We're going to set things straight right off the bat. The guy pictured above is not an accurate representation of someone with Tourette's. These videos are actually quite offensive to some people. So think about that the next time you decide to encourage this insulting media.
I'm going to tell you a story: my story. Here is what it's really like to have Tourette's:
When I was a baby, I had an unusual habit of hopping everywhere I went. My grandmother always told my mom that it was really weird and that I should be checked by my doctor. My mom thought it was just me being a little kid and brushed it aside. As I grew a little bit older, the hopping subsided, but in its place came finger cracking, eye rolling, and an odd habit of stretching my face (yeah, you can do that). When I turned nine, my hair started to fall out. When she saw this, my mom decided to take me to a doctor. We went to the dermatologist to see if I had alopecia. The doctor said no. My mom kept trying to figure out why my hair was falling out, and one day, she finally figured out why when she saw me scratching my head. She asked me why I was doing it and I told her that I didn't know why and began to cry. She finally took me to a psychologist, and she asked me a bunch of questions. At the end of my first appointment, she told my mom that I had to get some brain wave testing done so that she could see what was going on. After getting tested, I went back to the doctor and she diagnosed me with Tourette Syndrome.
Not what you were thinking, huh? Most people automatically think that people with Tourette's curse all the time or have really blatant tics like twitches. While this is the case for some people, for many others tics are small motor tics like mine. Tourette's is a neurological disorder, meaning it affects the nervous system. The cause of Tourette's is unknown. People with Tourette Syndrome have tics, which are caused by neurotransmitters in your brain (modules that send nerve impulses throughout the body) like dopamine and serotonin that send out extra involuntary messages to your body, causing these impulse actions called tics. My tics include eye rolling, finger cracking, ankle cracking, picking at my skin, stretching my face, and scratching my arms. These tics occur on a regular basis, but can get worse with anxiety and stress (which is why you see a lot of kids ticking in school!).
As you can imagine, having Tourette's has caused some problems for me over the years. Besides the physical pain of losing hair, I also encountered emotional pain throughout my childhood. Being different from the other kids in school was hard sometimes. I was bullied during middle school, because I was just a little bit different. But, my family and my friends always helped me through it.
I learned how to use some of the effects of Tourette's to my advantage though. I used my hyperactive mind to my advantage in school and on the field. I have always been an athlete and my hyperactive reflexes make my game stronger. Just ask professional athletes like Tim Howard (the legendary US men's soccer goalkeeper) and Anthony Ervin (Olympic gold medalist swimmer)! They credit having Tourette's for their excellence in athletics, too! Check out this interview!
So, now you know a little bit more about having Tourette's and what it really is! If you want to learn more about what it's like... check out one of the greatest films that HBO ever made: I Have Tourette's But Tourette's Doesn't Have Me! Click on the link to go right to the show! And of course, if you want to learn more, you can check out the TSA website here or comment on this article with any questions that you may have!
Share with all of your friends and spread awareness! Tourette's Awareness Month is May 15-June 15!
