I have tourettes and alot of my friends don't take it seriously. they think i just pretend kinda but every night my whole body is ticing and it looks like I'm having a seizure and i have my own language i scream and I'm in pain pretty much all day long. I have ran through all the medication that are in America and I would have gotten the surgery if they haven't but the age limit to 25. I have wholes in my walls right now and I'm 17 and by this time they are suppose to get better so do everyone really think this is a joke because how movie show it?
2006-12-02 04:18:43 · 13 answers · asked by Mikki 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
Honey, you are in no way a joke.
Movies tend to betray rare diseases and disorders as a joke because no one knows too much about them.
TS is poked fun of like OCD and ADD. No one knows too much about them.
I know the emotional conflict and pain that is felt with them. It's something you can't explain to others. But know that you are not alone. Take pride in your disorder. If people are going to joke about it....*shrugs* joke back. If your "friends" don't even support you, then they aren't much of friends.
Here. Check out this guy. He's a great person. He's a comedian with Tourette's. His name is Lou or "Twitchel"
http://www.laughterbylou.com
It'll help you cope.
Best of luck!
Ashley.
2006-12-02 04:30:45 · answer #1 · answered by muertoalavida 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, I have had it since I was 11 years old. It is an inherited anxiety disorder caused by the same thing that causes obsessive compulsive disorder, autism, Asperger's and ADHD. It is just a variation. If you will look at your family, you will probably notice others with oddities, maybe not tics but just bad "nerves."
I take an antidepressant that helps, especially with concentration, temper and not being able to sleep.
Have you tried Strattera?http://www.strattera.com/index.jsp It is a fairly new medicine for ADHD that is not an amphetamine. It should help. If you try it, at first you will have weird side effects, like nausea, weight loss, weird feeling in head, etc. After two weeks, you should be o.k. Start out at lowest dosage and work up. Less side effects that way.
I have seem some pretty famout people with it that might not even know it: Billy Bob Thornton has the classic eyeblinking tic when he thinks no one is watching. Dan Akroyd says that he has it. The man that played the father on the Michael J. Fox tv show has tics too. Famous people w/ TS/OCD: http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/touretteocd_famous.htm
Tourette Syndrome and Human Behavior: http://www.hopepress.com/html/tourette_syndrome_and_human_be.html
p.s. Haldol is not for TS. It will make a zombie out of you. I am sure you have tried it already. Also, I would think twice about having surgery. If you get rid of one tic, another one will start up somewhere else. It is really about getting rid of anxiety, not tics. If you get rid of anxiety, you help w/ tics.
2006-12-02 12:51:31 · answer #2 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should forget anyone that thinks it's a joke. I have been in the hospital with other patients with tourettes and some suffer greatly. It's a shame you are not a U.S. Citizen but even if you were, you would need to be fairly wealthy and have a great insurance plan to get the experimental surgery to help the tikcs, but, again, it's experimental. You need to get back to the doctor that gave you the meds you were taking. I'm pretty sure you shouldn't just stop taking any medication such as that. See a doctor where you live if you can to see if they can help. Good Luck.
2006-12-02 12:28:51 · answer #3 · answered by capitalism4sale-cheap 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hon, it's no joke.
Perhaps joking about it is how people cope with the reality of what it is.
Just like people joke about those whom have mental retardation. It's no joke, yet people do this to feel more comfortable about it.
I had a child at the daycare center I taught at who had tourettes. While I never saw the usual odd words tossed out I did see some of the aggressive behaviors this young man had. I can only image what horror & confusion he must have been going through. He was around teen years and in the after schooler program.
It's especially no joke to the person who has it.
Just do what you can. Don't let people get to you.
2006-12-02 12:23:24 · answer #4 · answered by Voice 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most definitely NOT a joke.
If you have friends who pretty much ignore your Tourettes, but are friends with YOU, then you are ahead of the game. That means that they have learned to live with it and accept you for who you are. You are so much more than Tourettes. You are a vital and valuable person who happens to have Tourettes. DO NOT feel sorry for yourself and sulk. Others will pick up on this and drop you, fast.
Consider reading this book:
"Front of the Class, How Tourettes Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had", by Brad Cohen
Nothing makes me more upset and angry than a "humorous" portrayal, joke, or story of a person with Tourettes. It is their lack of education on the subject and their stupid immaturity in thinking something like that is funny that is the problem.
Education and understanding is the key to this disorder. I have made it my personal mission to help in this endeavor as much as I am able.
Blessings to you.
2006-12-04 12:00:49 · answer #5 · answered by Juliart 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, I think it's a serious disorder and I feel for people who have it. I watched a really interesting video on it the other day on HBO called "I have tourettes" It really helps people to understand the pain and suffereing people who have it go through. You need to explain to the people in your life more about it. So they can take it more seriously. Good luck with everything!
2006-12-02 12:28:23 · answer #6 · answered by Lilel 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am a retired school teacher who had students with Tourettes in my classes; but, it wasn't until my daughter married a man with it that I began to realize the extent of its effect on everyone who comes into contact WITH him--not just him.
If we put more money into research, maybe we could find a cure.
I can't help you, but I can empathize with you and assure you that not all people think it's a joke.
2006-12-02 12:27:23 · answer #7 · answered by TheOldOkie 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No it isn't a joke .It is a real thing .I saw a HBO special on it recently and it was awesome. Sorry to hear anyone has it .Good luck to you and hopefully the right medicine will help you.If you are on meds.
2006-12-02 12:27:56 · answer #8 · answered by IT'S JUST ME ! 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no way in hell i take tourette syndrome as a joke. life is not easy sometimes. i myself have been battling breast cancer for 2 years. hang in there my friend.
2006-12-02 12:22:11 · answer #9 · answered by havingfun 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have a friend who's daughter has Touretttes. She is in the early stages. It is not funny to me. Everyday I have to watch this beautiful child doing her best to deal with her disease. May God bless you all.
2006-12-02 20:00:29 · answer #10 · answered by robee 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋