What is Tourette Syndrome?

Tourette Syndrome, referred by many specialists as Tourette disorder, is a condition of the central nervous system that involves involuntary acts of motor and/or vocal tics. This disorder is usually genetically inherited and is discovered in an individual’s childhood. While there are many tic disorders, in order to be diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome you generally should have the appearance of more than one motor tic and at least 1 vocal tic, be under the age of 18 when the symptoms are first noticed, and have been experiencing the tics for at least 12 consecutive months.

While there is much debate on whether people grow out of Tourette disorder when they move into adulthood, it is my experience that most “sufferers” will experience some sort of tics for the rest of their lives. Although many people will simply grow out of it, those who do not grow out of it into adulthood can still live happy and healthy lives. It is important to remember that there are several triggers that cause Tourette’s in children and adults. The biggest trigger that causes tics is stress. Other triggers include anxiety, fear, depression, and apathy. I have found that controlling these emotions by recognizing them and dealing with them is the best way to relieve tics from your life. Although this is certainly not a cure for tics, it does help relieve the symptoms and though quieting the mind and relaxing is one of the best ways to prevent tics from getting out of hand.

You’re probably visiting this website because either you or your child have been diagnosed with Tourette’s or have experienced some sort of tic disorder for a while now. Maybe there was something about the headline that interested you. Or maybe your just curious to know more about this interesting “disorder”. It is important for you, your family, and your friends to understand that these tics are uncontrollable and that there is plenty of help out there. I’ve heard a lot of hype regarding Tourette’s and the most important thing to remember is that there is absolutely no way to control this particular tic disorder. My goal is to help the world understand tics and to create a place for people get useful knowledge and sensitivity on the subject. Here are some tips that I’d like to pass on to whoever reads this page.

Tourette’s are not controllable and a person cannot be “willed” to control their tics. The biggest lie that I’ve ever heard is that a child can simply hold their tics inside and control them. This could not be farther from the truth and you are harming your you, your child, or your friends by implying that this can be done. Let me explain why. Your child can temporarily hold their tics IF they notice them occurring (which the majority of the time they’re not aware of all of the tics they are currently facing). What happens as they hold these tics is that they are being suppressed (much like our emotions) and only get worse as they build up like a pressure cooker–once the pressure gets high enough, the tics are always worse than before. It is best, in the mean time, to ignore your child’s tics and let them be expressed naturally while you explore ways to help your child get in touch with their emotions.

In my opinion, Tourette’s do not need to be treated by medicine. I am not a doctor, nor do I recommend any kind of medical treatment, but giving your child drugs may turn them into a zombie and the side-effects of these drugs on the market today are pretty harsh. They do not treat the tics themselves, but treat other problems (like OCD, Anxiety, Depression, etc). 15 years ago, my doctors treated my Tourette’s with medication and it made my life completely miserable. From my research, Tourette’s are treated two ways: either by using some sort of tranquilizer or by using some sort of anti-depressant (or both). These drugs are not necessary to relieve a person from any tic disorder, but help by modifying the trigger that causes the tics themselves.

There is a way to control these triggers that cause these tics to worsen. I’m not going to tell you to drug your child, nor am I going to modify their diet. I have a solution that works 100% of the time for everyone who suffers from the disorder.