Ben Stanton
March 10th, 2008
In the movies, Tourette Syndrome (TS) is often portrayed for an easy punch line – showing an uncommon form of the disorder through characters yelling inappropriate words at inappropriate times. But in reality, TS is no laughing matter for those impacted by this neurological disorder.
I was entering the second grade when my parents began to grow concerned about my multiple motor and vocal tics – chewing on my shirt collars and sleeves, clearing my throat, twitching my neck and exaggerated blinking. As a seven year old, I wanted nothing more than to fit in with my peers. But the near-constant tics were drawing attention to myself, making it difficult to fit in and concentrate in the classroom.
After visiting a few doctors, I was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome and, through proper medication, many of my tics were alleviated. Fortunately, I have a mild case of TS so, with a doctor’s supervision, I was slowly weaned off the medicine over the course of a few years. By the time I was 11 or 12, I was off the medicine completely and experiencing only minor tics.
While I’m able to manage the disorder most of the time, Tourette Syndrome is a part of my life. The tics still flare up when I’m nervous or stressed, and as a college student, I’ll admit that happens more often than I’d like. I can feel when the tics come on, and although they’re not something I can simply suppress, knowing that they’re present allows me to focus on staying calm.
Leave a Reply