Let's talk about something not many know about me – my dance with Tourette's Syndrome.

In my world, it's like a symphony of quirks and twitches. Even a simple task like brushing my

teeth could be an epic saga. People think I’m rolling my eyes at them, or worse– winking at

them. (Oh, I have stories…)

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Here’s where it began: Back in 2nd or 3rd grade, my parents noticed I kept squinting. Maybe I

needed glasses? Maybe I had something in my eye. Then I started shaking my head, as if I was

trying to get my hair out of my face. I couldn’t stop, and I really didn’t notice it until my face and

neck started hurting.

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What my parents and I didn’t know was I would be diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome a

couple years later. But before this diagnosis happened, I was put on a reward plan to stop these

“habits.” Example: If I could stop squinting for 30 minutes, I could have a dessert.

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It wasn’t working. I would stop for as long as I could, but these twitches, these habits, kept

happening. I felt so deflated. I loved dessert. And I didn’t want to let my parents down.

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Teachers and students at school would ask me to stop. “What’s wrong with you?” “You need to

be on medication.” “Quit shaking your head at me.” I was devastated. I felt like I was a nuisance,

a failure, and just plain awkward.

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I developed a “chicken arm” twitch, which would affect my writing, my softball pitch, and even

daily tasks— brushing my teeth and hair, eating food. I felt really bad about myself when I

accidentally hit my mom with my arm while we were walking in the mall.

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Now, I was a kid that didn’t necessarily “care” about people’s opinions. I wore comfy clothes,

refused to brush my hair (just like my 9 year old!!) and often enjoyed being “different.” But this?

This bothered me.

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Finally, in fourth grade, we went to a doctor. I remember the office being extremely cold as we

waited to be seen. And I remember the doctor– he had no personality. I was bored, confused,

and wanted to get out of there.

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After questions, it was concluded that I had TS, ADHS, OCD and WTF? Ok, just kidding. There

were a lot of acronyms thrown out. What I did receive was the diagnosis of: Tourette’s

Syndrome paired with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive

Disorder. Then it sunk in— I had a name for this “problem” I had. And I was ok with it.

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“Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, stereotyped,

involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics.” To be diagnosed, one must have at least

2 motor tics (movement) and 1 vocal tic (sounds.) I had a few.

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The following years I went to a private school that specializes in helping children with learning

disabilities. I met some very cool individuals at that school with disabilities far worse than mine

ever was or will be. I was very blessed to have mild symptoms, which I learned to cope with—

because I was confident and just made things work.

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On that note, let’s jump to the present. My mild symptoms eventually turn into milder symptoms.

“Tics typically show up between ages 2 and 15, with the average being around 6 years of age.

Males are about three to four times more likely than females to develop Tourette syndrome. Tics

often lessen or become controlled after the teen years.” Mayoclinic.com

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Fortunately, I fall under this category. My tics were much worse and frequent in my teen years.

It really wasn’t until mid-college years that I noticed a difference. However, if I was emotional in

any way— excited, sad, angry, etc. My tics got worse.

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Nowadays, most people don’t notice my tics until they’ve spent some time with me. If I am calm

and focused, my tics are extremely minimal.

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It wasn’t until recently that I learned about neurodiversity. I never even knew the word existed. It

wasn’t until people started talking about it and how their learning differences are their

superpowers. Hearing their stories and thinking, “Wow! I can relate to that at a deep level!”

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I reflected back to how this could have helped me as a child. Even though I was surrounded by

peers that may have been experiencing similar symptoms, we weren’t taught that it could be

channeled as a superpower. Gosh, I am so thankful to have learned it now.

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I believe that because I learned to control stress, my brain moves fast naturally, and I have

always just “owned” being who I am– it has helped me in business and throughout life. Though,

during high-stress moments, my tics may sneak onto the stage.

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My confidence was learned. It was not natural. And I’m thankful for all of the experiences that

have helped shape me into who I am today.

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Remember, it's not about what sets you apart; it's about embracing it and letting your

authenticity shine. That’s what makes me “tic.”

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PHOTO CRED: Photo by Ricardo Luis Canez / Amazingness After Dark