Tic Disorders
Tic Disorders are characterised by repetitive movements or vocalisations known as tics. Tics may occur automatically or be preceded by a premonitory urge – an uncomfortable sensation, pressure or feeling that builds before the tic and may temporarily reduce after it is performed.
Dr. Patel’s clinical approach draws on Habit Reversal Training (HRT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). HRT develops awareness of tics and their preceding signals and introduces a competing response – an action that is incompatible with the tic. ERP involves experiencing premonitory urges while reducing or delaying the usual tic response. Both approaches are individually formulated according to the person’s presentation.
Some individuals experience frequent or changing tics with limited awareness of the sensations that precede them. Assessment can help identify earlier signals and determine how psychological intervention should be adapted where a straightforward urge → tic sequence is difficult to identify.
Tic Disorders can also overlap with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, particularly where repetitive behaviours involve premonitory urges, sensory incompleteness or “not just right” experiences. This overlap is a particular area of Dr. Patel’s clinical and research interest, including presentations sometimes described as Tourettic Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Individuals experiencing tics or Tourette Syndrome, including presentations involving overlapping obsessive-compulsive symptoms, are welcome to get in touch to discuss whether an assessment or psychological intervention may be appropriate.
