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Facial tics are characterized by sudden, seemingly unintentional muscle contractions of entire muscle groups in the face and neck region. These contractions are frequently recurring in nature, and appear to have no valid point. Common tics are overstated eye blinking, squinting, nose wrinkling, facial grimacing or even vocalizations such as throat clearing or grunting. Tics often begin during childhood, and most of the time resolve as a child ages. This is not always the situation, though, and many people continue to exhibit tics as they enter adulthood.

Tics often increase in frequency as an individual feels tension or discomfort. Victims who suffer from tics tell us that they are able to sense a tic as it approaches. It's often described as an overwhelming feeling of tension and the desire to engage the tic to eliminate the tension; somewhat akin to the approaching urge to yawn or sneeze which relieves the sufferer. Trying to control a tic can trigger tension, which can lead to the trigger of another tic. Tics are often described as being automatic but research and reports from sufferers indicates they are indeed voluntary motions that can be controlled by the sufferer.

A tic can manifest itself as a simple tic, as in grunting, mouth twitches or facial grimaces or it can be more complex such as is seen very often in Tourette syndrome. Simple tics are more common than complex tics, but can be just as discomforting to the individual; while a facial tic does not cause physical pain to the sufferer, it can often cause social problems or mental distress.

Especially children, can have a difficult time living with a tic due to mocking from other children, or teachers that don't fully recognize the difficult situation the child is in. While tics are often described as not being totally involuntary, control of a tic is difficult to establish, especially for children. Children often do not establish the skills to become aware of a tic onset as well as an adult.

Adults can also face vital trouble in their lives when living with a facial tic. Social problems are quite common, and even when tics are generally controlled the adult can become quite worn out by the persistent need to identify the onset of and control the tic impulse. Adults and children alike may suffer from self-esteem or self-worth issues due to their continuous suffering from a disease that often causes them to become social outcasts.

Relieving an individual from the anxiety of a facial tic can change that person's life. Self-esteem often improves, and social anxiety is no longer a strength holding a person back from experiencing a full life. In children, relieving a tic may allow the child to develop with less anxiety while he/sh has a happier childhood.

Over the years, many treatments for tics have been used with varying degrees of achievement. Psychotherapy or counseling can help uncover the emotional causes of a tic, and may help an individual better understand how to fight the urge to do their tic. Sedatives and other forms of medication are sometimes successful in cases of simple tics. These meds often come saddled with negative side effects, so many people search for alternative treatments.

Self-hypnosis and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) methods have been created specifically for the purpose of overcoming tics. Since facial tics are not firmly involuntary in nature, these treatments aim to change the sufferer's unconscious response to the onset of a tic episode such as throat clearing or facial grimacing. In most cases this can be accomplished by allowing the unconscious mind to stop the onset of the tic. In some extreme cases, however, the victim's response will be redirected to some innocuous portion of the body such as twitching a toe instead of facial muscles.

Facial tics can be an awkward life-affecting problem. Children and adults alike can suffer a lot from the occurence of a facial tic such as eye blinking, squinting, mouth twitches, facial grimaces, nose wrinkling, or grunting. Eliminating a facial tic can prove very valuable to the sufferer on an emotional level.

Although lots of treatments have been created to combat facial tics, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Hypnotherapy aim to utilize natural unconscious methods of redirecting the tic response. This type of therapy has great benefit over other methods such as counseling, which may not help the tic behavior at all, or attempt to modify the conscious reaction to tic behavior.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Hypnotherapy also do not suffer from the unwanted side effects of drugs. This beneficial method of treatment can also reduce stress and concern in the victim's life, thereby both reducing the impulse to form a tic and proving a benefit in everyday life. Due to these factors, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Hypnotherapy are often the safest, most preferred methods of treatment for tic sufferers.