Tourette’s Syndrome and OCD does have a big impact on me, but I carry on anyway.
Every day can present new challenges and sometimes things I found easy to do become tricky or impossible. So many normal things have become daily challenges for me including:
- Flights of stairs – I have fallen over so many times and often need help to get downstairs
- Music practice – playing music in a practice is interrupted by violent full-body tics, stamping feet and some vocal tic, but when I am in a lesson the tics stay away – it’s very strange. The more lesson time in music that I can have the better and when I play in an orchestra the tics also stay away
- Writing – my writing changes all the time – it’s really interesting. The tics also make it hard to hold the pen or to write neatly sometimes and often a scribble will happen
- Reading – as I tic a lot while reading it is impossible to find my page and place on the page causing frustration and more tics š
- Concentrating
- Holding a cup and drinking
- Holding on to my knife and fork while eating
- Carrying a tray or drink
- Walking
- Being in a library
- Being in a cathedral service – I copy the person speaking, shout and throw things š
- Getting to sleep – my tics are really bad at night and really throw me around so I do get hurt a lot. My iPad and iPhone really help with this though as when I watch an interesting programme the tics lessen.
- Being in classrooms
- Stand in teachers – if my teacher isn’t there I can’t be in the classroom
- Eating in a canteen
- Games like – Musical Statues (nightmare!) and Who am I? – where names are placed on people’s heads – I feel compelled to shout the words out which isn’t great š
- Scientific experiments with dangerous liquids or hot flames etc
- Classroom seating – I have to have my seat or I can’t work
- Getting around quickly – if my tics are leg or foot based or I need to touch the ground it takes me a very long time to get anywhere
- Pain – I get hurt due to my tics and often have muscle pain and joint pain