After watching a short HBO documentary on it, I'm suspecting I have Tourette Syndrome. I don't have vocal outbursts in the form of words, but in another form, as well as about 4-5 motor tics (simple, not complex). I've always been irritated at my tics, and it would be refreshing to know why I have them. I can control tics to an extent if I am constantly making that effort, but I get really restless in the process. The doc. said it's hereditary, which explains my brothers having them as well when we were growing up. I don't know if either of my parents have tics, and I'll likely ask my mom next time I talk to her.

There are also particular compulsions, such as "evening" things up. For example, if you touch an object with one hand, you have to touch it with the other. Also includes stuff like needing something repeated until it "sounds right."

People with Tourette Syndrome also experience other conditions like ADD/ADHD and OCD, and so it would also help explain my recent diagnosis of ADD and past trouble with schooling.

Does anyone have it, and could share what kind of tics they have, or how they feel toward the tics (such as inability to refrain, etc)?

A couple resources:
http://members.tripod.com/~tourette13/handouts/symptoms-ts.html
http://tsa-usa.org/

[Edited on March 18, 2006 at 9:58 AM. Reason : ]

3/18/2006 9:57:06 AM

SHIT!

3/18/2006 9:59:20 AM

I watched that thing on HBO you're talking about. It was really sad. Also, I'm pretty sure anxiety can cause motor tics.

3/18/2006 10:00:00 AM

- Moderate Rock!

Mayday every day, in my heart.
Could've had a heart attack, in my heart.
We don't know anything, in my heart.
We all want something fair, in my heart.
Hey!
Hey!
Heyyyyyyy! (x3)

Out of town, out of sight, is my heart.
Queen of lies, everyday, in my heart.
My heart, one more on the phone, my heart.
One more at the phone, at my heart
Hey!
Hey!
Heyyyyyyyyyyy! (x2)

Mean heart, cold heart, cold heart, cold heart
Cold heart, cold heart, cold heart, cold heart!

Uhhhhhhh!

Other interpretations possible.

3/18/2006 11:06:25 AM

that list of symptoms in that first link is pretty broad...

i'm pretty sure i dont have TS but i have about 4 of those simple motor ticks

some of those symptoms are pretty funny (in good humor)... honking????

3/18/2006 11:48:18 AM

If you have TS just because of your 'ticks' then it would be a very mild case. I've been around young people who have had it, who were just absolutely out of control. It was so sad, to see them jump out of their chair, sit down, and repeat over and over without any control. I am/was friends with a girl whose brother had it; she said it was so hard to live at home because of the constant yelling and screaming of curse words and 'I HATE YOU BITCH'

Quote :

"There are also particular compulsions, such as "evening" things up."

I'm completely guilty of this... Everything has to be perfectly lined up, on my desk, my shoes, my silverware drawer, my refrigerator, and even the dishes in my dishwasher. And about the even thing, I have to have even amounts of everything. I one time bought 8 cheapie glasses from Target. After a few months, one broke in the dishwasher. I couldn't stand seeing 7 in the cabinet, so I threw another one away.

3/18/2006 12:09:03 PM

alright i dont get how this has to do with tourette's cause all these even symptoms sound like nothing more than ocd, bad as it may be, i dont see the connection,

3/18/2006 12:25:10 PM

^^ sounds like me with keeping things even

i'd probably throw one of the glasses away too

3/18/2006 12:45:10 PM

^^^Mine would definitely be simple, rather than complex, since I don't shout out random words and I don't have convulsion-type tics. But I don't have just mere blinking. Limb motions are included.

^^ A lot of ppl with Tourette have stuff like OCD, so it's possible those with OCD have Tourette and never considered that.

[Edited on March 18, 2006 at 12:57 PM. Reason : ]

3/18/2006 12:56:58 PM

I'm sure that it's mild, but I suffer from some of this stuff, too. It doesn't always happen, and if I exert conscious control I can stop it, but I have some of these symmetry ocd things also. Like, if I'm walking along on the pavement, I have to take the same number of steps between each division in the concrete (such as taking three steps per concrete slab or tile).

It's really amazing to see how many other people go through these seemingly little things. They're not that significant, but you think that you're the only one who suffers from these little quirks. It's reassuring (to me, anyway) to see that others go through it, too.

3/18/2006 1:04:02 PM

Quote :

"If you have TS just because of your 'ticks' then it would be a very mild case. I've been around young people who have had it, who were just absolutely out of control. It was so sad, to see them jump out of their chair, sit down, and repeat over and over without any control. I am/was friends with a girl whose brother had it; she said it was so hard to live at home because of the constant yelling and screaming of curse words and 'I HATE YOU BITCH' "

Very few cases of tourettes actualy involve cussing or screaming many times it's as simple as a squeak or a grunt or even something as subtle as clearing one's throat.

Quote :

"alright i dont get how this has to do with tourette's cause all these even symptoms sound like nothing more than ocd, bad as it may be, i dont see the connection,"

OCD and TS tend to be heavily linked with one another.

3/18/2006 1:06:42 PM

3/18/2006 1:20:20 PM

Quote :

"Like, if I'm walking along on the pavement, I have to take the same number of steps between each division in the concrete (such as taking three steps per concrete slab or tile)."

I'm that way a lot of the time. It's not good when the slabs start getting bigger as you go down the sidewalk (as they do outside of my apt.). haha...

3/18/2006 1:28:59 PM

i definately have some tics.
my worst one is that i constantly spell words in my head, and then spell them backward.

i've now learned to say the alphabet backward

3/18/2006 2:46:41 PM

Raftery

3/18/2006 3:29:51 PM

Quote :

"I'm that way a lot of the time. It's not good when the slabs start getting bigger as you go down the sidewalk (as they do outside of my apt.). haha..."

I know! I really like to walk on the slabs that require four steps, though. I can walk on ones that require two or three, but I really like the four ones. In fact, a lot of the little ocd things I do have to be such that the actions are multiples of four. I guess it's just a nice round number.

3/18/2006 4:19:49 PM

actually, it's a nice square number

3/18/2006 4:27:27 PM

This is also true, gg.

3/18/2006 4:34:27 PM

so, what are your outbursts like? I'm not making fun, but I've always wondered if how its portrayed is true.

3/18/2006 4:38:44 PM

I don't have outbursts, but regular motions. I have a "hard" blinking and eye movement, flex my wrists and ankles, knees, neck and stomach muscles. I sniff continuously and people always ask if I'm sick b/c of it, and I always play it off to allergies. When I was younger I cleared my throat a lot, or kind of snorted, but I haven't done that in a long time.

I have to think of a particular sound until I'm satisfied that I've thought that sound out enough (like -ing). I have the "even" things up thing. While growing up I'd just start singing or making some weird noise without thinking, although I'm not sure that's really a symptom associated with this. It's not a squeak or anything like that, but more along the lines of making I guess like a siren sound with my voice or just a made-up tune or whatever.

I try to keep the motor parts hidden, but my husband and family have caught me doing them. And the one I most try to control is the eye thing, but it makes me incredibly restless b/c it requires conscious effort.

Actually it's all embarrassing, especially to just post on this forum since there are so many judgemental people, but it looks like some of you have something going on, whether just a couple or several.

3/18/2006 5:22:42 PM

I didn't mean to seem to be judgemental, I was just curious. I've met a few people that I thought had this, but wasn't sure exactly all the symptoms.

3/18/2006 5:26:27 PM

I didn't mean you were, I just meant the general TWW audience.

As someone above said, the major outbursts are less common.

3/18/2006 5:59:39 PM

People on this board are judgemental?

i bet you could see a dr or ask someone who could give you a better answer than anyone on here. im glad to know im not the only one who would throw the glass away

3/18/2006 6:22:16 PM

I always keep the radio in my car on an even volume. The number can NEVER be odd, it bothers me.

3/18/2006 6:28:32 PM

this one goes to eleven

3/18/2006 6:36:13 PM

I don't think I'll be seeing a doctor about it, although I may discuss it with whoever I start seeing about the ADD. My symptoms likely aren't enough to be concerned too much about because they don't seriously interrupt my life.

3/18/2006 7:07:56 PM

Quote :

"There are also particular compulsions, such as "evening" things up. For example, if you touch an object with one hand, you have to touch it with the other."

I always did this when I was younger, cant remember doing it much lately though. Like if I accidentally touched something with one hand i would reach out and tough it with the other. Sometimes I would go back and forth touching it with each hand until I felt like I had touched it the same amount with each hand, like I would put too much pressure on it with one hand then have to touch it just a little with the other hand to even it up. This seemed strange to me, and I am suprised anyone else does it. good to know

3/18/2006 7:40:19 PM

^Holy shit me too!

Symmetry really is a bitch.

3/18/2006 7:55:33 PM

Don't watch the MTV true life show about the OCD kids. If you had a problem previously in your life with OCD type actions, anyways. It will make you remember.

I used to have a few OCD's, evening things and washing my hands were my 2. And I made myself stop it when I was about 12 because I knew I couldn't live my life like this. I never told ANYONE, not my mom, dad, friends-noone. And I made myself stop it and forget it. I honestly had forgotten ALL of it until I saw that show. It didn't make me have a problem again by watching that episode, but it made me remember.

3/18/2006 8:21:34 PM

I have ADD, I don't know if it is from tourette's or just "normal" ADD.

I have never heard about tourette syndrome causing it though.

3/18/2006 8:27:35 PM

PISSFACE!

3/18/2006 9:09:06 PM

oh great we're all retarded

I do some OCD shit too

[Edited on March 18, 2006 at 9:12 PM. Reason : It could be worse... I could be like some wolfwebbers I know]

3/18/2006 9:11:13 PM

its not turrets? wtf? years of my life wasted saying it wrong :X

[Edited on March 18, 2006 at 9:12 PM. Reason : m]

3/18/2006 9:11:38 PM

i think almost everyone on the planet has some kinda ocd thing they do whether they realize it or not


i will try to do the same number of steps in each pavement piece but i dont force myself

3/18/2006 9:24:16 PM

im glad we have a full listing of of tww's hypochondriacs

[Edited on March 18, 2006 at 9:32 PM. Reason : redundancy]

3/18/2006 9:31:13 PM

^That is the truth. It's been said by doctors forever. Practically every person alive has some type of OCD, some are more forceful, or more intense than others.

3/18/2006 9:33:01 PM

yeah i read/ heard something about humans liking patterns

3/18/2006 9:43:16 PM

ADD, ADHD, OCD, Even depression and bipolar disorders tend to overlap and have various levels... I suspect Tourette's is no different and prolly linked. But I'm not an expert.

3/19/2006 12:19:04 PM

I believe you are correct. I have episodes very similar to mania, but probably not frequently enough. A family member was recently diagnosed bipolar, and probably OCD.

3/19/2006 6:00:15 PM

Everyone flirts with OCD.

3/19/2006 6:02:56 PM