Comments about depression and suicide, part 2

Posted on May 1, 2013 by EmmaO

Hey everyone! There has been a big problem I would like to address that I started addressing in yesterday’s blog. I’m sure it hasn’t just been happening in my school or even just my state. The problem is this not so new but is now a very popular saying. Kids say it jokingly all the time nowadays, and they don’t understand how it can affect people. The saying?

Go kill yourself.

Oh, yes. Unbelievable, right? If you answered no, then listen to this. Kids may be saying it in a “joking” tone, but you’d be incredibly surprised by the amount of people who consider it when you tell them to kill themselves. I know people who have attempted suicide, and it’s no joke. It’s not funny. I cringe every time I hear this “joke” in the hallways.

Also, there’s the saying kids will just say like it’s no big deal all the time. “Kill myself” or just “KMS”. Dropped my pencil? Kill myself. Wrote that word down wrong? KMS! Nothing good in the cafeteria? Ugh, kill my freaking self.
Someone took my seat? LOL, KM freaking S!

Well, I’m not “LOLing”. Suicide isn’t a joke. Maybe you think I’m overreacting, and if you do, come back and read this after you’ve felt suicidal and depressed, had two or more friends and a family member attempt suicide, then had to live with it feeling like it was your fault. Yeah, read this after that if you think I’m freaking overreacting. Because I’m not overreacting. Continue reading →

Comments about depression and suicide, part 1

Posted on April 29, 2013 by EmmaO

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven’t written in a while, but I was diagnosed with depression a few months ago and I’ve just been trying to deal with it. Quite a few people recently bombed one of my videos about suicide and depression. I shall discuss all of their antics.

Why do you bash that girl for whining about her life, then whine about your life when you have so much? Has it ever occurred to you how privileged you are?

This is the first comment to speak of. If you have seen the video, I obviously did not “bash” this young lady. I only stated facts of what happens when she is at my lunch table. Second of all, I was not whining about my life. I only meant to discuss my latest feelings and try to help others.

The first sentence does not bother me at all. This person is clearly ignorant and wasted two seconds of my life by having me read it. The second statement states how clearly privileged I am, even though this person has never met me in his or her entire life.

Yes, I am very privileged. I have a great life even if I am suffering quite a few disorders. I don’t discuss quite a few aspects of my life on YouTube or my blog, since they are much too personal and would not in any way help others. I must admit that one of the things I do not discuss could help others by me discussing it, but I am not ready to reveal that part of my life yet.

Tourette is something most people can easily tell I have, but the aspect I’d rather not speak of is not noticeable at all. I will gladly discuss anything about Tourette, OCD, anxiety disorder and depression, though. Continue reading →

Youth Ambassador presentation tomorrow

Posted on April 25, 2013 by TannerM

I am excited for my presentation tomorrow about Tourette Syndrome at my rival school. In my presentation, I will talk a lot about associated conditions of TS, such as, ADD, ADHD, Executive Functioning, anxiety, depression and more. But I also talk a lot about the disorder itself.

My sister and I both have TS, and we have each have had our struggles. But at the end of the day, we have to live with it and accept it. The best way to help people to understand is to tell people, and that’s why the Youth Ambassador Program has helped me so much.

I love advocating about Tourette Syndrome to/for as many people as I can because word gets around quick. I haven’t done a presentation in a while, so this will be a great break from school.

Support bill H.R. 146 today if you want more Tourette Syndrome research!

Posted on January 28, 2013 by HarryK

Hey guys, some of you might remember my past posts about recent Tourette Syndrome legislation. (If not, you can find them here, here and here.) There’s some exciting news regarding this bill: H.R. 3760, which was introduced in December 2011, has been reintroduced as bill H.R. 146 to the United States House of Representatives by New Jersey Congressman Albio Sires.

The bill, also known as the Collaborative Academic Research Efforts (CARE) for Tourette Syndrome Act of 2013, has the goal of establishing regional centers of excellence with the purpose of conducting research on the cause, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control and treatment of TS and other disorders such as OCD, ADHD, anxiety and depression.

The original bill, which was introduced last year, gained co-sponsorships from 42 Congressmen — 9 of them from New Jersey. It’s great that there have been so many co-sponsorships because it shows how much support the bill has been gaining around the country. 33 have been from other states!

Even though co-sponsorships are not necessary to pass a bill (votes are), they certainly go a long way in garnering support around congress so that more votes will be gained when the vote finally takes place.

To contact your Congressman, please check out the orange and black widget on the right side of the homepage of the Teens4TS blog. If that doesn’t work for you, then visit this link to POPVOX and click on the orange oval labeled “SUPPORT” about halfway down the page.

From there, you can either write to your Congressman about your own personal feelings on the bill and why you think he should co-sponsor and support this bill in Congress, or you can just click “Next.” Enter your e-mail to register your position, and there you go! Your congressman now knows that there is support for a piece of legislation in the community he serves, and that you think that he should support it as well!

Thanks everyone! Another blog post will be coming soon with my second semester update from the University of Pittsburgh!

Teens4TS blogger is named Tourette Syndrome Youth Advocate of the Year for 2012!

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Teens4TS

The New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders (NJCTS) has announced that Emily Fleischman is the recipient of the first annual NJCTS Youth Advocate of the Year Award.

The Youth Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2012 to reward a teenager whose contribution makes a difference to New Jersey’s adolescent and pre-adolescent Tourette Syndrome community. An NJCTS Youth Advocate is a person whose dedication and actions improves awareness and helps break the stigma of TS by educating the public, medical professionals and educators about Tourette and by supporting kids and families living with the often devastating neurological disorder that affects 1 in 100 children and adults.

A NJCTS Youth Advocate lives out the mission of NJCTS and advances public perception, understanding and acceptance of people with TS and associated disorders such as OCD, ADHD, anxiety and depression. Continue reading →