Why Can People with Tourette’s Suppress Their Tics Only Sometimes?
Tourette’s tic suppression is one of the most misunderstood aspects of Tourette syndrome. At first, someone may appear able to control their tics during a lesson, meeting or journey. However, this does not mean that the tics can simply be switched off whenever the person chooses. In fact, temporary control often requires significant effort, concentration and discomfort.
First of all, many people experience a premonitory urge before a tic. This can feel like pressure, tension or a sense that something is not quite right. As a result, suppressing the tic may become increasingly difficult over time. For this reason, Tourette’s tic suppression should not be confused with complete voluntary control.
In addition, the ability to suppress tics can change throughout the day. For example, stress, tiredness, excitement and concentration may all influence how manageable the urge feels. At the same time, an activity that reduces tics for one person may increase them for another. Therefore, comparisons between different situations are often misleading.
Moreover, tics may become more noticeable at home. In many cases, this happens because the person finally feels safe enough to stop monitoring every movement and sound. Consequently, the tics become more visible. Nevertheless, this does not mean they were pretending outside the home.
Furthermore, repeatedly telling someone to “just stop” can add pressure and self-consciousness. By contrast, structured approaches such as CBIT use specific behavioural techniques rather than simple forced suppression.
Ultimately, Tourette’s tic suppression can be possible for short periods, but it is not unlimited. Instead, it often represents a temporary effort to manage an involuntary neurological urge. In other words, the fact that someone can hide a tic for a while does not mean they can control Tourette syndrome whenever they want.