Tourette’s Syndrome

A couple of weeks ago, I was watching a teenager being interviewed on TV about his Tourette’s syndrome (TS). He had a very unpleasant experience a few weeks before while taking the bus. He boarded a bus one day which was quite crowded. To avoid any discomfort and misunderstanding due to his situation, he asked the driver if he could use the microphone to make an announcement.

He told the passengers that he had TS, and described the symptoms. He also apologized in advance if he disturbs anyone because he cannot control it. After explaining his condition, he went to the back of the bus to find a seat. Unfortunately, there was a group of teenagers sitting near him. They began to make fun of him the minute he started making odd noises that sounded like hiccups or yelping. They called him names and took videos of him for their Instagram and said ” bark boy, bark…..” The poor boy felt more stressed and anxious because of their behaviour, which made his Tourette’s symptoms even worse.

Even though the bus was quite crowded, nobody got involved and asked the group to stop bullying him. On one hand, it’s frustrating that nobody said anything to them. On the other hand, I can’t judge any of them as sometimes when you publically rebuke someone for their bad behaviour, they can react by becoming violent. And you don’t know how the situation will end. Sadly, most teenagers today have little or no respect for adults.

The boy was humiliated and got off the bus in the middle of the route. He then called his mother to come and pick him up. The next day, he published a very touching post about his experience on Facebook. This caught the public’s attention and he was asked to be interviewed on TV. The boy said he was used to a lack of understanding and lack of acceptance by others. Yet, the events on the bus were too much for him to cope with.

However, during the interview, he mentioned he stops himself from going to public places like a movie theater, etc, as he doesn’t want to disturb anyone. The young man expresses himself very well, and is a very good looking guy. Therefore, I was not surprised to hear that he received several offers to give lectures as well as multiple modeling offers after this incident was publicized…..

Here is some background information regarding TS.

Tourette’s Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by sudden repetitive, rapid, and unwanted movements or vocal sounds called tics. The symptoms of TS usually appear in childhood. Some specialists have said they typically appear between 5 to 8 years old, while others claim between 7 to 10 years of age. However, TS specialists generally agree that it can also appear earlier.

The National Institutes of Health says the motor (movements) or vocal (sounds) tics of TS are classified either as simple or complex. They may range from very mild to severe. According to the CDC, genetic studies indicate that TS is inherited as a dominant gene, with approximately a 50% chance of parents passing the gene to their children. Boys with the TS gene are 3 to 4 times more likely than girls to show symptoms of TS.

There is a great deal of material on this subject available online. The more I read about it, I understood that while a person with Tourette’s is under stress, his symptoms become worse and are exhibited more often. And this puts him in an impossible situation. Can you imagine what children suffering from TS must go through at school or in public places?!

Anyway, many people believe that those with Tourette’s are always cursing or using inappropriate language (coprolalia), or saying all kinds of unexpected things, which is not true. The reality is that most individuals suffering from TS don’t behave this way. In fact, most only have mild cases of the disorder and it may even go undetected. Furthermore, they have normal intelligence and normal life expectancy.

TS symptoms that you see on TV shows and in movies are usually exaggerated. This is the reason people think that TS sufferers frequently curse. Unfortunately, our society is impatient with people who are different. We have a tendency to judge someone without really knowing them. People also like to be around people who are like them. They can be very cold or sometimes cruel towards those who are different from them or those they do not understand or cannot relate to.

In general, people stare at anyone who is different mainly out of curiousity. Tourette’s is a condition with visible symptoms that can make strangers uncomfortable, scared, or react inapproptiately. Coping with the negative reactions of others can be very distressing for the recipients and aggravate their symptoms. As a result, they are reluctant to be in public places in order to avoid those very difficult situations.

There are so many different people out there who are alienated from society on a daily basis, just because they are different. We should learn to be less judgemental of them and help make their lives easier. Parents with small children should educate them to be sensitive to others, especially those that have special needs as everything begins at home. The lessons we learn at home follow us wherever we go…………….