Have you ever wondered what it’s like to have chemical imbalances that dictate your actions in life? Say things when you don’t want to? Do something you can’t control? My story is how I have to watch my brother suffer with those actions everyday ever since he was five. Tourette Syndrome actually develops in early childhood, which is why he started with them so young. Imagine not even going a full minute without ticking constantly and being looked at by others who don’t know what’s really going on. I think that kids who go through this have a life that is ten times harder than us “normal” people. With personal experiences,and research I now have a wide understanding of how kids have to go through things like people looking at them weird, and or bullying, but most importantly they have to go through the mental state of being put into a “position” that they didn’t sign up for; especially how Tourettes affect kids in school  

My topic relates to me specifically because it has to do with my brother and to watch it happen everyday is hard. But some personal stories of mine are probably when my brother first started developing tourettes. I remember him not wanting to go to school because he didn’t want kids to look at him stupidly. My mom would always tell him that it would be ok and that kids would understand. But we all know that today, kids don’t understand what people are really going through.  Another example is that when he eats orange die, or is overtired his tics will bounce off the walls. So for him personally he gets really upset and when he was much younger he would cry sometimes so long that he would just fall asleep but it took so long because he couldn't calm down. This would always make me emotional at times because watching him go through this is rough and my family and I would just feel so bad for him because there's nothing we can do to stop it. My topic is an important issue in the country right now because lots of kids have to deal with it especially in school and other places around them like the public eye. In my life, my topic is a prevalent issue because lots of kids today are being diagnosed with it and they have to grow up with it in school. 

While doing research I found that kids with Tourette Syndrome who do sports, exercise, or hobbies are great ways for kids to focus mentally and physically. Their tics are milder and less frequent when they get all that energy out (Kids Health). There's no actually diagnostic test for Tourette Syndrome. Instead, the doctors will usually look into family history and run different imaging tests like MRI’s and CT scans, but they will use more of blood tests to rule out other conditions that might cause symptoms (Kids Health). Food can also be a big factor in this. An example would be orange die. Orange die does something in the body that doesn't agree with some kids when they have Tourettes. An example would be that whenever my brother has a lot of orange die for a good period amount of time his tics will go crazy and he gets more anxious about things. However Tics will more likely faze out as you get older and start to go through puberty and grow into adulthood. All though, some do end up going through adulthood with it but it’s not a very high percentage. 

On another note, people who can help are, Teachers, Speech-language pathologists, Counselors and people who work in Special Education fields. Strategies that could help kids while learning are close communication between the student and the teachers, Assistive technology, separate locations for testing, and extra time for studying. “People who are not familiar with the condition may believe that the person with Tourette's is deliberately trying to attract attention or be disruptive” (VeryWellFamily). This can be hard for students to realize because you usually see this in a younger state of childhood.

“The exact cause of Tourette syndrome isn't known. It's a complex disorder likely caused by a combination of inherited (genetic) and environmental factors. Chemicals in the brain that transmit nerve impulses might play a role” (Mayo Clinic). “Males are about three to four times more likely than females to develop Tourette syndrome” (Mayo Clinic). “People with Tourette syndrome often lead healthy, active lives. However, Tourette syndrome frequently involves behavioral and social challenges that can harm your self-image” (Mayo Clinic)

Honestly, I think it is insanely weird how males are about three to four times more likely to have Tourettes than females are. Yet, as I think about it when i'm in school or the public I do tend to see more males with this issue. While reading the article that these quotes came from, I was thinking about how my brothers tics weren’t actually caused by genetics. No one in my family history has had them before. However, on a different note when he was being born something happened and my mom lost oxygen with him inside her stomach so my mom always says like the “what if” statements and things like “maybe it was the lack of oxygen he had which exposed him to chemicals which caused the Tourettes to form.” But honestly there's no way of telling if that's true or not, it would take a lot of research.  For my brother, luckily he is very active and really good at sports. However when people first met my brother the only thing they would notice is his tics, that's the only side of him that they saw. But once they watched him play sports he was a completely different person. Yes, he still ticked here and there but it was not a complete tick show it was just him playing the sport he loves. Now to tie this in from a point above when kids with tics play sports it gets that chemical energy out that's been stored in there body which is causing kids tics to escalate. So when he plays sports he lets all that energy out. Luckily his tics are just movements with his body and sometimes sounds but he doesn't blurt out things like words or sentences. It's just repetitive movements that have to be done perfect for a certain number of times which is people who study this field connect OCD with Tourette Syndrome. 

The connection from the novel to my brother with tourettes is that the main character Sam has Tourette Syndrome and is trying to deal with it in lots of public situations but half the time it does not end up working for him because he will just either say something or jerk his body in some way. A connection to research is how most kids with Tourettes are very active and healthy. An example would be how Jack is offered a spot on the track team and is very fast at running. In his free time sam likes to go for long runs and wishes that he would be accepted so he could join the cross country team. Sam is a really good athlete but struggles in school, which is actually very similar to my brothers situation.

“Have you had that all you life?” Naomi asks. “No.” I pull ahead. “Mom says I was normal until six. Woke up one day and well, this. It’s a gift from my dad.” A glance at her. “How about you? Been perfect all your life?” She stops and her hands rise to her hips. “Okay, like that.”  Naomi stares at me, “Why did you say that?” I think hard. “Guess I'm making a joke- no that’s not true. “I think you’re- you seem pretty perfect. Nice and all.” .…. “But your not trying- when you say that, you just mean-.”

This is where Jack really starts to open up to her and tells her his past and how he developed these tics. In this situation, yes, his tics played a role but at the same time he knew what he was saying. He truly sees her for who she is and her perfection and I think that's so cool how even though he has the tics he can still focus on something that he likes. At the end of the quote is where Naomi has finally realized that Jack Keegan is not your typical high school jock, he is the sweet innocent boy who happens to be in love with her. 

Tourettes, a disease that has not been cured yet, only by waiting and outgrowing them.  Actions that can’t be controlled. And things that just aren't meant to be said. That is a day in the life of a person with these tics. Have you ever wondered how something would feel and then it happens and your like wow that's awful? Well think about these kids who have to go through school with these tics. They didn’t ask for this.. They didn’t want to be treated like a nobody or a monster or a freak because of who they were. But in the end I think they are the lucky ones to say that they outgrew it and conquered something so small yet so big in life. They are the ones to be able to say “yeah I had them when I was younger but look at where I am now.” Besides who says a freak with a crappy beginning can't find true love with a happy ending?

Works Cited

Hasan, Shirin Ha, MD, editor. "Tourette Syndrome." Kids Health, kidshealth.org/en/parents/tourette.html. Accessed 25 Sept. 2019.

"tourette.org/media/TouretteAssociation30MinuteInservice.pdf." Tourette Association, tourette.org/media/TouretteAssociation30MinuteInservice.pdf. Accessed 29 Sept. 2019.

"Information about Tourette Syndrome for Education Professionals." Center of Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/tourette/educators.html. Accessed 25 Sept. 2019.

Linnell-Olsen, Lisa. "How to Help Kids With Tourette's at School." VeryWellFamily, www.verywellfamily.com/help-kids-with-tourettes-at-school-4123682. Accessed 1 Oct. 2019.

"Tourette Syndrome." Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tourette-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20350465. Accessed 30 Sept. 2019.