To post this about Tourettes.

[wombatsandaplant]

I know I’ve posted this before but it’s Tourettes Awareness Month now, May 15th to June 15th, and I think more people need to be aware.

As it’s now Tourettes Awareness Month I thought I’d post this. Some of may have read this already as I’ve posted in a different format a few months ago.

Tourette’s is a neurological disorder that is inherited usually. There are rover 300,000 people in the uk living with Tourette’s. Tourette’s is characterised by involuntary movements and noises called tics. This can be anything from a shoulder shrug, to an arm flail, to a sniff or a shout. It can also mean swearing (this is called coprolalia, but only 10% of those with Tourette’s will swear (I am one of the 10%). Tics can occur in nearly every muscle in the body. Tics usually start in childhood and vary with severity, sometimes they can be worse and other times they will be better.

Vocal and motor tics (the two types of tic) can cause pain and discomfort. This is both through the premonitory urge and through doing the tic. A pre monitory urge occurs frequently but not always. This is an urge that occurs before a tic. It can be a feeling of pressure build up to a tingling sensation. Sometimes there is no premonitory urge and the tics just happen with no warning.

Tics can sometimes be suppressed for a short time, not everyone can suppress though and it can be very difficult to suppress. Think of like blinking, you can stop blinking for a short time but soon you will have to blink.

Tics can be anything. Motor tics can be anything From arm shrugging to jumping, from finger waggling to head jerks. Vocal tics can be anything from whistling to shouting, from phrases to to a hum. Some tics can be amusing. One of my favourite tics is ‘donkeys are the new unicorns’. Tics can be in context to completely out there.

If anyone has any questions please ask away.

@Ginfordinner verbal tics are not usually swearing, only 10% of those with Tourette’s swear. Most verbal tics are just small noises or random words and phrases

Apologies, my question was rather clumsy as I was on my phone. What I meant to say by verbal ticks was not just noises, but words. Why would someone not just say (for example) sausages instead of "f*k off". Why is the default usually inappropriate language?

Please forgive my ignorance. I want to understand and not judge

Ginfordinner the default isn’t swearing, it’s small part of tourettes, but people swear because the brain automatically says the worse thing you could possibly say. Many people say random things like sausages too. A verbal tic can be anything.

I made a video giving an overview of Tourettes,

Thank you.

I think that a man who regularly uses the same bus as me has tourettes. He constantly clicks his tounge. I didn't think it was voluntary but wasn't sure why he does it.

OP do you think its likely he has tourette's?

lists he could do but I really couldn’t say, he could just have a tic or he may have Tourette’s.

I have a tourettes diagnosis and it's so nice to see it being talked about more this year! As a child i became quite good at masking my tics in other behaviour but as I'm an adult now it is much harder to do so. I'm a very shy person and although having to deal with new people acknowledging my tics regularly I still don't feel 100% confident about explaining it sometimes

Thanks for this thread OP. I also watched your video.

It's good to learn more about different conditions

lofty I’ve only got more confident in the last two months. Still not totally there but I’m getting better at being more confident.