Tourette Syndrome Pride

[David Baxter PhD]

Tourette?s Syndrome Pride
By Sandra Kiume
September 25, 2009

Paul Devore ? Self-Esteem

A person who has Tourette?s Syndrome (a neurological syndrome involving involuntary tics) talks about how it has affected his life and ways that he hasn?t let it affect his life. He shares tools to shore up self-esteem, and says, ?I think a large part of my success is actually linked to my having Tourette Syndrome.? A speaker with a very positive attitude with messages that can be useful for anyone.

• Accompanying PDF transcript (attached below).
• Beware video autoplay.

Indirectly related, check out Jaylen?s Challenge: a young boy with Tourette?s who is campaigning against bullying (videos, blog, info).

 

[Daniel E.]

A speaker with a very positive attitude with messages that can be useful for anyone.

I agree :2thumbs: It is a great video.

 

[Xelebes]

It's hard to live in pride when the very urges that cause one to tic dredges up the emotional dirt along with it. Most days I get by fine, it's the stressful days that become a problem.

 

[Retired]

the very urges that cause one to tic dredges up the emotional dirt along with it.

I realize it is not an easy obstacle to overcome, because, sometimes the emotional issues of shame and guilt are based in the experiences we endured in childhood from uninformed family members or in school from uninformed teachers and insensitive and again, uninformed students.

The key, in my view, is information to those who might treat us badly because of our Tourette.

As difficult as it may seem, in many if not most cases, adults with Tourette, even with some of the most severe symptoms have overcome the obstacles of prejudice and harsh criticism to enjoy successful careers and happy relationships.

With increased awareness more opportunities become available.

Coming to terms with the emotional injuries sustained in childhood years can be achieved by working with a therapist who understands Tourette.

I lived with the shame, guilt and embarassment of Tourette well into my forties until I was fortunate to overcome most of these very scars of childhood experiences while living with Tourette.

The therapy relieved the burden I carried for all those years, and I only wished I would have received that therapy years earlier.

How is your Tourette adversely affecting your quality of life at this time?

 

[Xelebes]

It's not about bad memories. I have plenty of memories that are awful but are not the source of it. What I am talking about is emotional dirt, the internal swelling and shriveling of the inner self that has all the appearance of an emotional guilt trip and any attempt to rationalise it out with thinkig of memories of childhood or beyond only makes it worse. That the only way to undo the release it is to give out a shuddering of tics, usually vocal and often profane. Once it is done, it leaves you like a used virgin to dread its return.

I have less of these now that I am on medication and all that but it still pops around once in a while.

 

[Retired]

That the only way to undo the release it is to give out a shuddering of tics, usually vocal and often profane

.

If I understand you correctly, the discomfort you feel is during the time the tics build up until you finally express them, thereby giving you a sense of relief.

Would that describe it correctly?

 

[Xelebes]

YEs, pretty much.

It's difficult when that is the embodiment of the disorder for me apart from the motor tics which happen without much impulse. It's like someone with CFS or Fibromyalgia celebrating pride - they can do it, but you have to wait until they feel good before they can do so.

 

[Retired]

Would you care to share in what way (if at all) is your Tourette interfering with your life at this time?

Are you employed or a student, Xelebes?

It's like someone with CFS or Fibromyalgia celebrating pride

Yes but Tourette is a disorder and not an illness. It's the way we were born, and is part of who we are. Tourette does not hinder you from doing almost anything you choose to do in life as has been demonstrated by the numerous stories of people with Tourette who are physicians, lawyers, musicians, sales people, sports celebreties....and having successful relationships and families.

Is the stress you described being caused by attempts to suppress your tics, which eventually build up and are expressed more vigorously then they otherwise tould be?

 

[Xelebes]

It happens when I am least suppressing it. It sneaks up on you, happily ticking away but then the sour mood-thinger comes along and the only answer to it is to tic.

The comparison with CFS/FM ends at the pain induced by the conditions, not that they are entirely interchangeable as you have noted.

Sure there is pride to be expressed as a person with Tourette's, that it's not the end o all and dreams. There are things to work out. I'm just saying that during the more painful moments created by the need to tic, suppressing them or not, it's more difficult to feel pride inn them.

Maybe I'm just having a bad case of timing my responses here. Hm.