Tourette's Syndrome: More Than Meets The Ears

What do you know about Tourette's syndrome? That it causes involuntary swearing? While this is true in some cases, there is so much more to the neurological condition than most people realize. In fact, uncontrollable swearing or yelling of socially unacceptable phrases - known as coprolalia - only occurs in around 10 to 15 percent of individuals with Tourette's syndrome (TS). Despite affecting relatively few people with TS, coprolalia is perceived as one of the main symptoms of the condition. It is this misconception, among a number of others, that has fueled a stereotype of people with TS. "The reality is that Tourette's is a complex condition that can be both physically and socially disabling," wrote Jessica Thom, co-founder of Touretteshero - a blog that aims to "celebrate the humor and creativity of Tourette's" - in an article for The Guardian in 2012. "The assumption that it's only about swearing makes it even harder for the 90 percent of people who have it but who haven't ever ticced an offensive word." Tourette's: What is it? First described by French neurologist Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette in 1885, TS is a neurological disorder characterized by "tics," which are sudden, involuntary, and repetitive twitches, movements, or sounds. There are two types of tics that occur with TS: motor and vocal. Motor tics are involuntary body movements, such as blinking, shrugging, or arm-jerking, while vocal tics are involuntary sounds, such as humming, clearing the thr...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news