Published on 12, July, 2020
I am 43, diagnosed Autistic and with Tourette Syndrome. As much as I feel like the TS diagnosis is correct, I do feel some of what I have is actually stimming (more convinced the more I understand my Autism).
My main issue is a harmful stim/tic which is a forced cough which makes my throat and chest sore, gives me headaches and hideously affects my working life. Nothing in fact has depressed me more in my entire life.
It occurs anytime I go to speak (rarely when sat in quiet and relaxed) but it can feel like my throat is closing like an anxiety reaction. It started as a throat clearing, but now i have to push out a really full force cough/to feel the sensation from it on my chest/throat.
I have had 16 sessions with IAPT (to no avail) but did help me understand the pattern more. I had Hypnotherapy which did nothing either, other than make me feel less anxious after the sessions.
I embrace my Autism (quite happy to be despite the challenges), quite open and so advocate when i can, have taken steps to manage my sensory world. I just cannot continue as i am with whatever this is. I so DESPARATELY need to decipher what it is and gain help for it. It is literally ruining my life.
Does anyone out there feel like they have a take on what all this is/means? Solution?
If it is a tic, then there's no help as Cbit is not funded on the NHS and tablets don't agree with me. If a stim, where do I go for help?
Huge thanks in advance,
Isla
I’m sorry to hear this is causing you distress. I’m not sure my tiny bit of advice will help but here are my recent findings.
I suffer panic attacks which afterwards do make me feel better so maybe this could be a stim, if I’m not having those I’m chewing the inside of my mouth and around my fingers which I also believe is a stim. I have taken steps to slow myself down and lower the pace of even the little things I do in every day life. This is very early days but have found that I am so much calmer and don’t have hardly any panic moments. I’ve suffered for probably near on 30 years. I slow things down by not rushing anything and trying to do a particular thing in a more mythological way and it feels really relaxing. Like I say I’m only a couple of weeks in but it’s definitely not doing me any harm.
Im sorry I cannot offer any more than that and I do hope you find something that helps you manage this a little better.