To have had enough of the constant movements my partner makes?!

[ricecrispies16]

Grrrr need a rant. My partner can't even got through telling me something without stopping to lick his lips and contort his mouth in some sort of routine every 30 seconds.

He says he's had twitches since childhood, never been doctors for it or anything. It goes in cycles and at the minute it's licking his lips followed by pulling his mouth either side then doing an over exaggerated swallow. I'm not being horrible it's just that it's hard to concentrate on what he's saying when he's constantly stopping and moving his face about. Sometimes it's his hand that he twitches, it's a repetitive movement and sometimes it's so strong it forces the air out of his lungs and through his nose. A while back it was a nodding movement that was constant and it drove me mad.

Reading this I know I sound awful but it's just so distracting it makes it hard for me to concentrate on anything.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be?

Or how to cope with it!

Something to be concerned about and considerate of in someone you say you love would be my guess?

Possibly tourettes. It doesn't always involve the swearing but can manifest as tics .

They sound like tics. But I know nothing about what causes them.

A tic, quite common and involuntary.

It sounds like Tourettes. Has it started recently or has he always had little ticks/routines?

I think he should speak to his GP, maybe CBT might help him control it?

He says he's always had them. When we first met he didn't do it but now it's very very regular. At this minute his lips are sore and cracked. I actually feel really sorry for him but can't help but find it distracting

Does it happen more when he is talking about a particular thing? Could it be like anxiety or stress. Maybe he hid it well in the begining but cant now. He should try cbt as previously suggested. Dont bring it up when he is doing it as you will make him more aware of it and he will become worried about it and probably do it more.

I would say possibly Tourrette's too, a friend has similar, low level twitches and tics though they are more involuntary, repetitive arm movements than facial. They get worse when he is stressed or in uncomfortable situations. He has been diagnosed with mild form of Tourette's.

I suggest getting DH to GP, they may be able to help with how to manage the tics.

Definitely gets worse with stress or tiredness. Having fidget toys can help with displacing energy more acceptably. Worth going to the doctor, though.

It definitely increases during stress/worry. I'll try to persuade him to see the doctor

Maybe he can sense your reaction to them which makes it worse?

My son has tics like this, they can vary month to month tbh, new ones appear as other ones disappear. They definitely increase when he's stressed.
Tell him to go to the docs if it bothers HIM, not just because it bothers you. You might make it worse by talking about it more, as he'll be more conscious of it.
Tried to get cbt for my son as he was worried about people taking the piss out of him in high school, but CAHMS went down a totally different route and tried to find out if he had ADHD (which he doesn't). Got no help with the tics at all and were promptly discharged after no ADHD diagnosis. But he decided he could cope himself and has been doing great in high school, he doesnt think anyone has noticed :)

LTB

LTB

Could it be OCD? I have this with 'tics.' If I look at something and my eye twitches, I then have to look at it again twice and twitch my eye each time. Or if I purse my lips is another one. Hope you get to the bottom of it, for both your sakes!

Poor man. Tics are an external manifestation of anxiety. Both my dcs had them when younger and I did too. We've more or less grown out of them, but they can persist or show up again during stressful times.

Hope he gets to see a sympathetic GP. Try to ignore them and don't let him know you're irritated though as they are embarrassing to have.