My mom asked me to ask "my hellobee people" about this, so here goes.

My parents work in a country with poor medical care. A family friend's son is having a medical issue that isn't being diagnosed or really even acknowledged by the doctors there, so they are looking outside for help. Right now we're trying to help them do research just to get an idea what could be going on, and whether it is neurological or hormonal or what.

The little boy is 6-7 I think, and very bright, although he's not in school because other kids make fun of his condition. He uncontrollably and randomly jerks his head around, so much so that he's pulled a muscle in his neck. It doesn't happen constantly, but he says he hates it and wants it to stop.

He also will cry for no reason, and tell his mom that he doesn't know why he's crying but be can't help it.

He also has some irrational fears/aversions, one of which is meat. The thought or sight of meat will make him cry and throw up. He's afraid to go out in public for fear of coming into contact with meat. Yesterday at my parents house he started crying and told his mom that he was thinking about meat and it was making him cry, and he didn't want to think about it but he couldn't help it. He later threw up.

Does any of this ring a bell for anyone? We're stumped, and the parents are desperate to find out what is going on with him.

It's such an odd case but I'm hoping someone here will be famiar with his behaviors and maybe be able to point is in the right direction.