May 15-June 15 is Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month

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Posted on May 15, 2012 by Teens4TS

Please join Teens4TS, the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome, the Tourette Syndrome Association and the hundreds of thousands of Americans with TS in celebrating Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month, May 15 to June 15.

Tourette Syndrome is a misdiagnosed, misunderstood neurological disorder that affects 1 in 100 people, especially teenagers. Marked by involuntary body movements and vocal sounds called tics, Tourette Syndrome affects more than 200,000 American families. Also affecting those families are the many associated conditions such as OCD, ADD, ADHD and anxiety.

So take a moment today, or at any time during this month, to show your support for those who have Tourette. There are scores of different ways to do that. Here are a few:

Leave a comment on one of these blog entries. The people that write them would love to talk with you about Tourette Syndrome.
Head to the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome website and check out the myriad programs and services offered for those with TS — not just in New Jersey, but around the United States and world, too.
Go to POPVOX and check out the pending TS legislations — H.R. 3760 and S. 2321 — and show your support for them by leaving a comment, which will be sent directly to your U.S. Congressman.
Head to the Definite Possibilities website, started by a teen with TS, and buy a Tourette Syndrome pin for just $6.
Want to take part in this blog personally? Send an e-mail to teens@njcts.org and ask to be a blog contributor.
Head over to the Teens4TS Facebook page and give us a “like.” Or, wander on over to our Twitter page and “follow” us.
Lastly, leave a comment on THIS blog entry and tell us about how Tourette Syndrome has impacted your life. We would love to hear your story.

I’m having trouble with OCD, but Dare To Dream is almost here!

Posted on May 8, 2012 by KatieD

The other day was a really rough one for me. Finals are coming up for me, and I am super stressed. I have a lot to do in between now and then. My OCD acted up badly today, and I honestly thought there was no hope for me. Thankfully, with my amazing roommate and a close friend of mine, I was able to overcome it.

It was hard, and it took eight hours (it’s now three in the morning, but hey, its gone!), but I’m finally feeling better. I read a post by this girl RuthieP and it made me feel a little better, knowing that I’m not the only one living with these problems.

I am so excited for May 21. I am going to be talking at the Dare To Dream Student Leadership Conference at Rutgers University with people who have OCD, Tourette Syndrome, ADD, ADHD, high-functioning Asperger’s, etc. and letting them know about myself. I honestly cannot wait!

Finally, I will be meeting people who have what I have. It’s going to feel just like home, I honestly cannot wait. If anyone would like to know about it, please e-mail me at delaneyk3@mail.montclair.edu. I would love it if you would come. It will be an incredible experience, and I hope to share it will you all!

You can also sign up for Dare To Dream here. And you can read much more about Dare To Dream, including my participation in it, by reading the following stories from NJCTS:

Classmate’s life affected positively by TS documentary

Posted on April 17, 2012 by RuthieP

As most of you know, I presented the Tourette Syndrome documentary that I made to my senior class a few weeks ago. Yesterday, a girl in my class sent me this message:

“Hi. I know this is super delayed, but I wanted to say how incredible your documentary was. My brother has a really mild tic from his ADD medication, and I never knew what to say to make it easier for him. Your video showed me how acting normal is the key.”

I was soooo happy that she told me about this, and it was fantastic to hear that my documentary made a difference in another person’s life.

Everything gets better with Tourette as time goes on

Posted on January 12, 2012 by KatieD

Hey guys, this is my first time blogging, and I am so excited to get started! My name is Katie, and I was diagnosed with TS when I was 7. It has been a major battle between me and my TS throughout the years. I have had ups and downs, and it has felt like I have been on a roller-coaster all of my life.

I have had my own waxing and waning periods where my TS has gotten better and then worse. I have been through times where I thought it would never get better, never ease up. Luckily, though — with time, patience, the right medication, and a supportive and loving family — I have been able to get through this.

Now, as I get set to turn 19 on the 14th, it will mark 12 years with TS. My Tourette’s is finally easing up, and I am getting a break.

I have gone through periods of times where I would hit myself so hard in the sides that I would have bruises, I would have a jumping tic where I would land wrong and twist my ankle, or I would get bad headaches from throwing my head back so hard.

With my almost 12 years of battling with TS, I have learned so much and have become so much stronger as a person, inside and out. Continue reading →

Being diagnosed with TS as a teen is tough

Posted on December 13, 2011 by RuthieP

When did I fist realize that I was a little different than the rest? I don’t know that there was one eye-opening moment. It was a realization that came with time, that came with looking into myself and figuring out what made me the person I am.

My parents knew I was different from the beginning, but pretended not to. They pretended there was nothing they couldn’t fix with a little discipline and preaching of “self-control,” a word which I had heard too many times.

I wasn’t officially diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome until I was about 16, and I’m 18 now, but I had known for a long time that there was something different about me. My tics started getting bad around third grade, and although I had no idea why I did these weird things, I just couldn’t stop.

I did things such as suck in air with my mouth, make slurping noises, tighten my muscles in my throat and my stomach, jump, skip, twitch my eyebrows, sniffle, cough and stomp. On top of that, I had many compulsions and obsessions as well. I was made fun of a fair amount and I hated doing these things, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t stop. Continue reading →