Recently I've encountered some weird behaviour regarding my tourettes, here's a blog post about that...
You never get a break from tourettes. Never. It never takes the day off. Even on my quiet days my tourettes is swirling around my head.
Imagine you are in a room filled with the world's top entertainers. Some of them you like, some aren't your cup of tea but all are loud, obnoxious and thoroughly believe that they have the right to be heard above the rest. Imaginethat you are in there too.
Now imagine somebody asks a simple question like 'would you like a cup of tea?'. Before you can respond the top comedian makes a joke about tea, the world's top mime mimes drinking tea, the political satarist compares tea to a political party and so on and so forth. By the time I've processed the question my tourettes has answered it.
Imagine that this is your life. This is my life.
I want to talk to you a little bit about a specific kind of tic that I seemed to have developed. The very nature of tourettes means that the situation I am in effects the tics I have. A good example of this is the 'Ghost Hunter's' add on T.V, when I see this commercial I often tic 'woooOooOOOoooh' like a ghost. Most of the time these 'response tics' are harmless, a light hearted commentary on the world around me, but sometimes they cause me problems.
The problem arises when a response tic is inappropriate or offensive. I am very blessed in as much as I don't usually swear with my tics but I can say things that could be considered rude. I've never shouted anything particularly hurtful at anyone but I have said things that (if you were unaware of my condition) could be upsetting. I've responded to my boss's instructions with 'ya boring' and have told the conservative party representative for Dorset that he was 'capitalist scum', all things that I wouldn't say but my tourettes certainly would!
Many people have said things to me like 'I wish I had tourettes, I'd just swear all the time' I have so many issues with this. And here they are:
Issue 1) Tourettes doesn't work like that and if you think it does you're an idiot. I will only say this once so listen up - I DON'T CHOOSE MY TICS!!!
Issue 2) NOT EVERYONE WITH TOURETTES SWEARS!!! By thinking of tourettes as nothing more than 'the swearing disease' you are miss representating and ignoring hundreds of people!
Issue 3) You wouldn't say to someone with no legs 'I wish I had no legs, I'd just park where ever I want'. Just because my condition isn't as visible or debilitating doesn't mean it's a bit of fun! IT'S JUST RUDE!!
I could go on but I won't.
Please don't get me wrong, my tourettes is FUNNY. Sometimes a tic will just fit so well in the conversation that it adds another dimension of comedy to daily interactions. There is a difference, however, between laughing at a tic and laughing at tourettes. I don't mind, in fact I'd like to encourage you to, laugh at tics but only if you're laughing at them and not me (Trust me, I can tell).
There are certain no go areas in Tourettes - at least there are for me.
Never set me off on purpose - if you stumble across a trigger don't repeat it for fun.
Never repeat my tic back to me
Never, and I mean NEVER trigger me in front of your other mates 'for a laugh' or 'to prove you have a ticcy friend'
It seems self explanatory but you'd be surprised how often this happens.
I will not forgive you so JUST DON'T DO IT.
So consider yourself warned. I'm not asking you not to be amused or intrigued by tourettes but please, guys, be considerate!
Yours, a twitchy Dea