tic and tourettes

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I keep being asked this......"how do you know your tics aren't just tics and not the results of tourettes"? Can someone answer me this??? Everytime I look up tics I'm lead to tourettes. Doc says Tourettes, just because my symptoms are suttle I'm asked this. So I'm asking ......is there such a thing as just having a tic? And if so...whats the difference?

Yes you can have tics and not have tourettes. But first you should know tourettes is
one of those conditions often comorbit with autism spectum and ADHD.

What is the nature of your tics? Are you seeking treatment for them?

They started when I was about 11, when I stopped sucking my thumb is when my parents noticed I went to blinking my eyes to making noises, like mmmmm and another one I can't describe. I use to get in touble for them and would sometimes get my mouth smacked if I made the noise. I was told I could control them if I wanted to, but know matter how hard I tried I just couldn't. Now I still blink my eyes, but my mouth always moves and the inside of my throat and mouth moves alot, it's not always very noticable. I found out I have a relative who has tourettes, but I wasn't told 'till I was an adult. My son tics also, and it use to affect his speech, he tends to mmmmmm when eating, but not so much, for some reason his tics seem to be less frequent as he gets older where as mine are worse, except I'm not so noisey. I'm still told I can control them if I wanted to, my response is not so polite any longer. I'm not being treated because I'm suppose to see a physcologist for like 4 sessions then a phychiatrist for meds. My insurance says so, to see these specailist would be alot more expensive. I would have done this for my son, but he dosn't want to be on meds, and now he's in the military and can't be on meds. Geez, tourettes is neurological, but thats how my insurance works. Hopefully through my new insurance I'll be able to check into it more. From what I've read thats what I have, my family doctor thinks so to. I don't know the difference between tourettes that are tic related and tics that are not, and how can one tell the difference????

My guess is the fine distinction between just tics and tourettes is something only
scientist need to worry about. If the tics are disrupting your life then you need treatment(usually meds) and the treatments are likely the same anyway.

Yes no way you can control them with your mind. People with ADHD and tourettes often can not take stimulant meds to treat ADHD because they can make tics worse.
Clearly indicating a neurological basis for tourettes. So really a neurologist should treat
it. Infact seems some what criminal for a pyschologist to be screening you first. You do
not have a mental health problem and noway a pyschologist is trained to treat tourettes.

Thankyou so much for your imput. I really do appreciate it. I hated growing up not knowing what was wrong with me and feeling so freakish. I like it here, I'm NT but sometimes I feel like we are all in the same boat, I guess some people are just better at covering up their doubts and fears than others are. It's not like that here.

If you have multiple vocal and movement tics both, then maybe that would be Tourette's.

I only have movement tics, so that is just known as Tic Disorder.
TheMachine1 is right, a neurologist is best.
Good wishes to you.