Take Back Control of Uncontrollable Movements: 6 Practical Tips

A movement disorder like tardive dyskinesia is known to be difficult and very frustrating to live with. People of African descent, females (especially post-menopausal women), older adults over the age of 55, and people who abuse alcohol or drugs have a higher risk of developing tardive dyskinesia. Now I know you may be thinking, how so, right? Well, experts believe that factors behind this particular movement disorder are related to health disparities, genetics and sensitivity to certain medications. Take into account that Black individuals are by far, more likely to be prescribed medications that can cause tardive dyskinesia than white people. Tardive dyskinesia is a drug-induced movement disorder, meaning it is a side effect of antipsychotic medication (drugs used to treat mental health disorders, like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder). With tardive dyskinesia, a person will experience sudden, repetitive, uncontrollable movements that happen in the face and throughout the body. So what exactly contributes to this movement disorder? Prolonged (months or years) use of a certain medication. As I’ve mentioned before, these are typically antipsychotic drugs. These are medications that block the activity of the chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) dopamine in the brain. When they block the brain chemical...