My Life with Tourette's Syndrome

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Tourette’s syndrome is a disorder where the affected individual will consistently exhibit “tics”. In the majority of cases these ticks are minor in character, it may just be the urge to blink, or make certain facial gestures. Less than 15% of individuals exhibit coprolalia, which is the unwarranted exclamations of profanities or other socially forbidden remarks. Perhaps those in our generation who are aware of Tourette’s syndrome have learned its symptoms through pop culture, which has glamorized (to some extent) the more severe cases of Tourette’s syndrome in YouTube videos or the animated satire of South Park. Most with Tourette’s syndrome have been diagnosed 5-8 years in childhood and experience the waning of the number and severity of tics by the time the graduate high school. For the most part, Tourette’s syndrome alone will not prevent an individual from success in the institutions of society, as it doesn’t affect the intelligence or capability of individuals. These cases, often called pure TS cases, are usually the exception. More often than not, sufferers of Tourette’s syndrome are more limited socially by common comorbid conditions like obsessive compulsive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders.
When compared to the popular YouTube exploitation of Tourette’s guy, I suppose I faired pretty well from a neuropsychiatric standpoint. See, instead of yelling “FUCK” every thirty seconds at anything from an old lady to a cheese wheel, I simply get little motor tics. Sometimes I have to rub my eyes and blink (in that order), open my eyes wide for a second, or just make some sort of face. Additionally, I have to clear my throat on such a regular basis that my peers think I burn through 2 packs of Marlboros a day....

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...istening to vinyl records from yesteryears.
Tourette’s syndrome has given me a series of tics I feel more or less pressured to release. Although it doesn’t adversely affect my performance here at school, some social relationships are somewhat strained and I have difficulty sleeping from time to time. I still enjoy (maybe at the expense of self-confidence) my relationships with my friends and peers. Fuck you. Oh, that was just a tic ;)

Works Cited
Department of Health, A. H. S. (n.d.). A look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Retrieved from http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/wp-content/uploads/alookatadhd.pdf National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (n.d) Tourette’s Syndrome Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tourette/detail_tourette.htm
Tourettes Hero (n.d) FAQ retrieved from
http://www.touretteshero.com/faq/

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