The public outlook, however, is mainly based off of media portrayals such as Tourette’s Guy, whose constant swearing (mostly due to alcohol) is the focal point of its entertainment. While this demeaning ridicule can be funny at times, it destroys chances for kids who are diagnosed with Tourette’s to try to be more normal and accepted by their peers.
I, personally, like to have fun with my tics. My current tics include arm and neck jerking; and at crowded football games, for example, I enjoy the pleasure of a little bit of elbow room after my neighbor gets jabbed a few times. Before I go on using more Tourette’s terms, let me explain a little more what it is.
Tourette Syndrome, TS for short, is a neurological, lifelong disorder with the exact cause still unknown. It produces involuntary, repetitive motor involvement or vocalizations known as tics. These motor tics can be movements such as eye blinking, grimacing, shoulder shrugs, arm and head jerks, clapping, pinching, and even obscene gestures. Vocal tics can be whistling, sniffing, barking, screeching, and meaningful phrases. The outbursts that are curse words or other inappropriate phrases are known as coprolalia, and are what has, in a sense, glorified Tourette’s in the public’s eye.
Most people diagnosed with TS have a chronic tic disorder, which is one or two tics a person keeps throughout their life. Most tics, however, change often, and more frequently in a child’s life than as an adult. To be diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, a person must have, as a minimum, two motor tics and a vocal tic, which must be present many times a day nearly every day for over a year.
While some people may view these tics as enough to do someone in, an extremely large number of people with Tourette’s are also diagnosed with associated disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and some form of a learning disability. According to Sue Conners of the Tourette Syndrome Association, approximately 60% - 70% of people diagnosed with TS have OCD, 80% have ADHD, and 95% have a learning disability (“Understanding Tourette Syndrome”).
In a quick overview, I will explain a little bit more what each of these disorders are as well. Obsessions are intrusive and recurring thoughts or impulses that your mind gets stuck on, which are unpleasant and disrupt functioning. Compulsions are behaviors that are used to relieve the anxiety of the obsessions. Common obsessions and compulsions include the need for symmetry and perfectionism, neatness, counting, checking things over and over, constant
doubt or worrying, germ obsessions, and ritualistic behaviors. ADHD can create difficulties in paying attention, getting started on a task, sequencing information, organizing materials, and regulating the intensity of emotional responses, as reflected in this picture titled "Portrait of a Hyperactive Child." People with ADHD often are hyperactive (hence the name) and have impulse control problems. This disorder often creates the most problems for kids because it is usually viewed as a behavioral problem instead of a neurological disorder. Learning disabilities contribute to poor school performance and low self-esteem. Most students with TS related learning disabilities have handwriting problems as well. There are other disorders associated with Tourette Syndrome, but these three are the most common.Now that the general information is clarified, I’ll offer myself as an example of someone diagnosed with Tourette’s. Before I start, let me just note that Tourette’s is still a very vague disorder and the symptoms vary immensely from one person to the next; so view this as only one example. My current motor tics include head and arm jerks, which are my most common. Sometimes I hop a little, or at least kick my foot forward a bit. My vocal tics include sniffing and a sort of stutter that seems to add emphasis to words that I say. I am fortunate enough not to have coprolalia, which affects about 10% - 15% of people diagnosed with TS. I also have OCD, in which my larger obsessions are counting and constant doubt or worrying (others haunt me as well, but these are my most prominent). I also have an associated disorder that I didn’t previously mention, which is known as sensory defensiveness. This entails a lack of auditory discrimination and tactile defensiveness. Tactile defensiveness affects any of the senses and heightens them to where it can cause great anxiety. This can include people who need to have tags cut out of their clothes, who can’t tolerate being touched suddenly, or who is sensitive to bright lights. It is the bottom of my feet that can feel any type of change on walking surface (in which compulsions of symmetry and counting must follow, or else it drives me crazy).
Now that you understand a bit more about Tourette Syndrome, let me help quiet a few misconceptions. I’ve already mentioned the most common one, but just to reiterate, not everyone with Tourette’s curses uncontrollably. In fact, most don’t do that. Also, people with TS are not emotionally disturbed or dangerous, and they are not mentally retarded either. In fact, there are people with Tourette’s in almost all occupational fields. As a final note, let me offer some advice to those of you who do not have Tourette’s in how to act around someone who does have it. These are my personal feeling about this, but I’m sure that most people feel the exact same way. Please don’t stare at someone who tics as if they are severely handicapped or mentally retarded, or rudely tell them to stop their tics. This is the worst feeling (although I’ve started to get used to the odd stares). I love talking to people about Tourette’s. I don’t view it as a disability or hindrance, but in fact helps me become a better person by overcoming certain obstacles. It’s perfectly fine to ask someone why they are moving like that. It’s a great feeling to know that the people around you understand why you tic like that, instead of wondering if people think that you’re stupid. The best thing is to talk to someone about it.
