Tourette's.
Gilles de la Tourette
Gilles de la Tourette and the Discovery of Tourette SyndromeIncludes a Translation of His 1884 Article. In 1885, Gilles
de la Tourette described 9 patients who suffered from a disorder
characterized by involuntary movements, echolalia, echopraxia,
coprolalia, and strange, uncontrollable sounds."
This is something I have lived with for most of my life.
As an adult, I have had to learn how to navigate life differently,
I miss some things because I'm too busy ticking.
I some times lose my balance, I some times hit my teeth on a glass if
a tick happens while I am attempting to take a drink.
Caffeine,
While I did not think it affected me year ago, I found it was one of the
leading causes of my hyper active ticks.
Neck injuries,
I constantly have a aching neck, my head jerking movements now combined
with twisting my head has made for some very unpleasant days of sore neck.
Some times my legs need to shake, almost like I am vibrating.
It can be embarrassing at times because people who don't know look at you sideways.
Beer and Some Liquors set ticks off.
Artificial sweeteners,
These do a number on me, I can handle regular sugar just fine, but if you put something
lab made in my system, my brain acts like its short ciruciting and my ticks come out again in
full force.
They suggest that 1:2000 people in America have Tourettes,
There is not much awareness about what it is, how it works,
really anything.
research had suggested it was a issue with dopamine.
They also said nicotine was a good way to calm my ticks down.
Research suggest that THC is a major factor in calming or relieving ticks
for a period of time.
Some had hopes CBD the non psycho active would help, but that does not.
THC is actually medicine, It is not just a way to get you high,
not every one that is.
I wish there was more research available for Tourette's
Maybe one day we will figure it out and cure it,
For now I will live with the pain caused by it.
STRESS!!!! and Excitement.
These are two major factors in ticks, it has been suggested that tourettes
patients find calming activities to keep a level mood.
I am not a thrill seeker per say, I am not jumping out of air planes,
I do not like roller coasters, Driving is a huge stress factor for me.
I am not looking forward to driving a box truck from where I am now
out to Colorado with a car in tow, But I will be fine.
I got my self a Tens Unit to try to relax my shoulders and neck for the 30+ hour drive
we are looking at. I say Plus because of our dog, she needs to stop and stretch her legs.
Having our dog has significantly helped me calm down,
She doesn't like loud noises and when I get upset from ticks or my
ADHD and OCD all kicks at the same time, I can see
the issue at hand, how to go about not having to deal with the issue infront of me.
But my brain will not let me go about it that way.
The obsessive side kicks in and tells me that I have to move the pot on the stove this way,
knocking over something else, causing a domino effect
to happen and then I am completely flustered.
I feel like an infant having a tantrum, Its not fun as an adult of 33 years.
I have found a few ways to work around these issues socially, as not to appear like
an adult baby, But really mental disorders are such a
odd and delicate thing.
How do you explain your rare illness to some one who doesn't understand.
Who can comprehend that you just can't stop moving, you have to move a certian
way, you have to touch part of yourself, a certain number of times.
Some times whom ever is close enough to you. Its not
that we want to, our brain makes it an obsession that if its not completed,
its like a process of mental punishment happens,
Other ticks come out worse, added transient ticks happen and compound
what repetition you have to complete in a new pattern that I am not even familiar with myself.
Frustration and Learning disabilities.
Added pressures of tests and time frames can seriously add to
some one with tourettes learning abilities and test taking skills.
With OCD and Tourettes you can get stuck on a tick, get into a loop that
doesn't allow you to think about anything but what you're currently
obsessing about, Its awful for the person with Tourettes.
I failed most of school once I started to be medicated,
These medications were meant for the severely disabled patients,
But for me they mostly put me to sleep, made me fat, memory loss,
I have friends who tell me about events I can't remember.
That's too long of a road to go down this time.
also home environment has a lot to do with development
later on in life with those with tourettes,
We are ridiculed enough by others, but when you get it at home too,
it really makes you want to with draw from the world.
Its nice to have some one who loves
and helps me through these days.
I tick less in his arms.
I feel secure.
Loved.
