A mystery illness affecting young women has been blamed on social media and lockdowns.
Previously healthy teens worldwide have been reported suffering uncontrollable tics, including outbursts, twitching and swearing.
The cause has medics confused although they believe it may be linked to obsessively using apps such as Instagram and TikTok, as well as forced periods alone during lockdowns.
One, named Michaela, started suffering tics at 14, reported 60 Minutes.
Her mother said: “'I was serving up dinner, I heard some noises and a yell and saw her laying on the floor. I thought she was having a massive anxiety attack, next thing an arm is flying then a leg.
“She said she didn't mean to do that. It was really scary, really really scary.”
Another teenager, called Metallica, was filmed on the show as she slapped her mother caused by the tic.
Fifteen-year-old Nicole’s tics began at 12 when she continuously shouted “I am Madeleine McCann, I've been kidnapped” in public.
She told 60 Minutes: “I didn't know what to do with myself. You can't see friends or family, it wasn't a very nice thing to be in.”
Paediatrics neurologist Professor Russell Dale from Westmead Hospital said he had heard of similar incidents across the world.
He added some people’s symptoms had been triggered by seeing other people’s symptoms on social media.
He said on the show: “There were quite violent movements, hitting themselves, but also the vocalisations were different.
“Rather than simple noises there were complicated sentences - which was quite bizarre, I've never seen that.
“Girls across the world have been using similar phrases - it was that which made us think social media was a link as to what was going on.”
Chillingly, he believes hundreds of thousands of people may have the neurological condition worldwide - for which there is no cure.
