Does anyone else have nervous tics?
Does anyone else have nervous tics?
I usually experience two types of nervous tics, and I don't really know if they're related to NPD, nor have I ever asked about them much.
First, I tend to involuntarily blurt out words when I think about a past situation that embarrassed me or imagine a hypothetical future situation that could also embarrass me or cause me discomfort. For example, when I remember the time I crashed my car mirror, I often blurt out words like "no," "already," "ouch," etc. When I think about an embarrassing situation, I sometimes utter complete phrases like "no, that's okay now," "come on, stop," or something like that. Sometimes I also let out little screams like "aaaaaa!"
Honestly, anyone who heard me say those things out of nowhere would think I was crazy, and quite rightly so. This is even why I once thought I might have autism and that these could be stereotypes related to autism. And in fact, I probably would be if it weren't for the fact that I'm able to control this when I'm in public or around other people.
Although, as I said, these tics are "involuntary," I can sort of sense and control them, and I only let them out when I'm alone. When I'm in public, I'm able to control myself and don't show them when I'm in the company of other people.
Another kind of nervous tic I have is that, when I start fantasizing (I'm a person who fantasizes a lot), I usually bring my hands to my face, between my nose and mouth, and begin to blow gently while I'm fantasizing. I can stay like this for several seconds or minutes, depending on how long the fantasy I'm thinking about lasts.
Like the previous tic, I'm able to control it, and I only do it in private. It's not something I do in public or in company either. As I said, if I did these things in the company of other people, people would really think I have a very serious mental condition, which is why I'm able to camouflage it and maintain the serious, cool appearance everyone knows I have.
I don't know if things like this happen to anyone else. The tic I have related to fantasy has been with me since childhood, and the tic of involuntarily saying words and screaming began to emerge around age 20.
While I know that fantasy and feeling intense discomfort over embarrassing events are related to NPD, I honestly don't know if these responses correspond to this condition; I haven't asked anyone about it.
What's your experience?
Posted Jul 6, 2025, 7:41 PM UTC