Smelling tics

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Please note: Articles on lived experiences can be a trigger for those with tics, OCD and anxiety disorders. Articles are intended to show we aren’t alone, and that help can improve quality of life.

Smelling tics manifest as an urge to smell something, sometimes without a specific pattern or when a specific thing is in view.

As sniffing is widely considered a vocal tic, the act of smelling could be also. This is despite no desire to make an audible sound.

Smelling tics can make a sufferer particularly self-conscious

This is particularly true when done in public, whether in school, at work or with family and friends.

There may be a desire to smell something particularly inappropriate, or when combined with an intrusive thought. Some tics are better described as Tourettic-OCD (sometimes abbreviated to TOCD), when a tic like urge is more obsessional in nature.

During the pandemic, many people reported losing a sense of smell. A smelling tic, without the ability to smell for periods of time, could increase stress levels.

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DISCLAIMER: Articles contain lived experiences, but cannot be used to diagnose. Medical advice can only come from trained professionals. 

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Dealing with Disorder was created by a sufferer, struggling to find information to help manage the conditions.