To ask someone to explain Tourettes to me?

[BlueNeighbourhood1]

To start, I'm not at all knowledgeable about it other than it causes involuntary ticks and the person to say random words.

I'm watching the Undateables and a guy on there has said things such as 'cougar', 'did you kill a leopard' (Because of the scarf the lady had on), 'big boobs' and also something quite racist. How does this thing develop? As in why is it those words that he's saying and not just random ones? It seems on the Undateables it's always swearing or something discrimatory or rude, can people with Tourettes just say normal words as part of the condition? I remember Brent from the first season and his phrases were very similar.
I'd also imagine children with Tourettes wouldn't be swearing.

I'm keen to understand and Mumsnet is usually a very knowledgeable place!

Only 10% of people with TS have coprolalia (swearing tics).
Mostly it's repetitive movements and vocalisations.
Yes children with coprolalia swear or shout things like 'bum' etc. Again it's rare.
Tourettes often occurs with ADHD and OCD traits as well as many other co morb conditions.
It's generally exhausting, embarrassing and often painful, as well as being hideously misunderstood and misrepresented in the media.

I have it, and so does one of my children. I don’t have any swearing tics though (winking is one of mine; it wrecks my make-up!) My son has more complex tics and is more likely to vocalise, but this doesn’t manifest as anything inappropriate for him either.

Swearing is actually very uncommon, as a previous poster has said.

It’s great to see someone seeking to understand more - it’s so often portrayed as being just swearing uncontrollably, when this is very far from accurate!

I imagine someone with a tic like this also says random non-swearing things but these aren't noticed as much because they are socially acceptable. But very interested in the answers...

Ticks can be all sorts - from run of the mill words and phrases, to swearing etc. Physical ticks aren't uncommon, too - there was a program a couple of years ago with a very young teen (12 or 13) who'd recently developed a tick that caused him to spit whilst eating - he broke down in tears more than once as he felt he was no longer able to eat in public and was really ashamed.
In fact I'm sure I've seen that actually quite a small amount of those affected by tourettes curse or say inappropriate things - that's just become the popular media image.

But I'd imagine for those that do suffer with coprolalia that it's because they are inappropriate - the brain misfiring due to nerves or similar and causing you to say the "worst" or most "taboo" thing at that time.

That's what intrigues me is how it's portrayed in the media. The only time I've seen Tourette's on the Undateables is when its the swearing kind and I thought surely that can't be the only form around, yet it seems a prerequisite to get on their show.

I also don't understand how it's swearing and how someone would develop that over just random words IYSWIM.

I have a friend with Tourettes and it's rarely full on swearing but it is what's on his mind that most people wouldn't blurt out, but he can't help it. When I last saw him we were crossing a road and there were some young teens and he yelled out 'scrubber' . Also in a scary situation he made people more frightened by yelling what was on his mind (not swear word but a word that would make people panic -it worked, apparently! Though that was not his intent)
I worked with someone with Tourettes but quite different to my friend..this guy pretty much had one phrase and he'd repeat it constantly, and often after every single sentence.
I have some physical tics myself and drive people mad with those. The more people point it out, the more I can't control it