Coping with Tourette Syndrome

From unexpected movements, to distractions, to tics: this is how Tourette Syndrome is expressed. The disorder “Tourett’s” or Tourette Syndrome, is a disorder that takes place and affects your nervous system. The term “tics” is the action of having or creating sudden movements, twitches and possibly sounds as well. Though this disorder is usually never cured, it can however be coped with. 

Coping with a disorder like this needs time and patience. Because of this, one way to help someone who has Tourette’s to cope is to first be patient. This is reasonable because it explains that one way to help someone cope is to have patience yourself. Take for example if a tic occurs: Have the patience to let their tics pass before continuing with an activity. According to Neuronup they quote, “ If your friend has a tic of any kind that interrupts speech, try to be patient and let him or her express their thoughts. It can be very irksome (irritating/ annoying)  when people don’t let you finish a sentence, but especially when you have difficulty doing so in the first place.” This evidence is relevant because it explains that having patience is the key to help someone, letting their tics pass. 

Simply offering help to someone is also beneficial. For example, offer your own help by being involved, making activities as a distraction, being comforting along with understanding, and helping them build confidence in themselves. As KidsHealth states, “Get involved. Some experts say that when kids and teens are engrossed in an activity, their tics are milder and less frequent. Sports, exercise, or hobbies are great ways for kids to focus mental and physical energy.” This is a good tip because it provides valid reason. Proving that helping with simple activities or distractions help relax which causes less chances of a tic attack to occur. 

Though having Tourette’s can lead to horrible tic attacks, a good tip is to subtly brush off these movements, twitches, sounds, etc. This action is not with the intention to be rude but to rather help prevent horrible attacks to occur within someone who has this disorder. This means that if you point out someone having a tic attack, you can make it worse and make them feel that they are being stared at which causes the tic attack to come back frequently and much worse than at first.

Looking back to Neuronup, they also mention, “If your friend notices that other people notice their tics, they will become more stressed out, which will result in an increase in their tics, which in turn will upset them because they can’t control them, which will stress them out further, leading to a vicious cycle that contribute to an increase in tics. Tics can be very distracting but your friend, as any other person, might be dying to have a normal conversation, so the fact of being constantly interrupted by tics or ending a conversation right when your friend’s tics arise, can be a source of displeasure even if your friend tries to hide it, especially if it happens every day.”

In closing, though knowing about this disorder can point out the long-lasting effects, it can be helpful to know that tips such as simply offering help can improve the reader’s understanding to help be a better support to someone with this disorder.