Often, Tourette’s syndrome is stigmatised and misunderstood.
People with the condition can be demonised, or treated differently, because of the nature of their symptoms.
There are a number of misconceptions about Tourette’s syndrome that can be explained by providing those around us with more information about the condition.
In this article, we aim to destigmatise the syndrome by explaining what it is, the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment and some interesting facts about the condition.
What is Tourette’s syndrome?
Described as “a condition that causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics” by the NHS, it tends to begin in childhood.
Usually, the symptoms improve over the years and will even disappear completely in some cases.
Currently, there isn’t a cure for Tourette’s, but treatment will likely help a person manage their symptoms effectively.
A person with Tourette’s might also suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or learning difficulties.
The symptoms
The main symptom is tics – a person will likely have a combination of physical and vocal tics.
Some examples of physical tics:
- Blinking
- The rolling of one’s eyes
- Grimacing
- The shrugging of one’s shoulders
- Head or limb jerking
- Jumping
- Twirling
- Touching objects
- Touching people
Some examples of vocal tics :
- Grunting
- The clearing of one’s throat
- Whistling
- Coughing
- The clicking of one’s tongue
- Animal sounds
- Saying random words and phrases
- Repeating a sound, word or phrase
- Swearing
The causes
Sadly, the true cause of Tourette’s syndrome hasn’t been fully established.
Over the years, lots of research into the condition has been conducted and it is now seen as a neuro-developmental condition.
Tourette’s syndrome is thought to be closely linked to a part of the brain that helps regulate body movements and for reasons unknown, males are more likely to be affected by Tourette’s syndrome than females.
How to be diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome
Tourette’s syndrome cannot be diagnosed with a single test – often, it’s a case of ruling out other conditions through tests and scans.
If you’ve had several tics, for at least a year, you can usually be diagnosed.
Getting diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome can help you, and those around you, understand the condition better. It’s also how you can gain access to the right treatment and support.
For a solid diagnosis of Tourette’s syndrome, your doctor may refer you to certain specialists within the NHS, such as a neurologist. Neurologists specialise in the brain and nervous system.
The current treatments available
If you, or a family member, has been diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome there are several treatments available.
It may feel impossible to handle at first, but with the right treatment and support, you can learn to cope with it.
Your goal should be to find the perfect mix of treatments and approaches that work for you, and only you – it’s your condition to manage and every person is different.
Treatment is normally available on the NHS and can involve behavioural therapy and medication.
Behavioural therapy
Behavioural therapy tends to be provided by a psychologist or a specially trained therapist.
There are two types of behavioural therapy have been shown to reduce tics:
- Habit reversal training – this approach involves working out the feelings that trigger tics; the next stage is to find an alternative, less noticeable way of relieving the urge to tic
- Exposure with response prevention (ERP) – this method trains you to better control your urge to tic; techniques are used to recreate the urge to tic to train you to tolerate the feeling, without doing the tic, until the urge passes
Medication
In some cases, medication has been shown to improve a person’s tics. This method only tends to be offered if the tics are affecting a person’s daily life or are severe.
The medication used for Tourette’s often has nasty side effects and doesn’t work for every person.
Interesting facts about Tourette’s syndrome
There are some common misconceptions surrounding Tourette’s syndrome!
We wanted to debunk some myths surrounding the condition:
- Swearing is rare – it only affects about 1 in 10 people with Tourette’s syndrome
- Tourette’s syndrome can affect anyone – usually seen as a condition that only men suffer from, it affects both genders
- All tics are disruptive – there are lots of tics that will go unnoticed, especially when the person is concentrating as this can lessen the extremity of it
Thank you for reading
Hopefully, our open conversation about Tourette’s syndrome has helped destigmatise the condition for you.
Please let us know what you think, and if you have an experience of Tourette’s syndrome.
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References
7 myths about Tourette’s syndrome, debunked – Happiful
Tourette’s Syndrome: ‘I didn’t speak to anyone about it for 23 years’ – BBC
