### Understanding Tardive Dyskinesia and Its Impact on Daily Life Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a condition that can make you feel like your body isn't your own. It causes involuntary movements of your face, arms, legs, and neck that you can't control. These movements can range from mild to severe and can affect your daily activities and work. TD can make you blink your eyes, stick out your tongue, flap your arms, or sway from side to side. These uncontrollable movements can cause embarrassment and lead to other challenges in your life. If you take a medicine that causes TD, your doctor will monitor you for side effects. If you develop these movements, adjusting your medication or adding another drug can help reduce them. TD is a side effect of long-term use of medicines that block dopamine receptors in your brain. Dopamine is a chemical that your nerve cells use to communicate. It controls your movements by attaching to proteins on the surface of nerve cells called receptors. One theory is that TD happens when the receptors become extra sensitive to dopamine. When exposed to dopamine, these receptors cause jerky and uncontrollable movements. Some medicines that can cause TD include antipsychotics and neuroleptics. You're not likely to get TD if you only take these medicines for a short period. It usually takes months or years on the medication before TD symptoms start. Once symptoms begin, they can continue even after you stop taking the medication and may never go away. Not everyone who takes these drugs will get TD. Your risk is higher if you take them for a long time. TD makes parts of your body move repeatedly and without your control. Only one part of your body might move at a time, or multiple parts like your face and arms could move at once. In some people, TD is mild and not noticeable, while in others, the movements are more obvious. About 80% of people with TD have movements in their face, which can cause you to blink, grimace, or stick out your tongue. In other parts of your body, TD can make you move your arms, legs, or torso uncontrollably. These symptoms might not be noticeable at first but can worsen over time. Jerky movements are the most common symptom, but TD can also affect your breathing, causing shortness of breath or gasping for air. This is called respiratory dyskinesia. TD can be painful when your muscles spasm repeatedly, leaving you very tired. Everyone experiences TD differently. Some have mild movements, while others are disabled by it, especially if it affects their breathing. Once TD movements start, they may not go away and can have many unwanted effects. People might stare, and the movements can cause so much disability that it's hard to work or do other activities. Some people say TD hurts their quality of life. If you have TD, talk to your doctor. Treatments are available to help you control the movements and overcome some of the challenges of living with this disorder.