Tourette's Syndrome (twitching)

**Connermac** · 06-22-2010 05:39 PM

So, I have Tourette's Syndrome, which, for those of you who don't know, often causes uncontrollable twitching. This has presented a significant barrier to WILDing for me. For example, I start to feel heavy as if I might induce SP and BAM! I pop my neck unwillingly. I'm medicated for it but it can't be completely controlled. Any tips for beating something that is programmed more deeply into my subconscious than anything dream related?

**AURON** · 06-22-2010 08:55 PM

Sorry to hear that. Do you have to take your meds on a strict time table? Like is there a way where you could take them during a WBTB instead of your normal time in order to help with the twitching? If not you may just want to look into DILDs.

**Waking** · 06-22-2010 09:24 PM

Like Akono said, you may just want to stick to DILD. Does the Tourette's normally interrupt your regular sleep schedule? If not then the twitching your feeling could be attributed to Hypnic Myoclonia, or "Myoclonic Jerks."

**Connermac** · 06-22-2010 10:13 PM

No, certain things stop it completely. For example, singing and acting make it go away, and when I actually get to sleep, SP kills it until I wake. My drug is in the form of a medical patch, so it's passive. It only affects me while I'm awake. I can force it to stop, but it causes a great amount of stress. It seems a bit lose-lose, but I'm going to work on my relaxation and meditation techniques to help stop it. Also, (a bit to my embarassment) I have found that opera music combats it excellently.

In short, I need to let go of my consciousness to effectively sto it, but by doing so fall asleep normally.

**Waking** · 06-23-2010 04:52 AM

Try some deep meditation techniques, breath counting, deep breathing etc . . . I hate to hear that this is affecting your ability to WILD

. The best advice i have is just to stick to DILDs. Theyre easier, and youll already be asleep during them. Is your tourettes mild or can it actually cause you pain to repress?

**Connermac** · 06-23-2010 05:56 AM

Intense mental pain, but no physical pain.

**Waking** · 06-23-2010 04:28 PM

Damn, that sucks dude. Do you have to concentrate on it to stop the twitching? Im thinking that once you get into NREM 3-4 stages, (deep sleep) your mind should calm down to the point of stopping the spasms. Have you ever gotten far enough into an attempt to have entered deep sleep?

**Connermac** · 06-24-2010 05:39 AM

I haven't even consciously entered SP yet, I don't think. I'm still very new at this. Is SP when you feel slightly detached and have to concentrate to get moving again? As it is, it's very difficult to maintain a sleeping schedule, as I'm 15 in the middle of moving halway across the country, and I'm staying up late into the night and often getting up early to keep on moving boxes around. I've had no luck with DILD. I have solid recall, but my RC (counting my fingers) will never trigger in a dream, despite the fact that it is essentially habitual in my waking hours. I'm just a bit frustrated.

**thomulf** · 06-25-2010 02:50 PM

why not listen to opera music while you go to sleep?
it doesnt have to be very loud......
whatever.

**Waking** · 06-26-2010 04:14 PM

Well SP basically comes in a wave. Firstly, by the time you actually enter SP you will barely be able to remember it. Normally its accompanied by hallucinations, visual, and auditory. SP is when your brain shuts down key neurons at the base of the brain stem causing paralysis. You wont be able to move, and probably wont even realize your in it. Keep trying to DILD, with your sleep schedule i dont recommend WILD because of the amount of sleep you could potentially lose.

**ultimatedood** · 06-26-2010 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by Connermac

No, certain things stop it completely. For example, singing and acting make it go away, and when I actually get to sleep, SP kills it until I wake. My drug is in the form of a medical patch, so it's passive. It only affects me while I'm awake. I can force it to stop, but it causes a great amount of stress. It seems a bit lose-lose, but I'm going to work on my relaxation and meditation techniques to help stop it. Also, (a bit to my embarassment) I have found that opera music combats it excellently.

In short, I need to let go of my consciousness to effectively sto it, but by doing so fall asleep normally.

Actually opera seems quite relaxing and calming. I used to listen to it for like 15 minutes, and it was cool.

**MythicDreams** · 06-27-2010 06:11 PM

Hmm, I also have "tics", where I suddenly tense up my arm, or have to rotate my shoulder blades, or twitch my face, etc. I don't think mine are quite as bad as yours, by the sounds of it - I can stop some of them if I really have to, with enough focus, such as when I'm trying to WILD.
I'm curious - for you, is it a voluntary action, which is very hard not to do? Or involuntary, where it just happens outside your control?
For me, it's a nagging thought, I feel like I really want to do the tic. Resisting feels like I'm going against my nature - almost like holding my breath, though not as severe.

The only advice I can give (although it might be useless, depending on the control you have over your tics), is to take very deep breaths, and think of something else to take your mind off the tics. If you want to WILD enough, you should be able to overcome your tics.
Best of luck.

**Connermac** · 06-28-2010 04:50 AM

I'm curious - for you, is it a voluntary action, which is very hard not to do? Or involuntary, where it just happens outside your control?

It's interesting. Some stuff, like craning my neck in various directions, seems like reflex. I can resist it, but it's like a very severe itch; not literally, but you know what I mean. Others, like the fact that I must blink far more often than most everyone I know actually cause severe physical discomfort to resist, though I think this is worsened considereably by allergies in the summer and the dry air in the winter. Until I can DILD well I think I might give WILDing a rest. DILDing seems more suited to my condition, as my obsessive-compulsive symptoms that come with TS have made reality checks very easy to program into my subconscious. I am RCing every two minutes it seems like.

**MythicDreams** · 06-28-2010 04:54 PM

I know exactly what you mean. I think you'll find a lot of success with DILDing - but remember to really question whether you're awake or not, and think of reasons why you're not dreaming. Then, you'll become more aware, more seperated from the dream world. For me, the recent times that I've become lucid have mostly been without reality checks. I'll be in the middle of the dream, then I'll think "hey, this isn't right, I must be dreaming!".

Again, good luck.
Mythic

**Connermac** · 06-28-2010 10:10 PM

So, I must ask, as I am still a newb: As an analytical person, how am I to legitimately question my state of reality? As it is, I perk up randomly and think to myself, "Is what I am seeing real? Is everything here plausible?" and even if I conclude that I can't be dreaming, I'll toss in an RC. Am I doing this right?

**MythicDreams** · 06-29-2010 11:30 AM

Ask yourself what you were doing before you got where you are. Was it anything out of the ordinary? Does everything seem normal, and as it should be? Then, like you already do, throw in a reality check to make sure.
Simple reality checks can be done quite often, without pondering all the details (or you'd spend your day wondering if you're asleep or not), but a few longer checks like these go a long way towards becoming lucid, in my experience.

You're doing well so far. Have you seen the Dream Signs tutorial? If you familiarise yourself with these signs, it could help you become lucid.

**Connermac** · 06-29-2010 05:16 PM

My frst day I pored over the tutorials endlessly. I have identified my dream signs as feeling like I'm in my favorite video game, and the appearance of Bill O'Reilly, which may seem random, but whatever, ha. So whenever I turn on the Xbox or flip on the tube to see O'Reilly, I toss in yet another reality check. I just haven't had any real results in-dream yet.

**MythicDreams** · 06-30-2010 05:04 PM

Keep at it, you'll get a lucid dream one day.

**Moto** · 07-07-2010 10:25 PM

Go to a hypnotherapist, or a good person with NLP, and pay to have it cured. It looks to be an easy fix. I would recommend the Neuro-Linguistic Programmer for you, tell him of what combats it, and research as to a good one in the area. Namaste
~Moto

**TheLoveDOctor** · 07-09-2010 04:52 PM

Wow, its strange that I get almost the exact same probleme but have never been diagnosed with tourettes syndrome and i only twitch rarely when not trying to WILD maybe i have onset symptoms or something, do people jus twtich involutarily at all or something? When i think about it i seem to have more random muscle spasms because im thinking about it.

**TheLoveDOctor** · 07-12-2010 12:50 AM

So im just looking back at my post in stuff, and I think it looked a little but insensitive how I presented my concerns of myself and id just like to clear up that i dont mean to be like that or anything

I just panicked and posteded instead of logically performing internet searches and making my own thread. I just think you shouldnt be all like about yourself and panicky

in a topic thats about someone elese struggles

.

**PaeFin** · 07-14-2010 02:00 AM

To the original poster: have you considered visualizations of singing or acting? If you have any plays memorized, you could try thinking about that.

I have a similar problem... okay not really... but an anxiety disorder that makes it tough. It's like you, I'm just lying there, and then bam, I'm panicking about something or other.

Surefire way to NOT go to sleep.

**Connermac** · 07-17-2010 06:45 PM

Don't sweat it, LoveDoctor, I'm not sensitive about it at all, this thread can be a place for anyone with similar problems to comiserate and work together. No biggie. Thanks for all the posts in here guys. I've been trying to work your suggestions into my personal techniques over the past few weeks, and if I haven't had an LD yet, my recall and vivacity are improving every day. Just a matter of time now.