Things I have found that help me with my Tourette’s Syndrome:
Medication/medical:
- Personally medication was the right decision for me and my tics and have found it very beneficial
- I have been taking Clonidine for roughly 9 years
- I take melatonin to help with my sleep
- I often find ibuprofen or ibuprofen gel is useful if I have really bad neck tics or headaches to help relieve muscle pain
- Osteopath: I have found in recent years that going to an osteopath for deep muscle massage and treatments has helped with relieving built up muscle tensions from ticcing and to reduce some of the pain
Therapy:
- I am a big believer in all kind of therapies
- I have had two kinds of tic therapies: ERP = Exposure Response Prevention and HRT = Habit Reversal Therapy
- Behavioural therapy: I had CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) for my OCD when I was younger which was very effective!
Life tips:
- multitasking: I have learnt how my brain works best over the years. I have found that my brain works best when I am multitasking as it helps reduce my tics and allows me to complete tasks a lot easier. For example while doing school work I listen to music or have some sort of tv show I’ve seen before in the background which really helps me focus
- Listening to music: this is a tool which I use for lots of situations. Putting on some headphones and listening to music helps to either block out the world or reduce my tics when trying to do anything eg- cooking, walking, reading, shower, basically anything I do!
- Fidget toys: another super useful tool to have. I always keep at least one fidget toy of choice in my bag. It is a super subtle and useful thing to use in everyday situations like school, work or conversations with people. It can really improve my focus
- Heat pack: I use a microwaveable bean bag heat pack that I often use to wrap around my neck to ease pain when I am having periods of bad neck tics
- Plastic/unbreakable crockery: Sometimes when I am going through tic flare ups there are small things I change to make life easier. For example drinking out of a water bottle or cup with a lid to reduce stress over spilling drinks or breaking cups. Also using plastic plates or bowels too can help with this
- Sunflower lanyard: the sunflower lanyard represents hidden disabilities. Wearing this lanyard when I’m out in public can help ease my anxiety about ticcing and can sometimes mean that others around me know I have a hidden disability. It is particularly useful in the airport as it means you can be taken through the special assistance queues whihc are often much faster and less stressful
School/education:
- Care Plans (or equivalents): this was super important throughout my time at school and was vital in helping me achieve what I was capable of
- Access arrangements: It is important to find access arrangements that work for you whether that be to help you get through class or during exams. Here are the ones that I used during school:
> Extra time
> Rest breaks
> Separate room on my own
> Scribe
> Reader
> Use of laptop to type answers
Advocating for yourself:
- This is a lot easier said than done and it took me a long time to build up my confidante enough to advocate for myself.
- Sometimes you have to be able to advocate for yourself. This may be in educational settings, medical settings or social situations.
- You don’t owe every single person an explanation. For example, if you are ticcing in the supermarket, it is not your responsibility to educate and explain to everyone in the shop what Tourettes is. However, in other situations like perhaps peers at school or close colleagues at work it is sometimes better to explain your tics so that you can feel understood and supported
Find something you love!
- For me this was music!! When I play music my tics completely melt away. I am so grateful to have music as my escape but more than anything I am grateful that I have something which I am truly passionate about and enjoy doing
- Some people with Tourette’s Syndrome find this same relief with other hobbies such as sports or art.
- I would encourage anyone with tics to try and find something which they love and enjoy doing even if it is just as a hobby or something to focus on in their down time