Tics, Tourettes and Depression

A student of mine recently completed the MTM Method Online Course and dropped me an email with some feedback. 

Check it out,

"Hi Dazz

First of all best wishes for Christmas and the new year.

I have completed your course now and I would like to express my gratitude for your honesty and advice. It is an invaluable source of support for people with this awful condition.

I hit a real low point in October. Since then I have tried a number of things including your course and I think I am the best I have been in years. Although I think in the last week I've probably gone backwards ever so slightly.

I expect feedback on the course is probably worthwhile, so mine is as follows. I find the breathing exercises, meditation and dazzarobics (yoga) to be helpful.

Based upon my experience, going back before the course, I haven’t noticed dietary changes to make any difference.

However, I think happiness (and depression) and hope makes a big difference to the condition. If I could find a way to stay super happy all the time, I think the physical aspects of this condition might remain locked away. Unfortunately for me, keeping depression at bay is one thing, but being genuinely happy is another. My feedback here is that I am surprised your course didn’t directly tackle this issue. Maybe it isn’t a consideration for everyone with this condition. It might be something you want to consider for further additions. I acknowledge that dealing with depression/happiness is a whole new can of worms. Commencing your course provides a lot of hope. However, that effect does wear off after a while.

While I think the tic is mostly at bay now, I still have a fair amount of muscle tightness/tension in the jaw/face. Sitting at a computer and looking at a screen all day for work surely doesn’t help. I am wondering if you have any suggestions for this? Although I suspect if there was anything more to add it would already be in the course.

Anyhow, since thanks and admiration to you. I hope you have a terrific Christmas wherever you are right now.

And if you ever come through Sydney, I’d happily show you around."

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I responded in the following way,

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"Hello :)
Thankyou for this email and sorry for my delay.

Your comments are super appreciated and I'm happy you've been through the course and found value! How have you been so far in 2020?

I hear you on the feedback around happiness and depression. These are labels given to help us understand our mental and emotional health, but it's rarely so black and white of course. Should we strive for happiness? Do everything we can to 'MAKE SURE WE ARE HAPPY?'

Maybe or maybe not. It is my opinion that as we release the pain/stories/trauma/tightness that we've picked up during our life so far, that our life naturally becomes more joyous because it is our natural state to be full of life - babies aren't born into this world as depressed little nutters!

And so, I encourage you to continue to face your painful emotions, and fears and confronting stories because behind the stories there is a clear sky full of bliss, joy, happiness and freedom (and no ticcing.)

With regards to your question about looking at the computer - yeah I hear you. it's difficult. A human body sitting facing this glaring screen for 8 hours a day for 60 years ain't natural, is it? So choose how you spend your time wisely, my friend! Do you think you can handle sitting in front of a computer for decades to come? Or what actions could you take now to start thinking about how you might transition off the computer (if possible....)

Here to help - reach out any time. And if you'd like to have a one on one with me I'm adding free sessions to my calendar sporadically over the coming weeks so check them out here: https://www.motorticmastery.com/coaching

Peace,
d"

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In hindsight, I wish I'd gone a little deeper into answering his question around the use of a computer and the tic but when I'm answering dozens of emails I don't always go as deep into every email as I can. SO, I plan to record a video on this soon!!

If you're interested, check out The MTM Method - Online Course for Stopping Tics & Tourettes