Tourette Syndrome is...

Summary

The video script discusses Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics and vocalizations. The speaker shares personal experiences, from childhood struggles with bullying and misunderstanding to the realization of the condition's impact on daily life. They emphasize the importance of acceptance and understanding, highlighting the resilience and community support provided by the Tourette Association of America. The message encourages viewers to spread awareness and challenge misconceptions about disabilities.

Takeaways

• 🤔 Tourette syndrome is a medical condition characterized by involuntary sounds and movements known as tics.
• 🗣️ People with Tourette's may exhibit vocal tics such as clicking the tongue or barking, and motor tics like eye twitching or head shaking.
• 🙌 The individual with Tourette's describes the challenge of suppressing tics, which can lead to increased intensity when they do occur.
• 👦 The speaker was diagnosed at a young age and faced social isolation and misunderstanding, feeling like an 'alien'.
• 🏫 The condition can be particularly challenging in school environments where the individual may be singled out or bullied.
• 👨‍👦 The speaker's father had to explain the syndrome to others, emphasizing that it causes involuntary actions.
• 😅 Suppressing tics can be compared to holding in a sneeze, and it can be embarrassing when it fails in public.
• 🚇 The speaker recounts experiences of attracting unwanted attention and judgment from strangers on public transport.
• 🌟 Attending a conference for Tourette's was inspiring, as it provided a supportive community where tics were normalized.
• 💪 The importance of not judging people with disabilities is emphasized, and the speaker encourages understanding and acceptance.
• 📢 The Tourette Association of America offers support and community, and the speaker hopes to raise awareness about the syndrome.

Q & A

What is Tourette syndrome?

Tourette syndrome is a medical condition characterized by involuntary sounds and movements known as tics, which individuals with the condition cannot control.

Can individuals with Tourette syndrome control their tics?

People with Tourette syndrome often struggle to control their tics, and even when they try to suppress them, the tics may only come out more intensely later.

What kind of tics are described in the script?

The script describes both vocal tics, such as making sounds or saying words, and motor tics, including physical movements like tongue clicking, knuckle cracking, head shaking, and even walking backward.

How did the speaker's tics affect their school life?

The speaker was singled out and treated differently due to their tics, which led to feelings of being an alien and being bullied by peers.

What was the speaker's experience like when they were first diagnosed with Tourette syndrome?

The speaker was out of school for weeks due to the severity of their tics, which caused both physical pain and emotional distress.

How did the speaker's father explain Tourette syndrome to them?

The speaker's father explained that Tourette syndrome is a condition that causes them to do things they don't want to do, using the example of banging their teeth against the wall in an elevator.

What misconception did the speaker's son have about Tourette syndrome?

The speaker's son mistakenly thought that Tourette syndrome was the reason for his father's action of pressing the elevator button, which was not related to the condition.

How did the speaker describe the experience of attending a conference for individuals with Tourette syndrome?

The conference was described as inspiring, where kids with tics were not judged and could have fun with others like them, treating their tics as a normal part of who they are.

What is the speaker's message regarding people with disabilities?

The speaker encourages people not to be afraid of or avoid those with disabilities, emphasizing that everyone has differences that make them unique.

What does the Tourette Association of America represent to the speaker?

The Tourette Association of America represents support and community for individuals with Tourette syndrome, providing a sense of belonging and understanding.

What is the speaker's hope for those who watch the video?

The speaker hopes that viewers will learn about Tourette's syndrome and share the information with three other people to raise awareness and understanding.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Understanding Tourette Syndrome

This paragraph introduces Tourette syndrome as a medical condition characterized by involuntary sounds and movements known as tics. The speaker shares personal experiences of living with the condition, including instances of tongue clicking, knuckle cracking, and other tics that have sometimes been misunderstood or stigmatized. The speaker also recounts the emotional impact of being singled out and feeling alienated due to the condition, especially during childhood. The paragraph emphasizes the difficulty of suppressing tics and the frustration of being judged or bullied because of them.

Keywords

💡Tourette Syndrome

Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary sounds and movements known as tics. In the video, the narrator describes experiencing tics such as tongue clicking, knuckle cracking, and head shaking, which are central to understanding the impact of the condition on daily life.

💡Involuntary

The term 'involuntary' refers to actions that occur without conscious control. In the context of the video, it is used to describe the tics associated with Tourette Syndrome, emphasizing the uncontrollable nature of these movements and sounds.

💡Tics

Tics are sudden, repetitive movements or sounds that people with Tourette Syndrome experience. The video provides examples of various tics, such as vocal tics like barking and motor tics like stepping backward, illustrating the diverse manifestations of the condition.

💡Diagnosis

Diagnosis in the video refers to the process of identifying Tourette Syndrome. The narrator mentions being diagnosed out of school for weeks, highlighting the severity of their symptoms and the impact on their life at a young age.

💡Suppression

Suppression is the act of trying to control or stop the tics. The video explains that suppressing tics can be difficult and may lead to them occurring more intensely later, as illustrated by the narrator's experience of trying to hold in a sneeze.

💡Bullying

Bullying is the act of using force or coercion to abuse or intimidate others. The video discusses the narrator's experience of being bullied as a result of their tics, showing the social challenges faced by individuals with Tourette Syndrome.

💡Different

The term 'different' is used in the video to describe the feeling of being set apart from others due to one's condition. The narrator recounts feeling like an alien and being judged, which is a common experience for those with visible disabilities or conditions.

💡Support

Support in the video refers to the assistance and understanding provided by others, particularly the Tourette Association of America. The narrator expresses hope for increased awareness and understanding of Tourette Syndrome through community and support.

💡Community

Community denotes a group of people who share common interests or characteristics. In the video, the narrator finds inspiration in the community of kids at a conference who treat their tics as a normal part of who they are.

💡Awareness

Awareness in the video is about increasing knowledge and understanding of Tourette Syndrome. The narrator's hope is that viewers will spread awareness to others, helping to reduce misconceptions and stigma.

💡Disability

Disability refers to a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities. The video emphasizes that having a disability, such as Tourette Syndrome, does not make a person any less valuable or deserving of respect and inclusion.

Highlights

Tourette syndrome is characterized by involuntary sounds and movements known as tics.

Individuals with Tourette's may experience tics such as tongue clicking or knuckle cracking.

Tics can also manifest as eye twitching, head shaking, or even walking backward.

Suppressing tics can be difficult and may lead to more intense tics when released.

Tourette's can be a challenging condition, especially for a child, leading to feelings of alienation.

The speaker was diagnosed with Tourette's at a young age and faced significant challenges.

Tourette's can lead to social isolation and misunderstanding due to the involuntary behaviors.

The speaker's son initially misunderstood the concept of Tourette's, highlighting the need for education.

Tourette's can affect speech, causing word morphing or vocal tics.

Suppressing tics is compared to holding in a sneeze, emphasizing the involuntary nature.

The speaker experienced bullying and judgment due to their tics.

Attending a conference for Tourette's was inspiring and showed acceptance among peers.

The importance of not judging or avoiding people with disabilities is emphasized.

The Tourette Association of America provides support and community for those affected by Tourette's.

The speaker hopes to raise awareness about Tourette's syndrome through sharing personal experiences.

Tourette's is a condition that should not be a source of fear or avoidance.

Transcripts

Tourette syndrome is a medical condition

that

people live within their daily lives

they make involuntary sounds known as

tics it could be a sound or a movement

that the body cannot control I have this

one sometimes I click my tongue in the

back of my throat like this but not very

awesome and I constantly crack my

knuckles even if I did so they mostly

mostly would ask me like like why like

like why I'm lying my eyes keep

twitching or like we're asking or asking

me if like my let if I can stop like

moving might like the tics the ticks

were more that were more like the head

shaking as well barking I started taking

went for a while where I just stepped

backwards and walked backwards for a

couple of steps and then walk back I had

to take once when I was when I'd be

standing and I'd lift up my leg when I

was first diagnosed I was out of school

for weeks my tics were very high there

my vocal tics were elevated my motor

tics would really hurt me it was tough

you know

seven or so years old I was responding

well is this just gonna keep on no

hunger they like singled me out and and

tree didn't me more as you know it

basically almost as I was like an alien

in a sense and in it because at that

point in time I didn't really understand

much about what was happening you have a

seven year old when I take him to school

and I go down the elevator right before

we got on the elevator I'll take my

teeth and I'll bang my teeth against the

wall and he asked me what are you doing

dad so I said oh I have Suresh syndrome

is a condition that causes me to do

things I don't want to do and so it's

the funny thing is the other day he

comes up to me and we're standing there

and I don't

the elevator and he said it's a t8 into

your Tourette's and I'm like no it's not

it's not like that it didn't work that

way it's hard to suppress a dick and

even if you do suppress a tick when

you're done suppressing the tick they

only come out more I have some morph my

words instead of saying Bom Bom Bom I go

pop pop if I try to suppress them they

it doesn't work that's like trying to

hold in a sneeze young girls would laugh

kind of embarrassing for an adult to be

bullied by a young teenagers as a young

kid I would I you know take whatever it

was and immediately look around to see

who who noticed you know like as if it

really mattered and then so then you

really start to believe that you are

different I would be out on the subway

and attracting attention from other

people adults and like learning about

how cruel people can be seeing those

kids in DC at the conference treating

their tics as as something that was just

you know part of who they are was so

inspiring it's really cool kids don't

get judged there and they have fun with

other kids like them other than our tics

were normal or normal people because

everyone has their own things that may

then make them different from one

another and threats interests happens to

be one of those things for some people

don't be afraid of people with

disabilities just because someone has a

disability doesn't mean that you have to

avoid them I think the Tourette

Association of America means support and

community my hope is that everyone who

sees this video goes home and tells

three people about Tourette's syndrome

you