Neuronote #4

For this Neuronote I wanted to watch something that I didn’t know much about so I could actually learn something and grow from it. I was going through a few Ted Talks and came acorss one that was about a young girl who has Tourette’s. The Ted Talk was titled “I have Tourette’s, get over it”, and was performed by Analise and her mother Robyn. Analise was always different growing up and her mother was constantly told that something was wrong with her daughter. After at first being diagnosed with OCD and ADHD Analise was finally given the diagnoses of Tourette syndrome (TS). Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. The early symptoms of TS are typically noticed first in childhood, with the average onset between the ages of 3 and 9 years. TS occurs in people from all ethnic groups; males are affected about three to four times more often than females. It is estimated that 200,000 Americans have the most severe form of TS, and as many as one in 100 exhibit milder and less complex symptoms such as chronic motor or vocal tics. Although TS can be a chronic condition with symptoms lasting a lifetime, most people with the condition experience their worst tic symptoms in their early teens, with improvement occurring in the late teens and continuing into adulthood.

            Analise has lived a very hard life up to this point. She explains that she doesn’t view herself as different until those around her began making it apparent to her that she was. She talks about how she gets bullied in school because of the disorder and how sometimes she is so exhausted from her tics that she isn’t even able to attend school. I never realized just how much tourette’s varies from one person to the next or what all the disorder actually entails. After watching this video I watched about three other Ted Talks done by individuals with Tourette’s, each of their stories were so moving and emotional for me. Just trying to put myself in their shoes and imagine a day in their lives moves me to tears. It really made me put my struggles into perspective and really makes me want to find the good in everything that may seem bad. I’m so glad that I decided to watch Analise’s video and learn more about what life is truly like with Tourette’s, and I also hope that in the near future more work is done towards fighting and treating this disorder so that those who have it can live with a better quality of life. If you don't know much about Tourette's Syndrome I urge you to do a little research, I personally thought I knew some of the basics but I was very wrong!