Hi my name is jeff and i have many disorders. But i would like to talk mainly about tourette syndrome and how it affected my life thus far.
For as far back as i can remember i have had some kind of tic. Whether it was eye blinking, twitching, yelling or jumping it was always embarrasing. as far as i remember, my first tics was a squeaking noise that i developed sometime round the age of six or seven. Of course at that young age i know nothing about tourette syndrome or any neurological disorder for that matter. It was, for the most part, annoying. I had thought that it was just a habbit that i had developed somewhere along the line and thats what i was telling everyone. This only lasted for so long. It wasnt to long before i had developed new tics, more severe tics, painufully embarrasing and noticable tics. I was about eight and i had started jumping in circles and smacking myself in the head during my soccer games and at home. yes people i was a very sports oriented little boy. but thats aside from the point. Not only was this tic embarrasing but it was stressfull. I say this because my father and mother had no idea what was going on with their son. So they did the only thing they knew how do do in times like those. They yelled at me. This only made it worse. not only did i have any idea what was going on with me but i had no idea why i couldnt controll it and why my parents would not believe that i wasnt doing it for attention. finally after about a year of ticing my parents took me to the doctor. the doctor reffered us to a neurologist and this was the beginning of a beautifull relationship with ritalin. this onlyt lasted a short period of time. The ritalin soon affected my adhd in adverse ways which then affected my tourettes in even worse ways. My tics sky-rocketed and i was miserable. The kids at school started making fun of me and beating me up because i was different because in their eyes i was weird. So after a couple years of moving from state to state, doctor to doctor, medication to medication, i finaly ended up on haldol and tenex. The worst combination in the world. My tics escalated to the point of no return. but this time they were vocal and moter. I started screaming like a parrot at all times of the day and the night. so as a result i had hardly any friends and no girlfriend. nobody wanted a freak.
But youy know what enough about the negative and more about the positive.
I am now, at the age of seventeen, a firm believer in the fact that the mind is apowerfull thing. I have learned to controll my tics, to a extent and when they do surface, i dont let them bother me. I dont let them bother me because of the fact that if someone is going to love and accept me their going to do so for me and what i have and who i am. Im very positive now, im in college and doing excelent. No medication of course. But im happy. Anyway thats enough out of me but remember reply to this and for those tat dont know what tourettes is or what it is about just know nthat its not the end of the world.

Hi Jeff, nice to meet you.
I'm so sorry to read that you had such a difficult time with your parents not understanding what the tics were all about. Sadly that used to happen a lot. I just wanted to let you know that there's a TS forum here (also other ones for some comorbid conditions like the OCD and ADHD) http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forumdisplay.php?f=25

I'm very glad to read that you're doing so well these days!

Welcome to our little corner of the world! I must say that was a very good description you gave in your story. I used to have an internet friend who had Tourette's, but he was always so shy about it that I could never really understand what it meant for him. Now I do, and why he was reluctant to talk about it much.

But you seem to have developed a great attitude! I think it's super that you have finally accepted yourself and have learned to enjoy the life you have! There's a lesson there to be learned for a lot of us. I really hope you stick around and become an active member here!

Idealist