a tic so much as a mannerism. I have found it extremely common amongst Tibetan teachers to constantly clear their throats during teachings.
I heard that hypnotherapy can be very effective with tics actually.