Treatment Methods
Although there is no known cure for tourette's, there are treatments used to manage the disorder's effects. Most people with Tourette Syndrome have tics that don't get in the way of their everyday life, and don't need any form of treatment. However, medication and therapy are available if tics cause disturbance to work, school, or social life, or cause any harm to you, or others around (9).
MedicationMedications do not get rid of tics permanently, they just lessen the struggle to make it through the day. Not one medication works the best for each person with Tourette's, and effect each person differently. "Most medications prescribed for TS have not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating," (9).
|
Habit ReversalHabit Reversal has two main parts, awareness training and competing response training. In the awareness training part, people identify their tics. In the competing response part, people learn to do a new behavior that cannot occur at the same time as the tic. For example, if the person with TS has a tic that involves clapping, a new behavior could be to cross his or her arms so the clapping cannot happen.
|
Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT)CBIT is a new type of behavioral therapy for TS. CBIT includes habit reversal amoung other strategies, including education about tics and relaxation techniques. CBIT has been shown to be effective at reducing tic symptoms in the patient. The therapist working with the TS patient will educate the client about their tics and its stressors, then they will attempt to adjust the surroundings of the patient to lessen tics appearances.
|